Carpentaria Shire Council, Queensland

Domestic Violence - it's not our game

Normanton Building Safer Communities Action Team (BSCAT), initiated by Council, and the Normanton Stingers Rugby League Club have partnered in the initiative Domestic Violence – it’s not our game with the aim of creating positive role models in the community, reducing the prevalence of domestic and family violence and creating a safer community to live in.

Normanton BSCAT decided to address these problems by creating the campaign and sponsoring the local Stingers Rugby League Team. The slogan was adopted by the team who also agreed to become role models in the community. The penalty for violence is exclusion from games and ultimately the team.

Commercial advertisements are run on Imparja Television during the football season featuring the players and the message. Car stickers and a banner bearing the slogan are displayed at games and community events. The team’s jerseys and supporters’ shirts permanently display the slogan. The Junior Stinger’s jerseys also feature the logo.

The project has won state and national crime and domestic violence prevention awards, and has been the subject of various radio and print news stories.

In 2009 the project model has been duplicated in western NSW NRL teams and in Victorian AFL teams.

Key outcomes:

• a 55% drop in domestic violence incidents; and


• a 64% drop in breaches of domestic violence orders.