4AP.8
Transforming responses to intimate partner and sexual violence: Listening to the voices of victims, perpetrators and services
24 months
This large-scale study (the “Voices” study) is capturing the perspectives of victims and survivors to help inform the design of service interventions and policy responses. By engaging with a diverse group of women, it will provide insight into women’s unique experiences of abuse and service needs. It will also provide information on the experiences and service needs of perpetrators.
The study is a collaboration between the Safer Families Centre for Research Excellence at the University of Melbourne and ANROWS, and will be led by Professor Kelsey Hegarty and Associate Professor Dominiek Coates.
Research aim/s
The aim of this study is to suggest ways to tailor service responses for victims and survivors, their children and perpetrators in order to most effectively respond individually to all family members. To do this, it will develop:
- an understanding of the lived experience of abuse and violence by diverse groups of women during their lifetimes
- an overview of the different needs for services and supports of diverse women and their children
- an understanding of perpetrators’ patterns of abuse and violence over their lifetime
- clear knowledge of perpetrators’ service needs across the system
- insights into what works in service responses for victims and survivors and their children, perpetrators and service providers.
Methods
To capture the experiences of abuse and service needs of victims and survivors, their children and perpetrators this mixed method study includes:
- a national online community survey of women and perpetrators
- a survey of service providers and academics across sectors (health; justice; specialist family, domestic and sexual violence services)
- qualitative interviews with women and perpetrators to provide a complex and nuanced understanding of their experiences.
This project has received ethics approval from the University of Melbourne Human Research Ethics Committee.
Significance
The project will support policymaking and service design across the violence against women sector to better respond to the needs of diverse cohorts of women and their children who have experienced intimate partner violence and sexual violence.
By addressing key gaps in the evidence base on women’s experiences of multiple forms of abuse, the patterns of abuse over time and the experiences of perpetrators, it will provide a more comprehensive picture for policy responses.
The study will develop policy and practice recommendations to improve service responses to the needs of women and to address existing gaps in perpetrator interventions.
“Voices” surveys
The research team is asking for your help in distributing the project surveys. You can access information about the Voices survey for victims and survivors (women) and about the survey for people (men, women and gender diverse) who use intimate partner violence and sexual violence against women. Please feel free to share these survey links widely via newsletters, Twitter, Facebook and other social media.
Researchers
Project leads
Professor Kelsey Hegarty, University of Melbourne
Associate Professor Dominiek Coates, ANROWS
Research team
Associate Professor Dr Laura Tarzia, University of Melbourne
Dr Kristin Diemer, University of Melbourne
Dr Minerva Kyei-Onanijiri, University of Melbourne
Dr Mandy McKenzie, University of Melbourne
Matt Addison, University of Melbourne
Jacqueline Kuruppu, University of Melbourne
Dr Maria Koleth, ANROWS
Dr Patricia Cullen, University of NSW
Research partners
The project will include an advisory committee comprising representatives from a diverse range of government and non-government organisations.
Budget
$593,154 (excl. GST)