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Research

Our research

Violence against women and children affects everybody. It impacts on the health, wellbeing and safety of a significant proportion of Australians throughout all states and territories and places an enormous burden on the nation’s economy across family and community services, health and hospitals, income-support and criminal justice systems.

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

News and events

ANROWS hosts events as part of its knowledge transfer and exchange work, including public lectures, workshops and research launches. Details of upcoming ANROWS activities and news are available from the list on the right.

ANROWS

About ANROWS

ANROWS was established by the Commonwealth and all state and territory governments of Australia to produce, disseminate and assist in applying evidence for policy and practice addressing violence against women and children.

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

Resources

To support the take-up of evidence, ANROWS offers a range of resources developed from research to support practitioners and policy-makers in delivering evidence-based interventions.


EXTERNALLY FUNDED RESEARCH PROJECTS

Identifying attitudinal/personality typologies of offenders who use violence against intimate partners and family

Background

Many claims of causes of violence toward known victims derive from theory and reflect the mindset of those not engaged in this behaviour. This project aims to gain insights into attitudes and personality characteristics of, and from, those who use violence against known victims. This information can then be used in assessing risk in the many cases where criminal charges have not been raised or tested at a particular point in time.

Aim

My project intends to draw from psychological knowledge to understand offenders who use violence against known victims, as opposed to stranger victims. The aim is to first delineate violent offenders with stranger victims from known victims with regard to crime specifics and motivations. Further understanding will then be tested and surveyed to identify typologies of offenders drawing on personality characteristics and attitudes.

Methods

An initial database will be created from published judgements of violent offences across Australia over a five-year period. This will include information about the offender, the offence(s) and stated reasons for their offending.

Data analysis will test the findings against proposed criminological, psychological and sociological theories of violent behaviour.

A survey will then be created to measure the traits and attitudes identified and administered to the general public, those presenting for pre-sentence assessment, and participants in men's behaviour change programs.

Further data analysis will confirm and explore consistent typologies of those using violence against known victims.

Significance

This project will provide clarity around the upstream points of intervention prior to engaging in violence against known victims. Policy and practice can then be focused on the crucial elements in the offender's psychological and attitudinal development. Additionally, with greater insight into psychological and attitudinal elements, post-offence interventions can be more effective in addressing the core beliefs and needs that drive this offending.

Project start date

January 2024

Expected completion date

December 2026
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