Reports and Publications

Latest reports and publications

Connecting the dots: Understanding the DFV experiences of children and young people with disability within and across sectors

Project Lead: Professor Sally Robinson
Research Team: Associate Professor Melissa O'Donnell, Professor Kylie Valentine, Associate Professor Tim Moore, Dr Amy Marshall

RESEARCH AIMS:

This project aimed to:

Scope and map current data capture of children and young people with disability experiencing domestic and family violence, identifying gaps and limitations and mapping new intersections unique to this population.
Develop a new understanding of the support and service needs, priorities and perspectives of children and young people with disability experiencing domestic and family violence, as well as system barriers and enablers.
Determine steps to bring service processes into better alignment with children and young people’s priorities.

Learn more

SIGNIFICANCE:

This project develops a picture of the prevalence and extent of children and young people with disability exposed to domestic and family violence in Australia, with additional focus on intersecting forms of difference and marginalisation. It centres the experiences and priorities of children and young people with disability who have experienced domestic and family violence and ensures any policy and practice recommendations are child-focused.

This project highlights implications for improving policy and practice across intersecting disability, child and violence domains. It begins to address one of the evidence gaps identified in the 2020 interim report of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. The report concluded that there is an omission of people with disability from national data collections and a lack of analysis of data on violence and disability, and therefore limited evidence to inform government.

Download report - The nature and extent of domestic and family violence exposure for children and young people with disability

Download report - Connecting the dots: Understanding the domestic and family violence experiences of children and young people with disability within and across sectors: Final report

Download fact sheet - Connecting what matters: Children and young people with disability and their families share their views on how services can help when they experience domestic and family violence

Please consult the ANROWS website for more information on this project.

Nurturing social connection and addressing loneliness in Community Centres in South Australia

Chief Investigator: Ben Lohmeyer
Research Assistant: Ros Wong

This project set out to investigate which programs in Community Centres in South Australia build social connection, and by doing so address the issues of social isolation and loneliness in their communities. The findings outlined in this report demonstrate that a much of the existing practice and service delivery by staff and volunteers in community centres reflects the recent literature in this area.

The project invited community centres to participate in the project through Community Centres SA networks.15 community centres responded to the EOI and participated in a focus group. 123 people participated across the 15 focus groups. Participating community centres included a spread of socio-economic areas across the greater Adelaide region, the Adelaide Hills and regional South Australia.

Learn more

Download report - Nurturing social connection and addressing loneliness in Community Centres in South Australia

Listen to the podcast

ANROWS Research Report – “It depends on what the definition of domestic violence is”: How young Australians conceptualise domestic violence and abuse

The 2017 National Community Attitudes towards Violence against Women Survey (NCAS) found that although young people have a good overall understanding of domestic violence, particularly its physical forms, there were also some “areas of concern” within young people’s understandings. The NCAS raised concerns about young people’s understandings of:

the non-physical forms of domestic violence, such as financial and technology-facilitated abuse
the high prevalence of violence against women in the community
the gendered nature of domestic violence.

Learn more

To further explore these findings, the current study unpacked how young people define and make sense of domestic violence. In particular, the study examined how young people distinguish domestic violence from other unhealthy relationship behaviours, how common they perceive domestic violence to be and their understanding of the gendered nature of domestic violence.

The mixed-method study involved a short online survey and focus groups with young women (41) and men (39) aged 16 to 18 from across Australia from a range of backgrounds. Fourteen online focus groups, each with four to six participants, were conducted. Seven of the focus groups were with young men and seven were with young women.

This report addresses work covered in ANROWS’s National Community Attitudes towards Violence against Women Survey (NCAS) Research Program. This work is part of the ANROWS Research reports series. ANROWS Research reports (Horizons) are in-depth reports on empirical research produced under ANROWS’s research program.

Authors

DR ERIN CARLISLE
Senior Research Officer (NCAS), ANROWS

DR CHRISTINE COUMARELOS
Director, Research Program (NCAS), ANROWS

KATE MINTER
Senior Research Officer (NCAS), ANROWS

DR BEN LOHMEYER
Lecturer in Social Work, Flinders University

ANROWS Report – “It depends on what the definition of domestic violence is”: How young Australians conceptualise domestic violence and abuse

ANROWS Research summary - “It depends on what the definition of domestic violence is”: How young Australians conceptualise domestic violence and abuse

This report addresses work covered in ANROWS’s National Community Attitudes towards Violence against Women Survey (NCAS) Research Program.

This work is part of the ANROWS Research reports series. ANROWS Research reports (Horizons) are in-depth reports on empirical research produced under ANROWS’s research program.

For additional information, please consult ANROWS website.

Research report - Changing community attitudes to improve inclusion of people with disability

The Royal Commission into violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability wants to know what could be done to change attitudes towards people with disability so that they are better included in society. UNSW Sydney and Flinders University researched effective policies to change attitudes, using an evidence review and national interviews. The research found evidence about interventions to change attitudes, behaviours and outcomes.

Download the research reports

Other reports and publications

ANROWS Project – Engaging men who use violence: Invitational narrative approaches

This qualitative study explored how invitational narrative ways of working successfully engage men and enable behavioural and attitudinal change. The study explored the historical and philosophical foundations of invitational narrative practice, and the principles and skills that practitioners use in their work.

Project outcomes provided greater understanding of the therapeutic and service delivery practices that lead men to engage with or disengage from programs. Specifically, the findings contributed to the growing understanding of key values and principles of invitational narrative ways of working that support engagement and enable change when working with men who use violence in their intimate partner relationships.

As an outcome of this project, ANROWS, in partnership with Flinders University and Uniting Communities, hosted a symposium for policy-makers and practitioners on invitational narrative approaches to engaging men who use violence. The symposium explored the key findings of the research project, ‘Engaging men who use violence: Invitational narrative approaches’, led by Professor Sarah Wendt.

ANROWS Report - Engaging men who use violence: Invitational narrative approaches

This report addresses work covered in the ANROWS research project PI.17.12 Engaging men: Invitational-narrative approaches. ANROWS research contributes to the six National Outcomes of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022. This research addresses National Plan Outcome 6 – Perpetrators stop their violence and are held to account.

ANROWS Research summary - Engaging men who use violence: Invitational narrative approaches

ANROWS Research to policy and practice papers are concise papers that summarise key findings of research on violence against women and their children, including research produced under ANROWS’s research program, and provide advice on the implications for policy and practice. This is an edited summary of key findings from the ANROWS research project Engaging men: Invitational-narrative approaches.

View the symposium in our public lecture resources here.

Listen to the ANROWS Insights podcast episode in our podcast and webinar resources here.

For additional information, please consult ANROWS website.

ANROWS Project – Seeking help for domestic violence: Exploring rural women’s coping experiences

This work is part of the ANROWS Landscapes series. ANROWS Landscapes (State of knowledge papers) are medium length papers that scope current knowledge on an issue related to violence against women and their children. Papers will draw on empirical research, including research produced under ANROWS’s research program, and/or practice knowledge.

The state of knowledge paper examines research and literature on the effects of social and geographical isolation and remoteness on the ability of women to disclose, report, seek help, and receive appropriate interventions following domestic and family violence and/or sexual assault.

The paper outlines:

research findings on regional, rural and remote women’s experiences of domestic and family violence and sexual assault; and
the main approaches of service delivery for domestic and family violence and sexual assault, drawing on literature that describes service provision in regional, rural and remote Australia.

State of knowledge paper - Seeking help for domestic violence: Exploring rural women’s coping experiences

ANROWS Compass (Research to policy and practice papers) are concise papers that summarise key findings of research on violence against women and their children, including research produced under ANROWS’s research program, and provide advice on the implications for policy and practice.

This report summarises the key findings of a qualitative case study design on this topic that engaged with five different locations: Mount Gambier, Murray Bridge, the Riverland, and Whyalla in South Australia, and Derby in Western Australia. Each region had a specialist domestic and family violence agency based on the hub-and-spoke service model. The agency was located in the greatest population density (hub) and provided outreach services to cover large geographical distance (spokes) (Roufeil & Battye, 2008).

ANROWS Research summary - Seeking help for domestic and family violence: Exploring rural women’s coping experiences

This report presents the results of a qualitative study examining the experiences of women seeking help for domestic and family violence who live in regional, rural, and remote areas in Australia. The study contributes to the limited evidence on how geographical and social isolation shapes women’s coping with and decisions to seek assistance for domestic and family violence, and their efforts to live safely.

This report addresses work covered in the ANROWS research project 1.3 “Seeking help for domestic violence: exploring rural women’s coping experiences”.

ANROWS Research report - Seeking help for domestic and family violence: Exploring rural women’s coping experiences

Please consult the ANROWS website for more information on this project.

As an outcome of this project, ANROWS, in partnership with Flinders University and Uniting Communities, hosted a public lecture on Seeking help for domestic violence: exploring rural women’s coping experiences. The symposium explored the key findings of the research project, led by Professor Sarah Wendt.

View the symposium in our public lecture resources here.

Young people’s experiences of bullying and violence in secondary schooling

Young people’s experiences of bullying and violence in secondary schooling: Phase 1, Preliminary findings

This qualitative research project explored young people’s ideas and experiences of bullying and violence in secondary schooling. Students were asked to discuss the difference between violence and bullying, where they see it happening in their school, community and society, and how it might be prevented. The purpose of the study was to learn from young people, rather than to capture data about them or identify the victims or perpetrators of bullying and violence.

This report provides a preliminary insight into the findings of Phase 1 of the study.

Ecc Preliminary Report - Phase 1

Young people’s experiences of bullying and violence in secondary schooling: Phase 2, Preliminary findings

In the second phase of this project, young people involved in flexible learning programs (FLO) talked about their understandings and experiences of bullying and violence. The purpose of this phase was to learn from young people about their experiences of violence and bullying in school, and better understand the contemporary social dynamics that enable and justify bullying.

This report provides a preliminary insight into the findings of Phase 2 of the study.

Uniting SA FLO Preliminary Report - Phase 2

Housing SA project - Young women’s experiences of violence and homelessness

Housing SA project - Young women’s experiences of violence and homelessness

This report presents the results of a qualitative study exploring young women’s experiences of domestic and family violence, sexual abuse and homelessness and housing insecurity. The study contributes to an evidence base that supports a gender-sensitive, trauma-informed approach to creating housing stability for young women who have experienced violence. The findings are presented to inform the South Australian Housing Authority as it deliberates on reform to improve the state’s homelessness system, with the aim of reducing homelessness across South Australia. The reforms are focused on providing services to prevent people from falling into homelessness; to ensure people get the right support they need, when they need it; and to rapidly rehouse people into safe, stable and long-term housing so they don’t cycle in and out of homelessness. These aims are particularly pertinent to the experiences of young women who have endured and survived violence and abuse.

Young Women’s Experiences of Violence & Homelessness: Research Report