ANROWS has released this report containing a detailed examination of the relationship between economic insecurity and intimate partner violence (IPV) and investigates whether risk factors relating to economic insecurity have been influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The research found that, consistent with other Australian and international research, there was clear evidence that the acute economic stressors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with the onset and escalation of IPV.
Intervention programme for fathers who use domestic and family violence: Results from an evaluation of Caring Dads
This article, published in Child & Family Social Work, presents the findings of an evaluation of Caring Dads, a Men’s Behaviour Change Program trialled in two Australian locations. Many positive results were found and are detailed in the report.
Intimate partner violence during the COVID-19 pandemic: A survey of women in Australia
Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) has released this report examining whether there was an escalation of intimate partner violence (IPV) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research found that respondents were experiencing either first-time violence or patterns of ongoing violence which escalated in frequency and severity during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also found that a significant proportion of respondents who sought help were unable to access assistance due to safety concerns, which left many at risk and without access to support services.
ANROWS and the Australian Domestic and Family Violence Death Review Network have released this national data analysis report investigating the prevalence of, and characteristics and dynamics that precede, an IPV homicide. A key finding was that of the 311 IPV homicides examined, there were at least 172 children under the age of 18 who survived the homicide involving one, or both, of their parents.
RECOVER – Reconnecting mothers and children after family violence: The child-parent psychotherapy pilot
This report from ANROWS explores the feasibility of implementing child-parent psychotherapy (CPP), an evidence-based dyadic intervention, in the Australian context for children and their mothers affected by IPV. The state of knowledge review completed for this report identified very few evidence-based preventive treatments for mothers and children affected by IPV, especially in Australia. An evaluation of a pilot of CPP in Australia found that the program could be implemented under certain conditions and was highly acceptable to participants despite a range of identified implementation barriers. While there was evidence of some early outcomes, larger sample sizes and fully trained therapists are needed to assess effectiveness.
Spaceless violence: Women’s experiences of technology-facilitated domestic violence in regional, rural and remote areas
The Australian Institute of Criminology has released this paper examining the impact of technology-facilitated violence on victim-survivors of intimate partner violence in regional, rural or remote areas of Australia who are socially or geographically isolated. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with 13 victim-survivors, each of whom emphasised that the technology-facilitated abuse to which they were subjected profoundly affected their wellbeing. The research found that technology was incorporated into perpetrators’ control and intimidation tactics, often extending and exacerbating the abuse these women experienced both pre- and post-separation and their geographical isolation created a barrier to help-seeking.
The effectiveness of interventions for perpetrators of domestic and family violence: An overview of findings from reviews
Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) has released this research report as part of the What works: Overviews of reviews series. This study examined the evidence of effectiveness reported by reviews of interventions for perpetrators of domestic and family violence (DFV) and intimate partner violence (IPV). A key finding was that of 29 reviews that assessed the effectiveness of behaviour change interventions for a reduction in DFV/IPV, only one concluded that the intervention works. The review concludes that the quality of evidence in this space is poor and there are significant gaps.
Young, in love and in danger: Teen domestic violence and abuse in Tasmania
Anglicare Tasmania's report addresses the experiences of adolescent girls under 18 facing intimate partner violence. It includes firsthand accounts from 17 teen girls, explores the social context, prevalence, impacts, and offers prevention and response recommendations.
