Webinar: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on domestic and family violence

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised significant concerns about the “shadow pandemic” of violence against women and their children. There is now a large body of research in Australia exploring the effects of the pandemic on violence against women and their children and, in particular, intimate partner violence (IPV). The research demonstrates that frontline services are responding to more complex matters, and that there are also increased barriers for victims and survivors both reporting IPV and seeking support.

This webinar launched the publication of ANROWS research, Intimate partner violence during the COVID-19 pandemic: A survey of women in Australia, led by the Australian Institute of Criminology. This research represents the most comprehensive survey of women living in the Australian community about the nature of IPV experienced during the first 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The webinar will unpack the findings of the study and its implications on future phases of the pandemic. The panel will explore how services across the DFV, police, health and legal sectors responded during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and discuss lessons learned as we approach the end of the second year of the pandemic. The panel will also discuss how the pandemic impacts children who live with domestic and family violence.

The webinar provides evidence- and practice-based knowledge on policy reforms and practice design in future phases of the pandemic and other natural disasters.

The discussion is facilitated by Michele Robinson (ANROWS) with:

• Anthony Morgan (Australian Institute of Criminology)
• Sandra Creamer (National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Alliance)
• Anne Hollonds (National Children’s Commissioner)
• Justice Gill (Federal Circuit & Family Court of Australia)
• Acting Inspector Melissa Dwyer (Queensland Police Service)
• Melinda Tynan (Department of Social Services)

This webinar is designed for:

• policymakers, practice design decision-makers, practitioners and researchers working in domestic and family violence, legal, justice, police, health and other relevant areas

The webinar recording is now available to watch with captions.

WATCH

Presenters

Anthony Morgan
Research Manager, Australian Institute of Criminology
Anthony Morgan is the Research Manager for the Australian Institute of Criminology’s Serious and Organised Crime Research Laboratory. The Lab works with partners across government and academia to adopt a crime science approach to understanding and disrupting serious crime. Anthony’s own research is focused on intimate partner violence, group-involved crime and violence and, more recently, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on crime. He has published extensively in the area of policing, including policing responses to domestic violence, police investigations and use of technology, police partnerships and crime analysis to inform policing.

Sandra Creamer
CEO, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Alliance
Sandra Creamer is the CEO of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Alliance (NATSIWA), Lawyer and Adjunct Professor of Public Health at the University of Queensland. She is a Wannyi/Kalkadoon, Sandra has worked with Indigenous women in Australia and globally, and believes it is important to empower Indigenous women for self-determination, equality of their rights as well as understanding how they can challenge issues that affect their communities and work with them to find solutions. Sandra was awarded an AM in 2019 for her service to Indigenous women.

Anne Hollonds
National Children’s Commissioner
Anne Hollonds is Australia’s National Children’s Commissioner. Formerly Director of the Australian Institute of Family Studies, for 23 years Anne was Chief Executive of government and non-government organisations focussed on research, policy and practice in child and family wellbeing. As a psychologist Anne has worked extensively in frontline practice, including child protection, domestic and family violence, mental health, child and family counselling, parenting education, family law counselling, and community development. Anne has two small grandchildren.

Justice Gill 
Federal Circuit & Family Court of Australia – Division 1
Justice Gill worked as an employed solicitor in the Legal Aid Commission of the Australian Capital Territory as a domestic violence duty lawyer, commencing in 1993. From there he worked both in the criminal law and family law sections of the Commission before entering private practice in 1999, where he practised as a solicitor in criminal law, family law and in relation to family violence orders. From there Justice Gill was called to the bar in 2003 practising in criminal law and family law, in relation to protection and family violence orders, human rights law and coronial inquests. Justice Gill was appointed to Family Court of Australia in May 2016 to the Canberra Registry of that Court. He is a member of the combined Family Violence Committee of Division 1 and Division 2 of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.

A/Inspector Melissa Dwyer
Domestic Family Violence and Vulnerable Persons Unit, Queensland Police Service
As the first female Detective in Redcliffe District CIB, Melissa has extensive experience as a regional Detective primarily investigating rape offences including those committed in marriage and domestic and family violence (DFV) homicides. Melissa holds post-graduate qualification in DFV. In 2007 Melissa was appointed to OIC Redcliffe Prosecutions and was the lead DFV prosecutor. In 2015 Melissa was appointed to Senior Strategy Officer and assisted in leading the QPS implementation activities associated with the recommendations of the Not Now: Not Ever Report. Melissa has performed as Inspector in the State DFV & Vulnerable Persons Unit, Inspector of DFV Specialist Courts being the first specialist DFV court established in Queensland and Inspector in charge of the development and implementation of the Drug and Alcohol Court, earning a joint agency Prime Ministers award for innovation. Her collective experiences instilled a desire to improve the system to change the outcomes for women and children. Melissa is currently seconded to the Domestic Family Violence and Vulnerable Persons Unit.

Facilitator

Michele Robinson
Michele joined ANROWS in 2017 as the Director, Evidence to Action. Michele leads the translation and dissemination of research at ANROWS to support the take-up of evidence into policy and practice, to reduce violence against women and their children. This role builds on Michele’s 18 years of experience in leadership roles developing advice and strategies on research, knowledge partnerships and exchange in a diverse range of sectors, including the prevention of violence against women and their children.

Enquiries: [email protected] and [email protected]

Disclaimer: ANROWS webinars bring together a diverse range of speakers on a particular topic, informed by the evidence-base, lived expertise, and policy and practice knowledge. The views expressed by speakers or other third parties in ANROWS webinars and any subsequent materials, are those of the speaker or third-party and not, necessarily, of ANROWS.