Reimagining Child Safety in the Face of Coercive Control: Asia Pacific Conference Marks 20 Years of the Safe Together Model

SYDNEY, Nov. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- From 17–19 March 2026, leaders in domestic violence prevention, child protection, health, and family law will gather in Sydney for the Asia Pacific Coercive Control & Children Conference at the Roundhouse at the University of New South Wales.

The event marks the 20th anniversary of the Safe & Together Model, a framework that has reshaped how systems around the world respond to domestic abuse and keep children safe with survivors. Over the past two decades, the Model's child-centred, survivor-aligned, and perpetrator-focused approach has helped thousands of professionals keep children safe and families together while holding those who choose violence accountable as parents.

The conference will feature regional and global thought leaders including:

• David Mandel, Safe & Together Institute founder and CEO, reflecting on two decades of global systems change and the future of the Model—centering digital innovation, local collaboration, and leadership in men's behaviour, trauma, and perpetration.
• Matt and Sarah Brown, founders of She Is Not Your Rehab, offering a powerful message of accountability, healing, and intergenerational change.
• Professor Daryl Higgins from Australian Catholic University, connecting findings from the Australian Child Maltreatment Study to the urgent need for coercive-control-informed child safety strategies.
• Dr. Inez Fainga'a-Manu Sione and Shane Senituli, presenting Indigenous and Pacific methodologies that integrate cultural wisdom with contemporary practice.

"Twenty years on, the Safe & Together Model's vision—child safety, survivor partnership, and perpetrator accountability—is becoming the benchmark for global best practice," said Mandel. "This conference celebrates that progress and builds the next generation of change together."

The conference features four themed tracks designed to support professionals across sectors:

• Domestic Violence–Informed Practice: Practical tools to assess risk, strengthen case planning, and embed perpetrator accountability.
• Indigenous-Led Approaches: Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Māori, and Pasifika leadership in creating culturally grounded safety responses.
• Family Law: Enhancing courts' capacity to recognize coercive control as a parenting choice and focus decisions on child well-being.
• Health Responses to Domestic Violence: Advancing trauma- and violence-informed practice across healthcare systems.

Whether attending in person or virtually, delegates will gain evidence-based tools, cross-sector insights, and connections that enhance real-world practice and system reform.

For registration and sponsorship opportunities, visit safeandtogetherinstitute.com/2026APCCC.

About the Safe & Together Institute The Safe & Together Institute is a global leader in domestic violence–informed training, consulting, and implementation support. Founded by David Mandel in 2006, the Institute's mission is to create, nurture, and sustain a global network of professionals and organisations working to improve systems' responses to domestic violence when children are involved. The Safe & Together™ Model provides a framework for partnering with domestic abuse survivors and intervening with domestic abuse perpetrators to enhance the safety and well-being of children. The Institute has trained thousands of professionals across the United States, Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, and other countries, working with child welfare systems, family courts, domestic violence advocates, and other stakeholders to develop domestic violence–informed practices and policies. For more information, visit https://safeandtogetherinstitute.com.

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