RF.20.01
“Safe, Respected and Free from Violence”: An evaluation of primary prevention projects
12 months
This study evaluates two of the Tangentyere Council Aboriginal Corporation’s primary prevention projects, “Mums Can Dads Can/Girls Can Boys Can” and “Old Ways are Strong”, developed in partnership with Larapinta Child and Family Centre and italk Studios.
The “Mums Can Dads Can/Girls Can Boys Can” project engages families, communities and children in gender-equitable early childhood resource and message development.
The “Old Ways are Strong” project is developing community-driven media resources to combat racist attitudes towards violence against Aboriginal women and promote healthy relationships.
Research aim/s
The evaluation will answer the following questions:
1.What are the impacts of the partnership projects on the participants/target groups?
2. What is the impact of the projects on participants’ attitudes about gender, violence and Aboriginal culture?
The study further aims to answer the following secondary evaluation questions:
3. To what extent have the resources and media developed by the two projects communicated and disseminated key anti-violence, anti-racist and gender-equitable messaging to their audience?
4. To what extent has local primary prevention workforce capacity been developed through the partnership projects?
Methods
The evaluation uses a mixed method approach, and includes an assessment of the impact of the project on participants’ (namely Aboriginal young people’s and families’) attitudes towards and beliefs about gender, violence and Aboriginal culture. The study will also assess the extent to which resources and media developed by the two projects effectively communicate key anti-violence, anti-racist and gender-equitable messaging to their audience.
The study uses a participatory approach, in which staff from the partnership projects will be recruited and trained by the Equality Institute to conduct the quantitative data collection.
Significance
This study will partner with community-based organisations to produce research on primary prevention in the Northern Territory and primary prevention with Aboriginal people, addressing a significant gap in the evidence-base. The research findings will be directed at improving the two projects, as well as providing key lessons for the domestic, family and sexual violence (DFSV) sector in the Northern Territory. Furthermore, the study aims to construct a baseline of participants’ attitudes and beliefs about gender, violence and Aboriginal culture. Such an attitudinal survey has not been undertaken with Aboriginal communities in Central Australia before. Therefore, although the study is small in scope, it can potentially yield important insights and produce valuable lessons for the project partnership as well as the DFSV sector in the Northern Territory, including the identification of areas for further research.
Researchers
Principal Chief Investigators
Dr Emma Fulu, The Equality Institute
Chay Brown, The Equality Institute
Research team
Loksee Leung, The Equality Institute
Dr Sarah Homan, The Equality Institute
Budget
$67,202
This project is funded by the ANROWS Research Fund to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children (Philanthropic – Luke Batty Legacy).