Children's book giving hope beyond family violence

Ashton Kline struggled to come to terms with his own grief let alone explain the brutal circumstances of his mother's death to his younger brother.

At just 15, he faced an unimaginable situation after his six-year-old brother Grant Monks witnessed their mother's murder at the hands of their father.

With limited support available in the early 2000s, he believes a storybook designed to help victim-survivors feel less alone could have made a significant difference.

"While this storybook doesn't explain the specific details of domestic homicide, it does give hope," Mr Kline told AAP.

"One thing that would have helped me, was to be able to contextualise it for my brother and put what happened into plain language for him."

What Ally Needs Now was created with the assistance of a peer support group and researchers to help children navigate grief after fatal family violence.

The book follows Ally, a small rhinoceros beetle, as they recover from losing a loved one from family violence and the silence and stigma that often accompany the experience.

The book was developed after researchers identified a lack of tailored support for child victim-survivors, Melbourne University's Dr Katitza Marinkovic Chavez told AAP.

"It's very difficult for children to actually grow up feeling that they owned their own story," Dr Marinkovic Chavez said.

"We are lacking opportunities for children and young people to connect with others who have similar experiences. Many grow up feeling they are the only ones.

"This storybook was created so the people who have lived experience are able to share their wisdom, their skills and stories with others."

It has also been featured as a significant resource by Victoria's Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare.

Mr Kline's mother Viola was killed after she was lured to the family caravan in Victoria's north under false pretences in September 2000.

He believes the book could have offered him and his brother reassurance that others had experienced similar trauma and that recovery was possible.

The resource also provides some talking points that can help start the conversation.

"This storybook really shines a light on the invisible," Mr Kline added.

"We often forget that the impacts of trauma are lifelong; they do impact you forever and the earlier we can start navigating those kind of challenges, then the earlier we can start recovery and understanding ourselves.

"We never leave that trauma but understanding what trauma looks like for people ... that's been really important to understand and move forward."

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)

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Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)