RP.20.01
WRAP around families experiencing adolescent violence in the home (AVITH): Towards a collaborative service response
April 2023
Recent research indicates that families experiencing adolescent violence in the home (AVITH) often manage multiple complexities and have limited access to service support. Previous research, including the PIPA project, found that “one-size-fits-all” approaches can result in punitive responses towards children, highlighting the need for multidisciplinary interventions.
Research also shows that the majority of existing interventions focus primarily on AVITH, without an opportunity to respond to the complexity across families. Little is known about prior service support, impacts on siblings or the extent to which addressing women’s experiences of intimate partner violence may mitigate the emergence of AVITH. This project fills a gap in evidence and future practice, supporting the development of a whole-of-family, collaborative practice framework which services across Australia can employ.
Research aim/s
“WRAP around families experiencing AVITH” (the WRAP around project) has identified support needs of young people and their families who are experiencing AVITH amid a range of co-occurring needs. The research has developed a framework for holistic, evidence-based and collaborative practice.
Methods
The WRAP around project’s mixed methods approach involved focus groups with practitioners in Victoria (including a small number from Aboriginal community-controlled organisations) and a case study of an intervention developed by Drummond Street Services. The case study incorporated a case file review, workshops with practitioners, and interviews with parents.
Significance
Findings from the WRAP around project address the challenge of supporting families experiencing AVITH. The PIPA project highlighted the complexity of needs across many families who may experience AVITH as one component of this challenge. The collaboration with Drummond Street Services was therefore designed to capture data from service responses which work primarily with families who are experiencing complex needs.
The WRAP around project provides new evidence to support the development of interventions which can address all family members. This includes the development of a whole-of-family, collaborative practice framework which can be adopted by services around Australia.
Downloads
Researchers
Project lead
Elena Campbell, Associate Director, Centre for Innovative Justice, RMIT University
Research team
Riley Ellard, Senior Researcher, Centre for Innovative Justice, RMIT University
Eliza Hew, Project Officer, Centre for Innovative Justice, RMIT University
Matilda Simpson, Project Officer, Centre for Innovative Justice, RMIT University
Beth McCann, General Manager, Centre for Family Research & Evaluation
Dr Silke Meyer, Chair in Child and Family Research, Griffith University and Adjunct Professor, Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre, Monash University
Research partners
drummond street services
See also
Media release
Experiences of complex trauma and unmet support needs are the primary factors in young people using violence in the home.
Find out moreProject
The PIPA project: Positive Interventions for Perpetrators of Adolescent violence in the home
Find out moreSPECIAL COLLECTION
Working across sectors to meet the needs of clients experiencing domestic and family violence
Find out more