working on a structural level to prevent violence against women: observations from a state-based,...
TRANSCRIPT
Working on a structural level to prevent violence against women: Observations from a state-based, integrated and joined up approach
Dr Deborah Western
Department Social Work Monash University
Presentation overview
Explores structural reforms & activities in the Victorian FV service system reform strategy
Considers a whole-of-government, or an integrated joined up approach, as a response to preventing violence against women
A preventing violence against women (PVAW) focus
Why is this topic relevant to me?
FV and preventing violence against women is a community issue; everyone’s responsibility
You have contact with/are likely to have contact with women who have experienced/are experiencing FV
It is crucial to understand the service system within which you work & to consider: your role within the service system how you and your service can best respond to women how you and your service could work most effectively with other
services and/or agencies.
What is men’s violence against women?
A major policy, human rights, crime and public health challenge
Global stats indicate 1 in 3 women
Indigenous women in Australia – 40% more likely
Women with disabilities
Refugee and immigrant women
In this presentation refers to domestic/family violence, intimate partner violence
What is the ‘structural level’?
Broad-scale structures, systems, institutions that shape/influence the way we live. Examples:
Social Political Economic Legal
Can be powerful
Can be inequitable, discriminatory, oppressive, marginalising
What is structural reform?
Change at that structural levelPolicy changeLegislative reformAttitudinal change
Why is it needed?Breaches human rights/women’s rightsPeople’s needs are not being met
Why consider structural reform in relation to Preventing VAW?
It is a complex problem & requires sophisticated, collaborative responses
Contributing factors to VAW are located at the structural level
Preventing violence against women requires a long-term approach to change entrenched, ingrained and sometimes unacknowledged attitudes & beliefs about women
PVAW requires change at all levels – individual, family, community, society, all government levels, organisations, culture
What is prevention?
Primary: taking action to prevent VAW happening in the first place. Example: respectful relationships programs in schools
Secondary: activities that provide a response early after violence has occurred with the aim of intervening early so as to prevent further violence. Example: women’s support group
Tertiary: responses that are provided after violence has occurred. Examples: Men’s Behaviour Change programs; crisis and refuge responses for women
VicHealth 2007. Preventing violence before it occurs: A framework and background paper to guide the primary prevention of violence against women in Victoria.
What is an integrated joined up approach to government?
“Working collaboratively across departments, portfolios or levels of government to address complex issues which cross individual agency boundaries” (State Services Authority 2007: vii. Victorian approaches to joined up government: an overview. S. S. Authority.
Melbourne, State Government Victoria).
Enables:
Coordination
Multi-level
Multi-agency
What is an integrated joined up approach to government?
Potential Limitations:
Partnerships and partnering
Requires trust & openness
Value conflict
Establishing a common philosophy; goals
Resistance to change
Complexity of arrangements
Resourcing
Who is accountable? Leadership & governance
An integrated joined up whole-of government approach to family violence in Victoria
2005Reform neededFragmentedUncoordinatedHigh demand on
services
Focus on family violence response
Structural reform & a joined up approach: The Integrated FV Reform Strategy
Long-term approach
All stakeholders working together to achieve service integration that results in: increased safety of those who experience family
violence Increased accountability of those who use
violence.
The Integrated FV Reform Strategy: Aims
Reduce deaths, injuries and the emotional impact of FV
Respond more effectively to all women & children experiencing FV
Strengthen the response of the police and the courts to FV
Increase the accountability of and access to behaviour change programs for men who use violence
Emphasise the rights, needs and safety of children
Provide greater support to all workers who deal with victims of FV
Bring FV into the open and give all members of the community the confidence to speak out
Structural reform & a joined up approach: The Integrated FV Reform Strategy
People
Organisations inclu FV; family
services
Policy & legislative change
Committees & representative
bodies
Government
Research
Police Courts & justice system
Child Protection
Indigenous
People
2001- 2009
Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon
First woman commissioner
Focus on violence against women for Victoria Police
CC Ken Lay 2011-2015
Committees & representative bodies
State-wide Steering Committee to develop an integrated service system for FV
18 regional and subregional integrated family violence committees throughout Victoria to improve coordination of service delivery
Regional Integration Coordinators
Interdepartmental Committee
Five Ministers: Women’s Affairs and Early Childhood Development; Attorney-General; Community Services; Police and Emergency Services; Aboriginal Affairs, Housing and Local Government
Courts & justice system
Specialist FV courts
Family Violence Protection Act 2008
Victoria Police Code of Practice for the Investigation of FV
Policy & strategy
Women’s Safety Strategy
Indigenous family violence 10 year plan: Strong Culture, Strong Peoples, Strong Families.
http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/620202/Final_10_Year_Plan_Oct08_2nd_Edition.pdf
The prevention agenda was documented and launched as a ten-year plan called A Right to Respect (Office of Women's Policy 2009). http://www.daru.org.au/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/a-right-to-respect-victorias-plan-to-prevent-violence-against-women-2010-2020.pdf
Victoria’s Action Plan to Address Violence against Women & Children 2012-2015: Everyone has a responsibility to act. http://awava.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/VIC-Action-Plan-To-Address-Violence-against-Women-Children.pdf
Research
The Health Costs of Violence: Measuring the burden of disease caused by intimate partner violence (VicHealth 2004). http://www.health.vic.gov.au/vwhp/downloads/vichealth_violence%20_%20summary.pdf
Preventing Violence Before It Occurs -– A framework and background paper to guide the primary prevention of violence against women in Victoria (VicHealth 2007) a conceptual framework that could be used to develop policy
addresses the underlying causes or determinants of violence against women – gender inequality, gender stereotyping
suggests change at different levels & in five key settings: education and training; local government, health and community services; workplaces; sport and recreation; media, arts and popular culture.
http://www.dvvic.org.au/attachments/2007_vichealth_pvaw.framework.pdf
Practice resources & guidelines
Code of Practice for Specialist FV Services – Domestic Violence Victoria
Practice Standards for Family Violence Counselling and Support Programs for Women and Children
Risk Assessment and Risk Management Framework (Common Risk Assessment Framework (CRAF)
Common Risk Assessment Framework (CRAF)
Guidelines and information about risk assessment & risk management Identifying FVResponding – referral, consultation, information sharing
Assumption: if all organisations working with women and their children experiencing family violence worked from a common risk assessment and risk management framework, all women would receive a sound, coordinated and consistent response no matter where they entered the service system.
Common Risk Assessment Framework
A shared understanding of risk and family violence across all service providers
A standardised approach to recognising and assessing risk
Appropriate referral pathways and information sharing
Risk management strategies that include ongoing assessment and case management
LINKS: http://www.dvrcv.org.au/training/family-violence-risk-assessment-craf
http://www.thelookout.org.au/training-events/craf/elearning
Reference
Western, D & Mason, R 2013, ‘Gender-based violence in
Australia: A State-based joined-up approach’, in K Nakray,
Gender-based Violence and Public Health: International
perspectives on budgets and policies, Routledge, Milton Park