Empowering rural women to lead their community in the implementation of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children
Heather Nancarrow, Annie Webster, Terese Kingston (CDFVR), Sandra Stoddart (NRWC), Julie Oberin & Karen Bentley (AWAVA) & Val Lang.
CDFVR have entered into a collaborative partnership with the National Rural Women's Coalition (NRWC) and the Australian Women against Violence Alliance (AWAVA) in a project which aims to support women from rural, regional and remote Australia to implement strategies outlined in the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children. Funding for the project was obtained by the NRWC from the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) for the development of two products: a toolkit of existing domestic and family violence resources, and a guide for women on ways to implement primary prevention strategies contained in the National Plan. These products will be developed through consultation roundtables held in rural South Australia and rural Queensland, three online sessions with local governments and engagement with local communities. The products will then be piloted in the same communities.
Cultivating Empathy
Heather Nancarrow, Terese Kingston (CDFVR), Tania Signal, Susan Gair (JCU)
CDFVR is collaborating with the CQUniversity Psychology Department and the James Cook University Social Work Department in a project examining empathy levels in human services students. Using an online questionnaire, the research team will survey students currently enrolled in a human services discipline/program such as social work or psychology at CQUniversity and JCU. The survey will be designed to measure current levels of empathy among the target groups of students by examining responses to domestic violence related vignettes differentiated by the ethnicity of the abused. The aim is then to utilise the findings to identify training needs and/or teaching resources for human services students. The online survey will be launched at both universities in Term One, 2012.
AHSS panel study: adolescent-to-parent abuse and elder abuse
Heather Nancarrow, Renette Viljoen and Annie Webster
The Australian Health and Social Science (AHSS) panel is an initiative of CQUniversity’s Institute for Health and Social Science Research (IHSSR). The AHSS panel allows IHSSR researchers to examine various issues affecting Australians now and into the future through targeted and regular research, using on-line surveys of a randomly selected national group of participants (the panel). This CDFVR project specifically addresses adolescent-to-parent abuse and elder abuse and seeks to understand the level of awareness, the prevailing attitudes, and the experience of these types of family violence, compared with intimate partner (or 'spousal') abuse.
Aspirations and realities: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and mainstream domestic violence policy
Heather Nancarrow
This research will explore how domestic and family violence law is being used for cases involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, compared to other Australians; how they experience the police and court process; what happens as a result; and what needs to change, if anything, to enhance the justice response for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people affected by domestic and family violence.
This research is being conducted as a research project for a PhD in Criminology and Criminal Justice at Griffith University.
Fact sheets
Co-ordinated by Annie Webster and Renette Viljoen
Resources for teen dating violence
Resources for teen dating violence will be designed to educate teenagers and increase their awareness about identifying and preventing teen dating violence, what to do if he/she is already in an abusive relationship, and how to help others that are experiencing dating violence.
Fact sheet for parents and teachers with teenagers
Factsheet for parents and teachers with teenagers will be designed to educate parents and teachers about identifying and preventing teen dating violence, the prevalence rates of teen dating violence, common clues that indicate a teenager may be experiencing dating violence and what parents and teachers can do to help protecting teenagers against dating violence.
Published fact sheets are available in pdf form here.
Hard copies may be ordered here.
Minimum Dataset for Queensland
Annie Webster and Heather Nancarrow
CDFVR is currently developing a new minimum dataset for Queensland, in consultation with it's funding body, the Department of Communities, and the Queensland domestic violence sector. Data will be collected twice a year over two two-week periods. The new minimum dataset will be comprised of a consistent dataset as well as providing the opportunity to include a range of different 'snapshots' on specific current issues.
CDFVRe@der
Co-ordinated by Renette Viljoen
The CDFVRe@der is a quarterly publication that aims to inform stakeholders about relevant research findings, policy initiatives, innovative service delivery, professional development opportunities and current issues in the field of domestic and family violence prevention. Each quarter, the CDFVRe@der is distributed in hard copy and electronic form to stakeholders across the State and beyond and copies of all editions are available online.
Annual Indigenous Family Violence Prevention Forum
Co-ordinated by Annie Webster
The Indigenous Family Violence Prevention Forum is an annual event convened by CDFVR in conjunction with its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Reference Group. Commencing in May 2004, the event is CDFVR's contribution to the annual Queensland Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month.
The Indigenous Family Violence Prevention Forum aims to:
- highlight and celebrate the good work that is being done by Indigenous people themselves to end domestic and family violence;
- support Indigenous people to share information and knowledge about strategies and programs that could be used effectively by others; and to
- promote opportunities for networking between Indigenous workers in the field of domestic and family violence prevention.
Presentations and reports from the Forums are available in our Indigenous Forum section.
Research seminars
Co-ordinated by Renette Viljoen
Each year CDFVR convenes 2 or more research seminars, which are broadcast using video-conferencing facilities to multiple sites across Queensland, including metropolitan, rural and regional locations. The research seminars are presented by a range of researchers, including those from CDFVR and various national and international institutions whose work is relevant to the domestic and family violence prevention sector.
The objectives of these seminars are to:
- provide professional development for staff of the Queensland Centre for Domestic and Family Violence Research;
- enable access to relevant research for domestic and family violence prevention practitioners and policy advisers across Queensland; and
- facilitate dialogue between researchers and practitioners in the field of domestic and family violence prevention.
Subject to approval from the presenter, seminar papers are published on CDFVR’s website and video-recorded for the production of a DVD for further distribution.
Please see the Seminar Papers section for more information.
Course in Responding to Domestic and Family Violence (Course Code: 30949QLD)
Co-ordinated by Annie Webster
This nationally accredited Course was created to respond to a recognised need for consistent and high quality training for front-line workers in a range of government and non-government agencies coming in contact with women affected by domestic and family violence. The Course was developed on the basis of a state-wide training needs analysis and involved extensive consultation with specialist service providers, including those working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and women from other culturally and linguistically diverse communities. The Course comprises 3 units of competency and successful completion of the Course (through a Registered Training Organisation) will result in a “Statement of Attainment for the Course in Responding to Domestic and Family Violence”, a nationally recognised qualification issued under and recognised by the Australian Quality Training Framework.
The Course will benefit people wishing to develop their skills and knowledge to gain employment in the area of domestic and family violence prevention. Further information on the Course in Responding to Domestic and Family Violence (Course Code: 30949QLD), including answers to frequently asked questions, is available from the "Accredited Course" section of the main navigation menu (top of page).
CDFVR’s Data Collection Strategy
Heather Nancarrow, Annie Webster and Clinton Rawsthorne
The Data Collection Strategy was developed in collaboration with the Queensland Department of Communities and relevant service providers. CDFVR developed, co-ordinates and maintains the statewide database of non-identifying client information provided by 27 domestic and family violence support services across Queensland. The primary purpose of the database was to contribute to the impact evaluation of amendments to the Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act 1989 to include a broader range of relationships. Data continues to be collected and contributes to research on domestic and family violence in Queensland. Click here to view the latest quarterly global report.
Resource for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women
CDFVR, together with their Mackay and state-wide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander reference groups, has developed a 40-page A5 booklet specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young women, middle aged women and older women. It contains real life stories of women’s experience of domestic and family violence as well as tips and facts to encourage women experiencing violence to seek help. The information in this resource is presented in an attractive, discreet and succinct format to encourage people to pick it up and to be able to read and understand it.
Babies, children and young people – adapted for men who use violence
In response to requests from service providers, Centre for Domestic and Family Violence Research has adapted their Babies, Children and Young People factsheets to create an additional suite of resources that are relevant to male perpetrators of domestic and family violence. These factsheets are designed to provide fathers with an insight into the impact their abusive behaviour may be having on their child or family. They provide fathers with information to enable them to play a positive role in their children’s lives.
Trial integrated response to domestic and family violence in Rockhampton: Client experiences and outcomes
Heather Nancarrow and Renette Viljoen
This research project assessed the experiences of, and outcomes for, clients of an integrated, inter-agency response to domestic and family violence trialled by the Queensland Government in Rockhampton. The knowledge gained from the research was used by the Department of Communities and the Minister for Communities and Housing and Minister for Women in their deliberations on the extension of the trial. The research found positive experiences and outcomes for clients who engaged with the trial, particularly in relation to the benefits of the safety upgrades program.
Abuse of female partners in the Bowen Basin region
Heather Nancarrow, Dr Sanjay Sharma and Stewart Lockie
The project was primarily funded by the Criminology Research Council and commenced in May 2007. Using logistic regression analysis, this quantitative research project ascertained the incidence and prevalence of male to female intimate partner abuse in the Bowen Basin and Mackay region of Central Queensland and examined correlations between women’s experience of intimate partner abuse and a variety of socio-demographic, relational and behavioral characteristics. It also identified the harmful effects of intimate partner abuse on women’s mental health and women’s reluctance to access specialist domestic violence services in their locality. The results of the research have been published and have informed the development of CDFVR fact sheets on the health impacts of non-physical forms of intimate partner abuse.
Restorative justice and youth violence toward parents
Professor Kathy Daly (Griffith University) and Heather Nancarrow
Analysing data from Professor Daly’s ARC-funded research on restorative justice, the study provided an in-depth analysis of cases of adolescent boys’ violence towards mothers that were diverted from court to a community conference. The purpose of the study was to examine the application of conferencing processes from a victim perspective, and in light of mainstream feminist critiques of restorative justice as an alternative to the formal criminal justice system. The study was finalised, and a co-authored article (Daly and Nancarrow) submitted for publication in J. Ptacek (ed.) Feminism, Restorative Justice, and Violence Against Women. New York: Oxford University Press (forthcoming).
Restorative justice for domestic and family violence: Hopes and fears of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian women
Heather Nancarrow
This work also drew from previous research to analyse the different perspectives of Indigenous and non-Indigenous women on the utility of restorative justice practices for cases of domestic and family violence. The analysis resulted in the final submission of an article to be published in 2008 in J. Ptacek (ed.) Feminism, Restorative Justice, and Violence Against Women. New York: Oxford University Press.
Violence Prevention for ‘enmeshed’ dating relationships: Interpreting Queensland’s civil law
Heather Nancarrow
This qualitative study assessed legislative amendments under Section 12A of Queensland’s Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act 1989, regarding interpretation by magistrates and service providers of the terminology ‘enmeshment’ and likely consequences for people seeking protection. The report (published by CQUni in 2006) recommended that the Government better articulate the policy intention of the relevant provision, and undertake inter-agency training to ensure enhanced quality in the application of the legislation. The report was provided to the Queensland Ministerial Advisory Council on Domestic and Family Violence and incorporated in advice to the Minister responsible for administering the Act. It was also provided to the Department of Communities, as part of its current evaluation of the impact of the 2003 amendments to the Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act 1989, which included the ‘enmeshed’ dating violence provision.
Koora the Kangaroo: Violence Prevention at Woorabinda State School
Heather Nancarrow, Michelle Bradford and Ailsa Weazel
This research involved the trial and evaluation of a collaborative project between CDFVR, Mrs Ailsa Weazel and the Woorabinda State School in 2004. Drawing on the appeal of a life-sized hip hop kangaroo mascot, the project used traditional Aboriginal cultural practices, including story-telling, dance and painting, to convey to the children of Woorabinda State School values of caring, sharing, respect and non-violent conflict resolution.
The project comprised a series of storybooks, written by Mrs Weazel of Woorabinda, which also formed the basis of dance and painting activities;anda teacher’s resource package that aimed to support teachers’ awareness of culturally sensitive practice, complement the school’s existing strategies to consolidate an ethos of non-violence and integrate Koora’s messages into curriculum activities.CDFVR presented the project’s evaluation findings to Woorabinda Community Council and Woorabinda State School in February 2005 and presented the findings to a national conference (United We Stand: Building Knowledge & Strengthening Practice in Our Communities), convened by the Australain Association of Social Workers in 2006. The evaluation report can be found here.