Tag: 2017

Gallant, D., Andrews, S., Humphreys, C., Diemer, K., Ellis, D., Burton, J., & McIvor, R. (2017). Aboriginal men’s programs tackling family violence: A scoping review. Journal of Australian Indigenous Issues, 20(2), 48-68.

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Abstract: Academic and community research identifies that Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are at a greater risk of being exposed to family violence than non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. While much of the literature has had a clear focus on the protection of Aboriginal women and children, there is a dearth of research that has examined the nature and efficacy of Aboriginal programs that seek to address men’s use of violence. In recent times, governments, policy makers, and community organisations have all sought to gain a greater understanding of how men’s group programs, that are specifically aimed at tackling family violence, are addressing these issues.

Utilising a scoping review methodology, this paper examines and summarises the available Australian and international literature available pertaining to these programs. Furthermore, from the findings of the scoping review the authors present a conceptual model for the purpose of discussing the complexities of tackling family violence issues in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men’s group programs.

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Researchers: Gallant, D., S. Andrews, C. Humphreys, K. Diemer, D. Ellis, J. Burton, W. Harrison, R. Briggs, C. Black, A. Bamblett, S. Torres-Carne and R. McIvor.

Year: 2017

Campo, M., & Humphreys, C. (2017). Fathers who use violence Options for safe practice where there is ongoing contact with children.

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Abstract: Domestic and family violence (DFV) remains a chronic and destructive aspect of family life in Australia (Cox, 2015). Its pervasive reach into the lives of women and children creates fear, undermines health and wellbeing, is the leading cause of homelessness for women and children, and costs the community an estimated $21.6 billion (Our Watch, 2016; Price Waterhouse & Cooper, 2015). This paper responds to a challenge that has continued to frustrate workers attempting to intervene to support women and children living with DFV. The challenge that arises when women and children may not be in a position to separate from their abusive and violent partners, and when women and children’s wellbeing and safety may not be enhanced by separation. In particular, this paper is focused on fathers who use violence and whether there are strategies that engage and address the issues for children, women and men who are continuing to live with DFV.

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Researchers: Humphreys, C. & Campo, M.

Year: 2017

Forsdike, K., Humphreys, C., Diemer, K., Ross, S., Gyorki, L., Maher, H., … & Hegarty, K. (2018). An Australian hospital’s training program and referral pathway within a multi‐disciplinary health–justice partnership addressing family violence. Australian and New Zealand journal of public health, 42(3), 284-290.

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Abstract:

Objective: An innovative health–justice partnership was established to deliver legal assistance to women experiencing family violence who attended an Australian hospital. This paper reports on a multifaceted response to build capacity and willingness of health professionals to identify signs of family violence and engage with referral pathways to on‐site legal assistance.

Methods: A Realistic Evaluation analysed health professionals’ knowledge and attitudes towards identification, response and referral for family violence before and after training; and use of referral pathways.

Results: Of 123 health professionals participating in training, 67 completed baseline and follow‐up surveys. Training improved health professionals’ self‐reported knowledge of, and confidence in, responding to family violence and understanding of lawyers’ roles in hospitals. Belief that patients should be referred to on‐site legal services increased. Training did not correspond to actual increased referrals to legal assistance.

Conclusion: The program built capacity and willingness of health professionals to identify signs of, and respond to, family violence. Increase in referral rates to legal assistance was not shown. Potential improvements include better data capture and greater availability of legal services.

Implications for public health: Strong hospital system supports and reliable recording of family violence referrals need to be in place before introducing such partnerships to other hospitals.

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Researchers: Forsdike K, Humphreys C, Diemer K, Ross S, Gyorki L, Maher H, Vye P, Llewelyn F, Hegarty K.

Year: 2017

Humphreys, C. & Healey, L. (2017). PAThways and Research Into Collaborative Inter-Agency practice: Collaborative work across the child protection and specialist domestic and family violence interface – The PATRICIA Program, Research Report. ANROWS Horizons, issue 3/2017. Sydney: ANROWS.

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Abstract:

This Horizons report sets out the findings of the PAThways and Research In Collaborative Inter-Agency practice (the PATRICIA project). It is one of five publications by ANROWS related to the project. The PATRICIA project focused on the collaborative relationship between specialist community based domestic and family violence (DFV) support services
for women and their children, and statutory child protection (CP) organisations. The creation of a service system which responds to the safety and wellbeing of women and their children, alongside supporting accountability for those who perpetrate domestic and family violence (mainly, but not exclusively, male intimate partners and ex-partners), has
been a circuitous journey. It is a complex system to negotiate, not only for the woman and children, but also for workers, managers, and policy workers in child protection organisations and community sector or non-government organisations (CSOs/NGOs) (Stanley, Miller, Foster, & Thomson, 2011)

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Diemer, K., Humphreys, C., & Crinall, K. (2017). Safe at home? Housing decisions for women leaving family violence. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 52(1), 32-47.

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Abstract:Internationally, domestic violence policy has shifted towards supporting women to stay at home with the perpetrator of violence excluded. However, the practical realities indicate that this is a complex arena in which the rhetoric of rights for “women and children to stay in their own home” needs to be underpinned by additional support to provide safety and protection for those choosing this option. The current study examines decision making about accommodation options and the role of civil protection orders among 138 women accessing domestic violence support services in Victoria Australia. It shines a light on the intersection between justice responses and the housing needs of women and their children leaving a violent relationship. Our findings reveal that for this sample of women, staying in their own home left them more open to breaches of intervention orders than those who re‐located. In spite of the frequency of breaching, a majority of women believed that they were safer with the protective order in place. We conclude that supporting women to “stay at home” with the perpetrator removed may be a pathway to safety for only a minority of women particularly if support from police and courts is not proactive and reliable.

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Researchers: Diemer, K., Humphreys, C. & Healey, L.

Year: 2017

Connolly, M., Healey, L. & Humphreys, C. (2017). The Collaborative Practice Framework for Child Protection and Specialist Domestic and Family Violence Services – the PATRICIA Project: Key findings and future directions. ANROWS Compass Research to policy and practice, issue 3/2017. Sydney: ANROWS.

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Abstract:

PAThways and Research In Collaborative Inter-Agency practice
(the PATRICIA Project) is an action research project focused
on the collaborative relationship between specialist community based
domestic and family violence (DFV) support services for women and their children, and statutory child protection (CP) organisations. The PATRICIA Project drew together a diverse range of participants from five states of Australia (New South Wales [NSW], Queensland [Qld], South Australia [SA], Victoria [Vic.], and Western Australia [WA]).

The PATRICIA Project comprised five components of research, each with its own methodology, set within an action research framework (see full publication) that facilitated a process of changing things while simultaneously studying the “problems” of developing collaborative work and strengthening perpetrator accountability (Wicks, Reason, & Bradbury, 2008). The intended outcome was to use evidence to foster greater collaboration to support
the safety and wellbeing of women and their children, and
strengthen accountability for perpetrators of DFV.

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Diemer, K., Ross, S., Humphreys, C., & L. Healey (2017). A ‘double edged sword’: discretion and compulsion in policing domestic violence. Police Practice and Research: An International Journal, 18(4), 339-351.

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Abstract:Policing domestic violence is a complex area in which there are divergent views about the extent to which front line police action should be mandated by legislation and guidance. This study set in Victoria, Australia raised questions about the balance between discretion and compulsion in policing domestic violence through researching the implementation of the Code of Practice used to respond to domestic violence incidents. The project team interrogated aggregate data from the police database on family violence and also interviewed 125 police members (60 sergeants and 65 constables) to explore the attitudes to the Code of Practice and policing domestic violence. The findings reveal that discretion within a range of options is circumscribed. Variable understandings of the nature of domestic violence and the role of risk assessment and management suggest that constrained and guided discretion may be required to achieve optimum effectiveness in policing responses to domestic violence.

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Researchers: Diemer, K., Ross, S., Humphreys, C., & L. Healey

Year: 2017

Pfitzner, N., Humphreys, C., & Hegarty, K. (2017). Research Review: Engaging men: a multi‐level model to support father engagement. Child & Family Social Work, 22(1), 537-547.

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Abstract: While there is a growing body of work on using fatherhood as an opportunity to engage men in strategies to prevent child maltreatment and further acts of domestic violence, there is limited research on engaging fathers in strategies to prevent domestic violence from occurring. To fill this gap in the literature, this paper explores existing father engagement frameworks used in child and family services and supports a multi‐level model of father engagement for domestic violence primary prevention. Drawing together evidence about father engagement from a range of studies, including the more general parenting literature, we describe factors that influence father engagement based on an analysis of the literature. These factors include accessibility, staff attitudes and behaviours, programme marketing and the format of service provision.

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Researchers: Pfitzner, N., Humphreys, C. and Hegarty, K.

Year: 2017

Thiara, R. K., & Humphreys, C. (2017). Absent presence: the ongoing impact of men’s violence on the mother–child relationship. Child & Family Social Work, 22(1), 137-145.

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Abstract:This paper draws from interviews with 45 mothers and 52 children who participated in an action research project to develop activities to support women and children in the aftermath of domestic violence. A thematic analysis was used to analyse the data and explore the question: In what ways does the perpetrator of abuse remain present in the lives of women and children following separation? The paper invites workers to recognize the distortions created by domestic violence that may need to be identified and addressed in the aftermath of violence. The ways in which past trauma, erosion of self‐esteem and the undermining of the mother–child relationship continues to create a shadow across the present relationship are identified. The continued presence of the perpetrator of abuse through child contact arrangements and ongoing harassment is also highlighted. The ‘absent presence’ of the abusive partner is posited as a concept to assist workers with a framework through which to understand problems in the mother–child relationship which emerge when living with and separating from a violent partner. The paper has implications for social workers orientating practice to focus on perpetrator accountability and support strengthening the mother–child relationship.

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Researchers: Thiara, R.K. and Humphreys, C

Year: 2017

Stanley, N., & Humphreys, C. (2017). Identifying the key components of a ‘whole family’ intervention for families experiencing domestic violence and abuse. Journal of Gender-based Violence, 1(1), 99-115.

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Abstract: ‘Whole family’ interventions for families living with domestic violence and abuse (DVA) are emerging and some international practice examples are available. This study reports a process evaluation of a pilot delivered in Northern England that aimed to work with all members of families experiencing DVA. The evaluation involved analysis of detailed accounts of practice from learning logs and case workbooks as well as interviews with practitioners and family members. The voluntary nature of families’ involvement with the pilot, together with an explicit service philosophy of ‘meeting families where they are at’ appeared successful in engaging families. Pilot staff worked flexibly, seeing family members together and separately, but there was evidence of lower levels of confidence in work with perpetrators. Co-work enabled skills to be transferred to other professionals and social workers increased their use of risk assessment tools in DVA cases. However, there was uncertainty as to whether interagency communication improved across local agencies, and joint protocols and tools were slow to develop. This study is one of the first evaluations of ‘whole family’ interventions in DVA, and it illustrates how, when additional resources and organisational support are made available, a non-blaming approach that families find engaging can be developed.

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Researchers: Stanley, N., & Humphreys, C. (2017). Identifying the key components of a ‘whole family’ intervention for families experiencing domestic violence and abuse. Journal of Gender-based Violence, 1(1), 99-115.

Year: Stanley, N. & Humphreys, C.