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Research

Our research

Violence against women and children affects everybody. It impacts on the health, wellbeing and safety of a significant proportion of Australians throughout all states and territories and places an enormous burden on the nation’s economy across family and community services, health and hospitals, income-support and criminal justice systems.

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

News and events

ANROWS hosts events as part of its knowledge transfer and exchange work, including public lectures, workshops and research launches. Details of upcoming ANROWS activities and news are available from the list on the right.

ANROWS

About ANROWS

ANROWS was established by the Commonwealth and all state and territory governments of Australia to produce, disseminate and assist in applying evidence for policy and practice addressing violence against women and their children.

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

Resources

To support the take-up of evidence, ANROWS offers a range of resources developed from research to support practitioners and policy-makers in delivering evidence-based interventions.


Australian Human Rights Commission recommends National Sexual Harassment Research Agenda

The AHRC tabled its final report on the National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces in Parliament last week.

In RESPECT@WORK: National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces, Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins recommends the development and implementation of a National Sexual Harassment Research Agenda, led by ANROWS.

The report recommends that the National Sexual Harassment Research Agenda should address the evidence gaps identified through the Inquiry, including:

  • the prevalence and nature of sexual harassment, particularly technology-facilitated sexual harassment
  • risk factors that lead to greater exposure to sexual harassment for particular population groups
  • the prevalence, nature, reporting and impacts of sexual harassment for workers in these population groups
  • behaviours, characteristics and trends in relation to sexual harassers
  • workplace (environmental) risk factors
  • impacts on individuals, businesses, society and the economy
  • the effectiveness of strategies for the primary prevention of sexual harassment.
NEW RESEARCH REPORT

The PIPA project: Positive Interventions for Perpetrators of Adolescent violence in the home

New research has identified serious shortcomings in legal and service system responses to children who use violence against their family.

The Positive Interventions for Perpetrators of Adolescent violence in the home (PIPA) study, led by Elena Campbell from RMIT University’s Centre for Innovative Justice, examined responses by police, courts, child protection and other social support services to adolescent violence against family members in Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia.

The report found that while legislative and policy frameworks differed across jurisdictions, responses to the adolescents and their families were inadequate in all states.

Families having these experiences often have little support from services such as child protection, education, welfare, housing, counselling, or domestic and family violence services, and police, courts, child protection services and social support services are not equipped to respond to the problem constructively and holistically.

The report found that adverse childhood events or trauma are a major contributor to adolescents’ use of violence in the home.

See a discussion of the findings from lead researcher Elena Campbell in The Conversation, or read ANROWS’s publications about the findings below:

Research Report

The PIPA project: Positive Interventions for Perpetrators of Adolescent violence in the home (AVITH)

Research to Policy and Practice paper

The PIPA project: Positive Interventions for Perpetrators of Adolescent violence in the home—Key findings and future directions


NEW RESEARCH REPORT

Women’s quality of life as a measure of effectiveness of perpetrator interventions

Focusing on women’s quality of life is one way to keep outcomes for women at the centre of perpetrator intervention evaluations.

This research project explored the construct of “quality of life” through interviews with 100 women experiencing intimate partner violence.

The study found that quality of life for these women was significantly worse than the Australian average. Women experienced a broad range of fears  which impacted on their quality of life.

Autonomy, informal relationships and emotional health were the top priorities that the women identified for their quality of life.

This study developed a proposed set of items for assessing quality of life in the context of intimate partner violence, to be tested and validated with the World Health Organisation’s Quality of Life instrument (short version).

The report recommends that evaluations of perpetrator interventions should include women’s quality of life. It suggests that measures should be taken as men commence their participation in an intervention, when they complete the program, and at later follow-up.

Research Report

Defining quality of life indicators for measuring perpetrator intervention effectiveness

Research to Policy and Practice paper

Women’s quality of life as a measure of effectiveness of perpetrator interventions

Poster

How intimate partner violence affects quality of life

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Webinar: Exploring ways to improve antenatal DV screening

Yesterday ANROWS hosted a webinar discussing how we can enhance routine screening for domestic violence in antenatal care settings.

Drawing on indicative findings of upcoming ANROWS research (the SUSTAIN study), the expert panel of health practitioners and researchers discussed:

  • how practitioners experience routine domestic violence screening
  • how they have improved identification and response practices
  • key recommendations of The REAL Transformation Model, developed through this research project.

If you missed the live webinar you can catch up on the conversation here:

WATCH WEBINAR

UPCOMING WEBINAR

Safe for women? Preventing gender-based violence in mental health inpatient units

Join ANROWS for a webinar exploring women’s safety in mental health inpatient units.

Recent ANROWS research  found that women staying in mental health inpatient units experience gender-based violence in many forms perpetrated by other patients, intimate partners and ex-partners, and staff.  The physical environment and some treatment processes can also contribute to women feeling unsafe during their inpatient stays.

Drawing on findings from the research project, this panel of advocates, policymakers, researchers and practitioners will discuss:

  • women’s experiences of gender-based violence in inpatient mental health units
  • how current practices are not keeping women safe
  • what changes can be made to improve mental health inpatient services.

There will also be a live Q&A.

This webinar is designed for:

  • policymakers and practitioners working in mental health services
  • practitioners who work with women who have accessed mental health inpatient units.

Attending this webinar earns 1 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses (ACMHN) continuing professional education (CPE) point.

REGISTER HERE
UPCOMING WEBINAR

Sadie’s story: Helping women affected by domestic and family violence navigate a fragmented system

ANROWS and the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) invite practitioners to a webinar exploring how services can help women navigate multiple systems to ensure they receive the support they need.

This webinar focuses on one woman’s story of domestic and family violence (DFV). Sadie (not her real name) is an Aboriginal woman and mother of two. Her story sheds light on how fragmented service systems can often fail to meet women’s needs, and may even exacerbate the challenges they experience at the intersection of gender and racial inequality.

This webinar will discuss Sadie’s story and reflect on research that has highlighted:

  • the impact of DFV on parenting and parent–child relationships
  • the challenges for women of trying to navigate a fragmented service system
  • the need to improve practices to better meet the needs of women and children.

This webinar will be of interest to professionals working in the fields of DFV, family law, child protection, family relationship services, housing and related services.

REGISTER HERE

ANROWS Conference Update: COVID-19

Some of you may be wondering how COVID-19 may affect your plans to attend the ANROWS Conference in April.

We are currently being guided by the Australian Department of Health’s official reports and advice on appropriate response to the respiratory illness outbreak caused by the virus.

The Conference will proceed as planned, unless updated advice from the Department indicates otherwise. We will continue to monitor this advice closely and issue a notice of cancellation if and when that becomes necessary.

If you have further questions, please get in touch with us at conference@anrows.org.au.


Opportunities

1800RESPECT Disability Pathways

Following a comprehensive training and assessment program, 1800RESPECT counsellors now provide improved support to people with disability, who are impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence.

This program was developed as part of the Australian Government-funded Disability Pathways Project, which aimed to improve service referral pathways and responses for people with disability.

On Monday 23 March 2020 1800RESPECT will launch the Disability Support Toolkit, which been designed to assist frontline workers in supporting people with disability who have been impacted by violence and abuse.

Join the celebration at 10am at Medibank Place, 720 Bourke St, Docklands VIC 3008. RSVP by Monday 16 March to feedback@1800RESPECT.org.au.

New Resources

inTouch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence: Women on Temporary Visas Experiencing Family ViolencePosition Paper; Summary; Aish’s Story

Women With Disabilities Australia: Our Place: A resource made by and for women and girls (15+) with disability


New research

Books & Reports

Australian Human Rights Commission. (2020). Respect@Work: National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces.

Bell, K., & Flood, M. (2020). Change among the Change Agents? Men’s Experiences of Engaging in Anti-Violence Advocacy as White Ribbon Australia Ambassadors. In R. Luyt & K. Starck (Eds.), Masculine Power and Gender Equality: Masculinities as Change Agents (pp. 55-80). Cham: Springer International Publishing.

Bradbury-Jones, C., Morris, A., Sammut, D., & Humphreys, C. (2020). Domestic Violence and Abuse and Children: Principles of Practitioner Responses. In P. Ali & J. McGarry (Eds.), Domestic Violence in Health Contexts: A Guide for Healthcare Professions (pp. 77-87). Cham: Springer International Publishing.

Croker, F. (2019). New Frontiers: collaboratively educating dentists to competently recognise domestic violence, respond and refer. Paper presented at the STOP Domestic Violence Conference 2019, Gold Coast, QLD. Conference presentation retrieved from https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/62093/

Donovan, C., & Barnes, R. (2020). Queering narratives of domestic violence and abuse. Switzerland: Palgrave Pivot.

McMahon, M. & McGorrery, P. (Eds.), Criminalising Coercive Control : Family Violence and the Criminal Law. Singapore: Springer Singapore.

NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research. (2019). NSW Recorded Crime Statistics, December Quarter 2019. 

Robertson, L. (2019). ‘Crimes of passion’ or ‘horrific murders’? A corpus-based Critical Discourse Analysis of reporting on domestic and non-domestic violence in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Daily Telegraph. (Master’s thesis, University of Sydney).

United Nations Development Programme. (2020). 2020 Human Development Perspectives: Tackling social norms-A game changer for gender inequalities.

Valadares, G., de Oliveira Neves, E., Moreira, C., de Almeida Costa, P., & Mendes, S. (2020). Violence and Women’s Mental Health. In J. Rennó Jr, G. Valadares, A. Cantilino, J. Mendes-Ribeiro, R. Rocha, & A. Geraldo da Silva (Eds.), Women’s Mental Health: A Clinical and Evidence-Based Guide (pp. 291-322). Cham: Springer International Publishing.

Articles

Boxall, H., & Morgan, A. (2020). Repeat domestic and family violence among young people. Trends & Issues in crime and criminal justice (No. 591).

Broadley, K., & Paterson, N. (2020). Client violence towards workers in the child, family and community welfare sector (CFCA Paper No. 54-March 2020).

Burns, S. C., Kogan, C. S., Heyman, R. E., Foran, H. M., Smith Slep, A. M., Dominguez-Martinez, T., . . . Reed, G. M. (2020). Exploring Mental Health Professionals’ Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence–Related Training: Results From a Global Survey. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Advance Online Publication.

Carrington, K., Guala, N., Puyol, M. V., & Sozzo, M. (2020). How Women’s Police Stations Empower Women, Widen Access to Justice and Prevent Gender Violence. International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy, 9(1).

Dadvand, B., & Cahill, H. (2020). Structures for care and silenced topics: accomplishing gender-based violence prevention education in a primary school. Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 1-15.

Eaton, A. A., Noori, S., Bonomi, A., Stephens, D. P., & Gillum, T. L. (2020). Nonconsensual Porn as a Form of Intimate Partner Violence: Using the Power and Control Wheel to Understand Nonconsensual Porn Perpetration in Intimate Relationships. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, Advance Online Publication.

Galano, M. M., Grogan-Kaylor, A. C., Stein, S. F., Clark, H. M., & Graham-Bermann, S. A. (2020). Dyadic Profiles of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Mothers and Children Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence. Child Psychiatry & Human Development.

Kim, M. E. (2020). Shifting the Lens: An Implementation Study of a Community-Based and Social Network Intervention to Gender-Based Violence. Violence Against Women, Advance Online Publication.

McKibbin, G., & Humphreys, C. (2020). Future directions in child sexual abuse prevention: An Australian perspective. Child Abuse & Neglect, 104422.

Noble-Carr, D., Moore, T., & McArthur, M. (2020). Children’s experiences and needs in relation to domestic and family violence: Findings from a meta-synthesis. Child and Family Social Work, 25(1), 182-191. Review.

Taylor, P. (2020). Hunting to Feel Human, the Process of Women’s Help-Seeking for Suicidality After Intimate Partner Violence: A Feminist Grounded Theory and Photovoice Study. Global Qualitative Nursing Research, 7, Advance Online Publication.

Turkmani, S., Homer, C. S. E., & Dawson, A. J. (2020). Understanding the Experiences and Needs of Migrant Women Affected by Female Genital Mutilation Using Maternity Services in Australia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(5), 1491.

Wilson, J. M., & Smirles, K. (2020). College Students’ Perceptions of Intimate Partner Violence: The Effects of Type of Abuse and Perpetrator Gender. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Advance Online Publication.



Conferences & events

Events & Training

Melbourne, 13 March 2020: Adolescent Violence in the Home Symposium

Melbourne, 23 March 2020: Awarding of the Communication Access Symbol to 1800RESPECT and Launch of the 1800RESPECT Disability Support Toolkit (Details and RSVP by Monday 16 March to feedback@1800RESPECT.org.au)

Sydney, 26 March 2020: Settlement Services International Speaker Series – Unpacking the Invisible: Culturally and linguistically diverse women in domestic and family violence

Online, 1 April 2020: Sadie’s story: Helping women affected by domestic and family violence navigate a fragmented system

Conferences

Melbourne, 1 April 2020: PreventX 2020

Adelaide, 28-30 April 2020: ANROWS National Research Conference: Evidence in Action

Brisbane, 13–14 May 2020: Queensland Indigenous Family Violence Prevention Forum (QIFVP)

Siem Reap, Cambodia, 26–29 May 2020: 10th Asia-Pacific conference on reproductive and sexual health and rights

Melbourne, 10-12 June 2020: AIFS 2020 Conference: What is a good life for families? And how do we get there?

Sweden, 30 June – 2 July, 2020: 23rd Conference of the Nursing Network on Violence Against Women International

Canberra, 10-11 August 2020: National Homelessness Conference 2020

Dublin, Ireland, 2–4 September 2020: European Network for the Work with Perpetrators of Domestic Violence Annual Conference: Prison, Probation & Perpetrator Programmes – Collaboration for Change

Sydney, 21-22 October 2020: Evidence and Implementation Summit 2020 

Meanjin/Brisbane, 28–30 October 2020: Sisters Inside 10th international conference: Imagining abolition … A world without prisons

Canberra, 3–4 November 2020: Intersectionality: Challenges for Critical Feminist Research, Practice and Policy

Contribute to Notepad

If you have publications, resources, opportunities or events to promote, please forward them to enquiries@anrows.org.au.

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