ANROWS unveils $2 million investment for research into domestic and family violence perpetrators

MEDIA RELEASE | Thursday 13 June 2024

Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) proudly announces a $2 million investment in research focusing on perpetrators of domestic and family violence, with funding provided by the Australian Government.

This investment, delivered through the National Priority Research Fund, targets priority areas identified in Australia’s National Research Agenda 2023-2028. It supports eight projects aimed at understanding domestic and family violence perpetration to inform policy and practice design for prevention and early intervention.

The selected eight projects, chosen from a competitive field of 83 applications across 50 institutions, will delve into several key areas, including:

• Investigating the demographic profiles of people who use domestic and family violence
• Understanding the risk factors and pathways leading to and away from perpetration
• Enhancing practitioner skills and confidence in perpetration response
• Developing better-tailored responses for diverse population groups
• Improving agency processes and data collection practices and fostering improved partnerships with potential funding bodies and new research partners.

Importantly, two of the eight selected projects are led by First Nations researchers.

ANROWS CEO, Tessa Boyd-Caine said,

“If we are going to eliminate violence against women in this country, we need to understand why people use violence. These are deep-seated problems, and it takes time to understand them fully so we can address them effectively.”

“By collaborating closely with key research partners to build the evidence-base, we are not only filling this critical knowledge gap but laying the foundation for lasting impact for the safety of all women and children in our community.”

Assistant Minister for Social Services, Justine Elliot highlighted the importance of adopting a comprehensive approach to addressing family, domestic and sexual violence.

“Investing in research and building the evidence base is central to the success of the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032”, Assistant Minister Elliot said.

“That’s why research into perpetrator behaviour and the drivers of violence is key when it comes to implementing effective prevention and intervention solutions.”

The Australian Government has invested an additional $4.3 million in 2024-2025 to further ANROWS’ efforts to build an evidence base on pathways into and out of perpetration of family, domestic and sexual violence.

This collaboration with ANROWS and leading researchers marks a significant step forward in the shared mission to create a safer society for all Australian women.

ENDS

Media contact: 

ANROWS

M: +61 2 8374 4045 | E: [email protected]

Jill Molloy

M:  0499 971 925 | E: [email protected]

 

 

About ANROWS

Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety Limited (ANROWS) is a not-for-profit independent national research organisation.

ANROWS is an initiative of Australia’s National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010–2022. 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 their children. ANROWS is the only such research organisation in Australia.