EXTERNALLY FUNDED RESEARCH PROJECTS
Improving understanding of and responses to alcohol-related family violence for Aboriginal people
Background
Australian Indigenous women are 35 times more likely to experience family violence (FV) than non-Indigenous women, and family members are responsible for approximately two-thirds of offences. FV and alcohol misuse both have devastating effects on the health of many Indigenous Australians. Family violence and alcohol misuse contribute to many health and social inequities facing Indigenous Australians. This Indigenous-led project will investigate associations between alcohol and FV in urban, regional and remote Indigenous contexts to develop interventions for Indigenous Australians experiencing these issues.
Aim
This research focuses on alcohol misuse and FV. It will explore the association between alcohol misuse and FV and local socioeconomic and cultural factors contributing to the rates of FV experienced by Indigenous Australians. We aim to address the challenges of alcohol-related family violence (ARFV) in Indigenous communities.
Methods
This Indigenous-led project brings together the combined expertise, experience and resources of researchers and Indigenous community leaders to address the challenges posed by ARFV in Indigenous communities. Our project will adopt an innovative methodological approach combining multi-sited ethnography employing participatory methods with novel social network analytics. Research will be conducted in urban, regional and remote settings. Data will be sought regarding the efficiency, effectiveness and appropriateness of ARFV-related interventions and services to identify barriers to access and shortcomings in service to co-design more effective and locally targeted interventions with Indigenous community partners and services.