The royal commission presents a timely opportunity to greatly improve responses to family violence in Victoria. But as the volume of submissions reveal, this is a task not easily achieved.
One of the most dangerous times in an abusive relationship is when it ends – which was when Clare Wood was murdered by her ex-partner.
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Giving people the right to ask about their partner’s history of domestic violence sounds like a good idea – but there are good reasons why Rosie Batty and others have raised concerns.
We’re still working out the extent of the problem, but it’s not too early to act.
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While the disability system has undergone significant and important reforms over the past three decades, many problems remain. We’re still failing to protect people with disabilities.
Mandatory reporting of family violence on a woman’s behalf threatens dignity and takes away her power.
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Legal requirements for doctors to report family violence to police may sound good at first glance. But evidence shows it’s better doctors are trained to support women to make their own decisions.
Statistics don’t reflect the real picture of violent crime in the UK.
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Jenny Ostini, University of Southern Queensland and Susan Hopkins, University of Southern Queensland
Technology violence is a term that encompasses all types of harassment and abuse that occurs online and serves to control or intimidate women in particular.
Family violence is core business in our courts and an ongoing drain on our economic and social well-being.
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We need to support those who are subjected to family violence – mostly women and children – and this must remain our priority. But we must also intervene at the source of the problem.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott will chair a meeting on domestic violence, flanked by the rest of Australia’s political leaders – but will they finally commit to long-term, bipartisan action?
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For decades, successive governments have cherry-picked reports on domestic violence for the easy fixes, and ignored the hard stuff. So no more summits and royal commissions – it’s time to act.
Tony Abbott and Bill Shorten are united in condemning violence against women and children, but both overlook the young people who are victims too.
AAP/Lukas Coch
Responses to family violence by Tony Abbott and Bill Shorten and the terms of reference for Victoria’s royal commission fail to mention young people. Such a lack of recognition has dire consequences.
If you think someone is experiencing domestic violence, don’t dismiss it, don’t blame the victim and don’t look the other way.
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For every woman who reports domestic abuse, many more remain silent through fear, shame or simply because they don’t know who to turn to. But new digital programs could help.
Victoria’s new Labor government has set up an Australian-first royal commission into family violence.
AAP/Julian Smith
It is difficult to capture just how important a royal commission with this focus is. For too long, family violence has taken, threatened and pervaded the lives of so many in the Victorian community.
2015 Australian of the Year Rosie Batty has helped highlight the prevalence of domestic violence in the community.
AAP/Mick Tsikas
Observers may be quick to declare social trends “good” or “bad” for families, but such conclusions are rarely justified. What’s good for one family – or group of families – may be bad for another. And…
Celebrating violence on, and condoning it off the field.
Keith Allison
As yet another NFL player stands accused of domestic violence, it is beginning to look as though the sport is riddled with wife-beaters and child-abusers. By apparently sweeping such behaviour under the…
One in five Australians believe violence can be excused if the offender later regrets it.
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The latest National Community Attitudes Survey on Violence against Women (NCAS), released today, shows that most measures of community understanding and attitudes on violence against women have not improved…
Some parents still use physical punishment to control or change their child’s annoying or unacceptable behaviours.
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Children endure many forms of violence, from slapping and pushing, to fatal assaults; almost one in five of the world’s homicide victims in 2012 were under 20. The recently released UNICEF report on violence…
Violence that happens behind closed doors and within families is finally being recognised as a crime – not just a “domestic”.
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She showed me the cigarette burns on her arms. Her eyes seemed empty as she slumped in the chair, answering questions with defeated shrugs. Finally she explained that her stepfather had held her down and…
Why did the Baden-Clay domestic homicide case in Queensland grab so much media and public attention?
AAP/Dan Peled
When Brisbane man Gerard Baden-Clay rang police to report his wife Allison missing on April 20, 2012, he set in motion a series of events that would lead to his arrest, trial and ultimately his conviction…
Rosie Batty responded to the death of her son, Luke Batty, at his father’s hands with a brave public plea for understanding of the difficult reality they all faced.
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The violent and senseless death of 11-year-old Luke Batty in Victoria has not only drawn attention to the serious problem of family violence but has also raised questions about the role that undiagnosed…
Director Monash Indigenous Studies Centre, CI ARC Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence against Women (CEVAW), School of Philosophical, Historical & International Studies (SOPHIS), School of Social Sciences (SOSS), Faculty of Arts, Monash University
Lead Researcher with the Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre and Lecturer in Criminology at the Faculty of Arts, Monash University, Monash University