Hope

Jonathon's home was not a happy one. But hope soon arrived when Auntie Edie came to stay. This beautifully illustrated book was written to provide children in family violence homes with a sense of hope and to lessen the traumatic effects of their living situations. As Jonathon knows, there is always hope that things might change. This book aims to help children voice their concerns and their fears, and to express these with an adult or adults they trust such as a family member, teacher, caregiver or the police. Too often children in these environments blame themselves for the violence in their homes and take on the burden of shame and guilt. This book aims to reassure children that family violence is never ever their fault and that there is also hope that things might change. Hope includes a Safety Plan developed by Eastern Domestic Violence Service that can be used by health professionals working with children, early years educators, teachers and family members or friends who might know a child that may be experiencing family violence.