by family and domestic violence.120 Shelters provide an opportunity for coordinated assistance, education and programs for children on-site. Recommendation 24: Australian Governments provide child-specific therapeutic intervention, counselling and early intervention programs for child victims of family and domestic violence, to be delivered across a range of services. 5.2 Harmful traditional practices (a) Forced marriage 163. The practice of forced marriage, for both children and adults, was criminalised under federal law in 2013 121 and is supported by measures in the National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking and Slavery 2015– 2019.122 164. The Australian Federal Police has received 174 referrals for forced marriage since its criminalisation, 70 of them in 2016–2017.123 Between March 2013 and July 2015, 32 out of 41 referrals accepted by the Australian Federal Police for further investigation related to children.124 The true prevalence of child marriage is unknown, as the large majority of forced marriages are not legally registered.125 165. Victims of human trafficking and slavery-related offences are eligible to receive support through the Support for Trafficked People Program. The Australian Government reports that in 2016–2017, 12 children were referred to the Program.126 In February 2018, the Australian Government introduced a 12-month pilot to extend clients’ access to this Program from 45 to 200 days. However, beyond this, individuals must have been involved in a criminal investigation or prosecution.127 166. Stakeholders have highlighted that linking support to engagement with law enforcement is a barrier for children reporting abuse.128 Such support programs should be made available to child victims of trafficking and slavery even where they are unwilling or unable to assist police investigations or prosecutions.129 167. Child marriage should be recognised as a form of family violence.130 This would enable greater recognition of the practice within affected communities, widen access to resources and support services for at-risk individuals and allow prevention strategies to include the topic of forced marriage in ‘respectful relationship education’. 29