NOTEPAD
The mental health impacts of violence against women
ANROWS Notepad | 30 July 2020
RESEARCH SYNTHESIS
Mental health and violence against women
The intersection of violence against women and mental health is complex, and providing effective care often requires collaboration between mental health, sexual violence, domestic and family violence and other sectors.
Our latest synthesis paper brings together ANROWS research on violence against women and mental health. It examines the way that mental health intersects with aspects of the experience of violence, including trauma, complex trauma, disability, coercive control, access to justice and parenting.
This synthesis is designed for professionals developing policy and practice frameworks or directly engaging with women affected by violence who are also experiencing mental health issues.
READ SYNTHESIS
CATCH UP
Webinar: DFV in LGBTQ relationships
Did you miss out on our webinar on domestic and family violence (DFV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) relationships? The recorded video version is now available.
Research shows that, despite the fact that DFV and IPV occur in LGBTQ relationships, there are few programs available to LGBTQ victims/survivors or perpetrators. Mainstream DFV/IPV interventions are not always appropriate as they tend to be geared towards cisgender, heterosexual female victims/survivors and male perpetrators.
This webinar explores how the LGBTQ and DFV service sectors can strengthen referral pathways and practice, and deliver appropriate DFV/IPV programs for LGBTQ communities.
ACCESS WEBINAR
CATCH UP
Webinar: Trans women of colour’s experiences of sexual violence
You can also now catch up on our recorded webinar exploring the systemic barriers which prevent trans women of colour who have experienced sexual violence from accessing support services and justice.
This important and engaging discussion explored the panel’s practice expertise and the findings of recent ANROWS research, Crossing the line: Lived experience of sexual violence among trans women of colour from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds in Australia.
ACCESS WEBINAR
Q&A
Integrated justice responses to working with men who use violence
If you missed our recent webinar, A practice discussion on working with men who use violence in the justice system: an integrated response model, you might want to catch up on the whole thing, or read a new Q&A resource we’ve developed to explore the themes and issues.
This webinar goes inside the court to explore a framework which has the primary goal of keeping women safe while working with men who use violence. The panel unpacks the Intervention Orders Response Model, which was implemented by the South Australian Government in 2011 to respond to domestic and family violence through the Magistrates court.
Hundreds of viewers from around Australia joined the webinar and asked questions in our live Q&A. Using the great discussion that followed as a basis, ANROWS developed a Q&A resource, which includes the panellists’ responses and links to additional resources on the topics covered.
ACCESS Q&A
Vale Sue Salthouse
We were saddened to hear of the sudden passing of disability advocate and ACT Senior Australian of the Year, Sue Salthouse.
Among Sue’s many roles we particularly recognise her membership of the COAG Advisory Panel to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children (2015–16), alongside our CEO, Dr Heather Nancarrow who, with Rosie Batty AO, was Co-Deputy Chair of the Advisory Panel. Heather said that she learned a lot from Sue who was always a delight to work with, despite the gravity of the task she faced daily.
Former Chief Commissioner Victoria Police, Mr Ken Lay AO, who chaired the Advisory Panel, remembered Sue as “a fierce advocate for women with disabilities”, adding that “her insights during our work were extraordinarily compelling”. His recollection no doubt resonates with all who worked with Sue or otherwise knew her.
Sue’s advocacy and insights were certainly evident in her leadership at the 2018 Council of Australian Governments Summit on Reducing Violence against Women and their Children, which played a significant role in the progress and planning of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022.
We extend our deepest sympathies to the many colleagues, friends and family whose lives and work were touched by Sue.
New National DFV Bench Book published
The 2020 edition of the National Domestic and Family Violence Bench Book has been released. Led by Professor Heather Douglas from the University of Queensland’s School of Law, this important resource has been developed to promote best practice and consistency in judicial decision-making, and improve court experiences for victims in cases involving DFV.
The bench book is a central resource offering background information supported by research, links to a range of legal and related resources, and practical guidelines for courtroom management.
The new edition offers 220 new resources, including 142 new cases and a section on victims as (alleged) perpetrators of DFV.
ACCESS BENCH BOOK
LISTENING TO SURVIVORS
Experts by Experience Framework
Domestic Violence Victoria and the University of Melbourne’s Safer Families Centre of Research Excellence have launched their Experts by Experience Framework, which has been developed in collaboration with the WEAVERs, an expert panel of survivors of violence against women. The Framework is designed to enhance the ability of specialist family violence services to provide opportunities for survivor advocates to influence policy development, service planning and practice.
The Framework includes a full report and an executive summary as well as some useful resources:
an organisational readiness checklist—to see if your organisation is ready to engage with survivor advocates in a co-design process
self-reflection questions—to support victims/survivors to decide if they wish to become survivor–advocates
a template to help organisations think about remuneration rates for survivor advocates
a video on the topic of addressing power imbalances.
Opportunities
RESEARCH ACTION AWARDS
The Sax Institute’s Research Action Awards recognise the work of early to mid-career researchers that has resulted in a positive impact on health policy or practice, with each Award carrying a $5000 prize. Applications are open to researchers who are employed by one of the Sax Institute’s Ordinary Member organisations and have up to 15 years’ postdoctoral or equivalent experience. Applications close on 24 August.
LOWITJA INSTITUTE PROJECT GRANTS
Applications for the Lowitja Institute Project Grants are now open. Lowitja Institute research commissioning aims to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations to transform their ideas into aspirations that meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and improve health and wellbeing outcomes within a generation.
Applications for the Project Grants close on Monday 12 October 2020. Applicants that have not received a 2020 Lowitja Institute Seeding Grant will be required to submit an Expression of Interest—the closing date for EOIs is 12 August 2020. Find out more about the Project Grants here.
New resources and reports
Resources
Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre—Identifying economic abuse for women with disability in Victoria: A toolkit
Women with Disabilities Australia (WWDA)—EasyRead version of their website
Queensland Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women—in-language Domestic and family violence resources (29 languages)
Male Champions of Change—Responding to employees who use domestic and family violence
Books and reports
Kewley, S., & Barlow, C. (2020). Preventing sexual violence: Problems and possibilities. Bristol: Bristol University Press.
Marine, S., & Lewis, R., (2020). Collaborating for change: Transforming cultures to end gender-based violence in higher education. New York: Oxford University Press.
New research
You can access this list and all the other articles in Notepad in the ANROWS Library.
Articles
Aghtaie, N., Mulvihill, N., Abrahams, H., & Hester, M. (2020). Defining and enabling “justice” for victims/survivors of domestic violence and abuse. Religion and Gender, 1–27.
Cations, M., Keage, H. A. D., Laver, K. E., Byles, J., & Loxton, D. (2020). Intimate partner violence and risk for mortality and incident dementia in older women. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Advance online publication.
Damra, J. K., & Abujilban, S. (2020). Reasons for not seeking professional help by abused refugee women: A qualitative study. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Advance online publication.
Donaghy, M. (2020). Restorative justice for cases of sexual violence: A literature review. Retrieved from https://brissc.org.au/restorative-justice-sexual-violence-new-research/
Jelinic, A. B. (2020). Australia’s family violence provisions in migration law: A comparative study. Flinders Law Journal, 21(2), 259–294.
Katz, E., Nikupeteri, A., & Laitinen, M. (2020). When coercive control continues to harm children: Post‐separation fathering, stalking and domestic violence. Child Abuse Review.
Malghan, D., & Swaminathan, H. (2020). Inside the black box: Intra-household inequality and a gendered pandemic (LIS working paper series no. 797).
Varley, C., & Rich, S. (2019). Towards gender transformative change: A guide for practitioners. Retrieved from https://whv.org.au/resources/whv-publications/towards-gender-transformative-change-guide-practitioners
Listen
Advocates welcome fresh inquiry into family violence—ABC
Family violence killing found to be a workplace death—ABC
Why Corona is a feminist issue—The Bunker podcast
Read
Calls for specialist domestic violence interpreters to support at-risk migrant women—SBS
How COVID-19 has increased domestic abuse in Canberra—Canberra Times
Comprehensive package to support WA family violence response—Mirage News
Domestic violence specialists to be embedded in Queensland police stations—Brisbane Times
World first study to address a gendered justice system—QUT
LNP plan to double jail time for strangulation divides experts—SMH
Two years of sexual assault complaints up in the air after WA Police email bungle—WA Today
#LetHerSpeak: Rape survivor breaks silence after NT gag law reform—News.com.au
More than $1.8 m for sexual assault partnership in Townsville—Mirage News
Facebook accounts for up to 60% of child abuse reports to AFP, data shows—SMH
Violence and abuse is rapidly becoming a greater threat to girls in Asia-Pacific than COVID-19 itself—Women’s Agenda
Recognising financial abuse in relationships and where to get help—ABC
Early signs your elderly loved one could be a victim of abuse—ABC
Conferences & events
31 July 2020—White Ribbon Night 2020: Rosie Batty in conversation with Brad Chilcott
6 August, 20 August and 03 September 2020—Harmony Alliance (Migrant & Refugee Women for Change): Intersectionality Discussion Series
6 August 2020— GEN VIC Under the Radar Gender Equity Policy and Practice Forum (Gender Equity Victoria)
12 August 2020—Words matter: Getting the language of child mental health right (Australian Institute of Family Studies)
8–11 November 2020—Conference: Discovering the Future Together: Action Learning and Action Research at Work
Ongoing—DadStuff: Monthly webinars for dads (Relationships Australia Victoria)
Ongoing—Working with Dads webinar series 2020 (Relationships Australia Victoria)
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