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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.


EXTERNALLY FUNDED RESEARCH PROJECTS

Police-identified mental health and substance use history among intimate partner stalkers in the Western Australian criminal justice system

Background

Intimate partner stalking (IPS) is a form of domestic violence that can substantially affect the mental and physical health of a victim. The majority of intimate partner stalkers are men, and emerging research suggests that they frequently experience problems with mental health and substance use. There is a paucity of knowledge regarding which stalkers are referred to mental health interventions and how effective those interventions are in their stated aims.

Aim

The aim of this research is to add to a limited body of knowledge regarding men who have been charged by police with IPS, specifically focusing on the real-world implications of police-identified mental health and substance use history, intervention and recidivism.

Methods

This study will first use de-identified archival data supplied by the Western Australia Police Force. Then, a quantitative survey will be administered to Western Australia Police Force officers, followed by interviews.

Significance

Examining police-identified mental health and substance use history, as opposed to clinical diagnoses, allows for investigation of stalkers who may not have mental disorder diagnoses or contact with the mental health system. Given their stalking behaviour has been severe enough to warrant police action, understanding any association between these police histories and IPS has implications for the justice and mental health systems. Police are in a position to both refer and arrest perpetrators, and to improve outcomes for both the victim and the perpetrator, therefore it is crucial to understand their processes when responding to reports of IPS.

Project start date

January 2020

Expected completion date

January 2023
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