Safety and Accountability in Families : Evidence and Research
Research Objectives
The objective of the research is to gain an understanding of how the Victorian family violence reforms are impacting on the safety and wellbeing of women and children and the accountability and responsibility of men who use violence. The program will undertake statewide and site-specific research under two main streams:
1. Exploration of the perspectives and experiences of women, children and men; and
2. Identification of the governance, pathways and collaborative processes in place to reduce the effects of family violence in Victoria and how they are working.
Streams of Research
Perspectives of women will be explored under the Safe at Home project which will examine women’s experiences and the decisions they make about how to remain safe from family violence in the home. The pathway of children through the family violence system will also be examined. The Men Who Use Violence project will explore how the integrated family violence service system challenges men who use violence against women and how this impacts on the safety of women and children.
The Governance and Pathways stream of the research will identify a model for monitoring how the family violence system works and examine the translation of Victorian Government policy into service delivery practice in local communities. This stream of the research will examine the extent of integration within the system and identify inter-agency collaborations and effectiveness of service delivery at a range of levels. Throughout all project streams, the effectiveness of service delivery pathways will be assessed.
The Team
Prof Cathy Humphreys, Dr Karen Crinall, Dr Kristin Diemer, Dr Marion Frere, Dr Lucy Healey, Dr Chris Laming, Dr Stuart Ross, Ms Joanie Smith, Dr Jenny Hurley, Prof John Wiseman.
Industry Partners
Victoria Police, Department of Planning and Community Development, Department of Justice, Department of Human Services.
Contact
Professor Cathy Humphreys, Alfred Felton Chair in Child and Family Welfare, Social Work at Melbourne.
cathy.humphreys@unimelb.edu.au
This research is funded by the Australian Research Council. The matched financial contribution, in-kind support and dedication of the staff of our industry partners is very much appreciated.