ALA webinar: The first aid of family violence: Trauma informed and strength based approaches to adult literacy and digital education

Family violence continues to affect millions in Australia, with profound effects on education and digital participation for adult learners. Many in adult literacy programs have histories of trauma from abusive relationships, where low skills in reading, writing, or digital tools limit independence, job prospects, and access to online support systems. This vulnerability has grown more urgent as Australia digitises government services, job applications, and essential information, leaving those with limited digital literacy exposed to greater isolation or tech-facilitated abuse like device monitoring by perpetrators.

Around 6.6 million Australians face digital exclusion, exacerbating risks for family violence survivors who may struggle to seek help safely online or engage in remote learning. Recent policy momentum includes renewed funding through 2026 for The Readiness Program, training frontline workers in trauma- and violence-informed responses to domestic and family violence. The 2025 International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women focused on ending digital violence, highlighting technology's dual role as tool and weapon in abuse.

In adult education, trauma-informed and strength-based approaches recognise how family violence disrupts learning—through direct interference, emotional impacts, or barriers to attendance—and seek to create safer, more supportive classrooms. Sector discussions and research from 2024-2025 emphasise outreach to overlooked learners, including those in coercive situations, and the need for foundational skills training that accounts for trauma to improve retention and outcomes. This convergence of digital transformation, sustained national attention on family violence, and evolving practice in community education explains the topic's current relevance.