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 will capture the perspectives of victims/survivors to help inform the design of interventions and prevention initiatives. By engaging with a diverse group of women, it will provide insight into women’s unique experiences of abuse and service needs.
This study will also address a significant gap in existing research by investigating the experiences of perpetrators and their service needs.
To capture the experiences of abuse and service needs of victims/survivors, their children and perpetrators this mixed-method study will include:
- 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 aim of this study is to suggest ways to tailor service responses for victims/survivors, their children and perpetrators in order to most effectively respond individually to all family members. To do this, it will develop:
- 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
- Understanding of perpetrators’ patterns of abuse and violence over their lifetime
- Clear knowledge of perpetrator’s service needs across the system
- Insight into what works for victims/survivors and their children, perpetrators and service providers
- Policy and practice recommendations to improve service responses to the needs of women and address existing gaps in perpetrator interventions.
This project 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 Dr Dominiek Coates.
Researchers
Project leads
Professor Kelsey Hegarty, University of Melbourne
Dr Dominiek Coates, ANROWS
Research team
Dr Mohajer Hameed, University of Melbourne
Dr Laura Tarzia, University of Melbourne
Dr Kristin Diemer, University of Melbourne
Dr Maria Koleth, ANROWS
Research partners
The project will include an Advisory Committee comprising representatives from a diverse range of government and non-government organisations
Budget
$593,154 (excluding GST)