Family Violence Research Articles

The new coercive control offence in NSW: (how) will it work?

ABSTRACT NSW has recently made using coercive and controlling behaviours in intimate partner relationships a criminal offence. The new offence commenced 1 July 2024. This paper considers the ‘purposes’ of the offence, analyses its provisions, and examines how it is likely to operate within the NSW criminal justice system. Our analysis raises two seemingly incompatible concerns. Firstly, we observe that ‘on the books’ the offence is overly complex and narrowly constructed and therefore may be hard to prove as a matter of law and fact. Infrequent use of the offence may result in it failing to achieve its intended goals of enhancing the criminal law’s broader response to domestic and family violence and saving lives. Secondly, there is a risk the offence will lead to increased criminalisation of already marginalised groups by reason of its potential to capture relatively low-level offending and the nature of summary justice – the jurisdiction in which the overwhelming majority of cases will be finalised.

Countering Arguments Against Parental Alienation as A Form of Family Violence and Child Abuse

Despite scientific recognition of parental alienation as a form of child maltreatment and family violence, numerous critiques been advanced challenging the concept. A recent UN report concluded that parental alienation is a “pseudo-concept” lacking empirical validity, posing significant dangers to women and children at risk of family violence and abuse. In this article, we present and refute the most common arguments that have been advanced against the proposition that parental alienation and alienating behaviors are a form of family violence and child abuse. We examine each in relation to empirical evidence published in over one hundred peer-reviewed research studies.

Domestic, family and sexual violence polyvictimisation and health experiences of Australian nurses, midwives and carers: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundDomestic, family and sexual violence is a prevalent health and social issue. Nurses may be exposed to higher rates of this violence in their personal lives compared to the community, but little is known about their polyvictimisation experiences or health and well-being impacts.MethodsAn online descriptive, cross-sectional survey of women nurses, midwives and carer members of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) (Victorian Branch) (response rate: 15.2% of nurses sent an invitation email/28.4% opened the email). Violence survey measures included: intimate partner violence (Composite Abuse Scale); child abuse and sexual violence (Australian Bureau of Statistics Personal Safety Survey items). Health measures included: Short Form-12; Fast Alcohol Screening Test; Patient Health Questionnaire-4; Short Screening for DSM-IV Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; well-being measures included: Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, social support, and financial stress. Proportions were used to describe the prevalence of violence by sociodemographic characteristics and health and well-being issues; logistic regression predicted the odds of experiencing overlapping types of violence and of experiencing health and well-being outcomes.Results5,982 participants (from a parent study of 10,674 nurses, midwives and carers) had experienced at least one type of lifetime violence; half (50.1%) had experienced two or three types (polyvictimisation). Survivors of child abuse were three times more likely to experience both intimate partner violence and non-partner adult sexual assault. Any violence was associated with poorer health and well-being, and the proportion of affected participants increased as the types of violence they had experienced increased. Violence in the last 12-months was associated with the poorest health and well-being.ConclusionsFindings suggest a cumulative, temporal and injurious life course effect of domestic, family and sexual violence. The polyvictimisation experiences and health and well-being associations reported by survivor nurses, midwives and carers underscores the need for more accessible and effective workplace interventions to prevent and mitigate psychosocial ill health, especially in the recent aftermath of violence.

Kinship and Cultural Strengths—Learning from an Aboriginal Perspective

ABSTRACT Kinship is core to Aboriginal culture, values and wellbeing. However, the strength of culture and relationships is often not fully recognised or respected by Westernised systems. This article highlights cultural strengths through use of a detailed case study narrative illustrating the importance of community self-determination when an Aboriginal child needs to be relocated to other carers/family members. Situated within an Aboriginal participatory action research methodology, we utilised a case study method where a participant and co-author (*Amelia) collaborated with two academics to tell her story as an illustration of the strengths of community and kinship that can support vulnerable children. Through this partnership we learn the importance of Aboriginal community involvement in Amelia’s progression from early childhood experience of family violence to thriving young adulthood. We confirm the importance of including Aboriginal knowledges and practices in raising at-risk Aboriginal children and we contribute to social work practice knowledges by learning from Indigenous experience. We conclude that social work needs to build on the strengths of Aboriginal communities’ abilities by valuing kinship support systems. IMPLICATIONS When faced with adversity such as family violence, Aboriginal culture can be a protective factor. Social workers need to understand the importance of culture in the healing process for Aboriginal children. Keeping Aboriginal children connected to culture is paramount for long-term recovery and the ability to create healthy relationships.

Domestic and family violence and associated maternal and perinatal outcomes: A population-based retrospective cohort study.

Domestic family violence (DFV) is a global health concern affecting one in three women worldwide. Women are vulnerable to DFV throughout their life; however, pregnancy introduces an increased risk of experiencing DFV for millions of women and birthing people. Routinely collected data from two hospitals in one local health district in New South Wales, Australia, were examined to determine the prevalence of DFV from 2010 to 2019. Demographics and outcome factors were compared by a reported history of DFV. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess for predictors of DFV and to assess DFV as a predictor of adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes. One percent of women (538/52,469) experienced DFV in the past year. Women experiencing domestic violence were more likely to be younger and have previous children, and had higher Edinburgh Depression Scores. These women were more likely to experience stillbirth (1.5% vs. 0.6%, p = 0.005). Maternal age < 25 years, cigarette smoking, alcohol use in pregnancy, mental health issues, and place of birth were associated with a recent history of DFV after adjusting for confounders. Recent DFV was associated with preterm birth and mental health issues but was not associated with admission to the neonatal nursery, small-for-gestational-age birthweight, or caesarean section after adjusting for confounders. There was a relationship between DFV and poorer health outcomes for both women and their babies. This study highlighted that stillbirth is high among the population of women who experience DFV when compared to women who do not experience DFV.

High prevalence of harmful drinking habits and gambling among professional rugby players: mental health symptoms and lifestyle risks among New Zealand Super Rugby players—a cross-sectional survey

ObjectivesDetermining the prevalence of mental health and lifestyle risk factors (smoking, alcohol consumption, recreational drug use, gambling, family violence and anger management) in New Zealand (NZ) male professional rugby players.Study...

Risk and Protective Factors in Children Bullying Perpetration: Application of the Multiple Disadvantage Model.

This secondary study examined bullying perpetration's relationships with social disorganization, social structural factors, social relationships, mental health, and access to health insurance and care. A sample of 30,173 children age 6 to 17 years was extracted from the 2021 National Survey of Children's Health for secondary data analysis. Logistic regression results demonstrated that these children's likelihood of bullying perpetration was positively associated with racial discrimination, child age 6 to 10 years, child age 11 to 13 years, parent education level, employed parent, neighbor support, family violence, difficulty parenting the child, child difficulty with peers, child behavioral/conduct problems, family substance use problem, and child receipt of mental health services; such likelihood also had negative associations with safe neighborhood, Black, Asian, other non-Hispanic ethnic minority, parent age, and family cohesiveness. Implications included interventions to promote awareness of racial discrimination for families as well as bully prevention programs in schools and communities.

Stop leaving people with disability behind: Reviewing comprehensive sexuality education for people with disability

Background: The pathologisation of people with disability1 has long affected the educational quality of the sexuality education they receive. Whilst concern for people with disability has been growing in some comprehensive sexuality education settings, the quality of education in these spaces is variable and typically accommodations for people with disability are not made. The lack of accessibility fosters few opportunities to learn about and practise skills related to establishing and maintaining social relationships, including platonic, romantic and sexual relationships, thereby limiting informed decision-making. Moreover, the lack of good quality sexuality education significantly increases the risk of sexual abuse, assault, and family and domestic violence – impacting people with disability’s self-determination, autonomy and ultimately, ability to work, live independently, and maintain their mental and physical health. Objective: Few reviews of comprehensive sexuality education programmes for people with disability have been reported. Therefore, four current comprehensive sexuality education programmes for people with disability were reviewed, including their content and the topics included; the feasibility of implementation including costs; different accessibility considerations for varied learners and disabilities; and methods of delivery. This allowed an assessment of their strengths and opportunities for people with disability. Results: The review highlighted strong positive changes occurring within the field, as well as challenges due to funding limitations, and the extensive number of topics under comprehensive sexuality education that need to be addressed in teaching and delivering quality comprehensive sexuality education to people with disability. Conclusion: Informed by the evidence in this review, we advocate for the inclusion of a more comprehensive range of topics, including gender and sexuality diversity within accessible comprehensive sexuality education for people with disability, and the establishment of appropriate forms of teacher education and training to increase confidence and comfort when delivering comprehensive sexuality education to people with disability.

Investigating the role of women's education status and empowerment on accessing skilled birth attendance in Bangladesh: A structural equation modelling approach

BackgroundThe objective of this study was to investigate the associations between women's education and access to skilled birth attendant (SBA) services mediated by factors of women's empowerment and sociodemographic characteristics using a path analysis through a structural equation (SEM) modelling approach. MethodsA sample of 4946 mothers from the most recent Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey of 2017–18 was used in the SEM analysis. Accessing SBA service at childbirth was operationalized as utilizing SBA during last childbirth. After extracting the relevant variables and cleaning the original survey data, a subsample of 4,946 women were eligible for analysis in the current study. ResultsThe SEM model revealed strong evidence of direct, indirect, and mediating effects of both education and empowerment of women in accessing SBA services. Educated women have more autonomy in decision making and are less susceptible to family violence and consequently are more likely to access SBA services during childbirth (β = 0.094, p < 0.001). In addition, age at first marriage, media exposure, husband's education, healthcare accessibility, decision marking, and household wealth index mediated the relationship between education and SBA service use. ConclusionBangladesh, a country that needs to improve several societal and health indices to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, need to prioritize women's education to increase accessibility to maternal healthcare services. Health education and mass-media-driven awareness may be potential interventions for LMICs to increase SBA coverage.

Protection of Family Values in Russian Law: Questions of Theory and Practice

Introduction: at the moment, Russia is further developing the concept of traditional values, which include family values. Nevertheless, a number of regulatory and protective norms are already aimed at solving this problem, which requires doctrinal research and reflection. There are also a number of controversial issues related to the formation of a mechanism of guarantees for the protection of family values, including economic, political, as well as spiritual and moral guarantees. The purpose of the study is to reveal the features and possible directions of legal regulation for the development of the family values system in Russia. Methods: the analysis method made it possible to identify the main features of the category “family values” and its relationship with “traditional values”; the synthesis method was used to generalize the typological features of the family legal categories used in the paper; and the analogy method made it possible to identify practical features of ensuring the protection of family values in Russia. The comparative law method allowed studying the foreign experience of protecting family values, which can be used for the development of Russian family legislation. Using the formal legal method, a number of features and specifics of the statutory regulation of the protection of family values were identified. Results: despite the lack of normative consolidation, a number of political and legal acts defining the main directions of state family policy, as well as the norms of federal laws containing rules of conduct based on family values and measures of their legal support, are devoted to the protection of family values. It seems advisable to amend Article 1 of the Family Code of the Russian Federation with a new principle dedicated to the protection of family values, which will make it possible to more clearly fix this vector of state policy. The implementation of this principle will take place both through legal means and through the use of economic, political, spiritual, moral, and other ways to influence the behavior of participants in public relations. Conclusions: at the moment, the Family Code of the Russian Federation and other laws contain regulatory and protective norms dedicated to the implementation and protection of the family rights of citizens of the Russian Federation. Family values are realized in them by creating conditions for marriage, regulating property relations in the family, determining the grounds and procedure for collecting alimony for children and other family members, and protecting legally free children. The protective norms are devoted to the prohibition of family violence and propaganda of homosexuality, the adoption of measures to curb the evasion of child support payments, etc.

An evaluation of education videos for women experiencing domestic and family violence in healthcare settings: protocol for a mixed methods systematic review

BackgroundDomestic and family violence (DFV) is a significant public health issue that poses a high risk to women, globally. Women experiencing DFV have higher rates of healthcare utilisation than women not experiencing DFV. Healthcare services are therefore well placed to address DFV and deliver education and awareness interventions to women. Video interventions are a strategy to deliver education to women, while overcoming barriers such as language, literacy, lack of rapport with clinician, or unwillingness to disclose. The current review will aim to further understand the characteristics, methods of evaluation, and outcomes of DFV video education interventions for perinatal women.MethodsThe review will be reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) statement. A systematic search will be conducted of the following databases: Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, PsycArticles, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection. Two independent reviewers will screen titles and abstracts against the inclusion criteria, followed by a full text screening of eligible articles. A third reviewer will resolve discrepancies. All study types will be included. Only studies published in English will be included. Risk of bias will be assessed using the Quality Assessment with Diverse Studies (QuADS) tool. Data will undergo an aggregate mixed method synthesis informed by The Joanna Briggs Institute, before being analysed using a thematic approach.DiscussionThis systematic review will provide evidence on best practice for the creation, delivery, and evaluation of DFV video interventions for women in the peripartum.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO registration number CRD42023475338.

Filicide in Africa: a systematic review

BackgroundFilicide, the act of a parent or parental figure killing their child, has been reported in various African countries. However, there is a lack of comprehensive reviews on the prevalence and associated factors of filicide across the African continent, which is characterized by diverse cultural beliefs and practices. This review aims to examine the prevalence and risk factors of filicide in Africa.MethodsThis review included studies on filicide in Africa, identified through searches in various databases (PubMed, Scopus, Africa Journal Online, and Google Scholar) using relevant keywords. The Mendeley reference manager was used to organize all identified articles and remove duplicate entries. A two-round screening process was conducted by two independent reviewers, with the final set of articles selected through mutual agreement. The quality of the studies was then assessed.ResultsOut of the 107 retrieved articles, only 15 were included in the review. These studies revealed diverse prevalence rates: 3.7% of total homicides, 1.38% of deaths from family violence, and 13.02% for autopsied children. Various potential risk factors for filicide were identified, including unwanted pregnancies, marital conflicts, family disputes and violence, low socio-economic status, mental health issues in perpetrators, and mental, physical, or neurological vulnerabilities in victims. Cultural beliefs were also recognized as contributing factors to filicide.ConclusionFilicide is a complex and multi-dimensional issue influenced by various individual, familial, and societal factors. The review highlighted a high prevalence of filicide in Africa, shaped by these diverse factors.

Perceptions of Nurses Working in Primary Health Centres on Factors Influencing Their Readiness to Manage Family Violence in Kaduna State, Nigeria

Background. Family violence (FV) is a serious public health issue in Nigeria and globally. Despite being a public health issue, there is no literature indicating that FV has ever been investigated in Sabon-Gari, Kaduna State, Nigeria. Aim: This study aimed to assess nurses' perceptions of factors influencing their readiness to manage family violence. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was employed to collect information from the respondents in the selected primary health care facilities of Sabon-Gari L.G.A, Kaduna state, Nigeria. The collected data were coded, entered, and analysed using SPSS software version 24. Twenty-four (24) registered nurses working in 24 different primary health care centres were purposively selected out of 31primary health care centres of Sabon-Gari local government of Kaduna State Results: The majority of the nurses have a positive perception and high knowledge level on management of family violence victims (aggregate mean=3.4). The highest perception of the nurses was that nurses should be considered as the key figure in the management of family violence patients (mean value= 3.8), and the lowest perception of nurses was “nurses status within health care hierarchy (mean value= 2.9). The study also revealed a poor level of nurses’ involvement in managing family violence victims (aggregate mean= 2.42). Conclusion: The study concluded that despite having a positive perception and high knowledge level of management of family violence victims, nurses have a poor level of involvement in managing family violence victims. Recommendations: It was recommended, among other things, that the government should empower healthcare providers to support victims of family violence beyond counselling and treatment of injuries, expand education and training opportunities about FV, and enforce mandatory reporting policies for nurses and other healthcare providers to involve law enforcement. Keywords: Knowledge, Perception, Family Violence, Nurses involvement, Primary Health Centre.

Violencia familiar en el Perú por agresión física e incompatibilidad de caracteres

The research allows analyzing trends, differences and patterns in these cases to strengthen measures to prevent, protect and address family violence in the country. To analyze and understand the incidence of complaints of family violence due to physical aggression and incompatibility of characters in Peru, between 2011 and 2022. A quantitative approach was established to address awareness of this social problem and promote effective measures through statistical and inferential analysis. The findings highlight the importance of strengthening protection measures, promoting education and improving reporting systems. It highlights the need for an integrated and coordinated approach to family violence to prevent and address this serious social problem. Statistical analysis shows significant trends in physical aggression, emphasizing the need for preventive and protective measures. The data collected allows for the identification of patterns and variations in reporting, helping to understand the impact of family violence in Peru. The study emphasizes the importance of strengthening protective measures, promoting education and effectively addressing this social problem. This allows the implementation of public policies and programs that address the root causes of family violence, promoting safe and healthy environments.

A Chance to have a Voice: The Motivations and Experiences of Female Victim-Survivors of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence who Joined a Lived Experience Research Group

A Chance to have a Voice: The Motivations and Experiences of Female Victim-Survivors of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence who Joined a Lived Experience Research Group

Prevalence of exposure to domestic and family violence among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory of Australia

IntroductionAlthough there is substantial evidence regarding the detrimental effect exposure to domestic and family violence (DFV) has on healthy child development, there is a paucity of information on the prevalence of childhood DFV exposure. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of DFV exposure among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia. MethodsThis was a retrospective observational cohort study using linked individual-level records. The cohort consisted of all children aged 0-17 residing in the NT and exposed to DFV as recorded in Child Protection Services and police data in 2018. ‘Exposure to DFV’ was defined broadly as being a child in a household in which DFV occurred, including children who were not physically present at the time of the incident. In our main analyses, exposure to DFV was defined as having either any DFV-related notification or any DFV-related substantiated notification with Child Protection Services, or any DFV-related record in police datasets. ResultsIn 2018, 13.3% of NT children had a record of exposure to DFV with the prevalence for Aboriginal children around six times greater than non-Aboriginal children (24.4% compared to 4.2%). Using a single data source, the estimates of exposure to DFV, for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children, varied from: 3.3% and 0.3% respectively, for substantiated child protection notifications; 7.1% and 1.1% for investigated notifications, 15.9% and 2.6% for all notifications; and, 17.2% and 2.9% for police data. Prevalence of exposure varied with age and was highest for Aboriginal children aged from 0-4 years (31.4%) and for non-Aboriginal children aged 14-17 years (4.9%). ConclusionsMany NT children are exposed to DFV, with much greater exposure among Aboriginal children. The prevalence estimates varied between sources of data and with the definition of childhood exposure to DFV. Our findings highlight the value of linking records from multiple sources to provide a more comprehensive estimate of the magnitude of exposure of children to DFV, an essential base on which to plan a public health response to DFV prevention.

Prinsip Teologi Kelahiran Sebagai Model Konseling Kristen Kepada Pasangan Suami Istri Yang Belum Memiliki Anak

The increasing number of problems experienced by married couples who do not have children among Christians such as loss of harmony, family violence, infidelity and divorce are important concerns for pastors in the Church. This study uses reference books and articles found through the internet with literature review and bibliological descriptive methods, namely making the Bible as a solution to solve problems that occur. So the conclusion is that household problems must be solved by applying a Christian counseling model based on the principles of Birth Theology. The model is a model of believing with a firm faith, a model of surrendering and repenting to God, a model of making a vow to ask God. The research results showed that through understanding the Theology of Birth which refers to understanding the concept of God as the initiator of birth, God helps the birth process and the birth of a child is a gift from God, and God is also the one who has power over married couples who do not or do not have children. However, Allah is willing to take into account efforts to have children. Thus, through Birth Theology with an approach to the model of faith, surrender, or repentance, even making a vow to God in the hope of obtaining it.

The Evolution of Domestic Abuse as a Process (DAP) Model: An Initial Statement

A new model of intimate partner violence, the Domestic Abuse Process (DAP) model, is presented to address how domestic abuse emerges, evolves, and escalates in a romantic relationship over time. A review of the relevant literature on intimate partner violence, including studies examining the role of resources, relationship goals and means for achieving these goals, and relationship stressors is conducted. Important theories such as symbolic interactionism, strain, intergenerational transmission of violence, and the process model of family violence are also reviewed and discussed within the context of domestic abuse. A short discussion of how the proposed model could be empirically tested using a survey instrument containing numerous items that are administered to respondent couples is provided. Follow-up interviews with respondent couples would be used to clarify survey responses and to obtain more detailed insights into how abuse entered and intensified in respondent relationships. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses would be performed on the subsequent data to glean important factors and patterns empirically involved in the process. The model provides additional insights into intimate partner violence and abuse that could inform treatment practices and policy.

The impact of spousal violence on children: Empirical study

Family violence is a traumatic social phenomenon where family members, including women, children and the elderly, are subjected to multiple forms of violence within their intimate environment, which include physical, psychological and sexual assaults, as well as neglect and psychological abuse, which can result in serious psychological and physical effects. This study aimed to understand the impact of spousal violence on children, where the descriptive approach was used by conducting a sociological survey on a sample of 90 individuals. The results of the study showed that violence between parents consists of yelling at Children and may reach physical abuse, which results in children feeling afraid and the appearance of psychological problems. The results also showed that there were no significant differences in the negative effects of parental violence on children, which is due to the sex factor and the level of morale in the study sample (coefficient equal to 0.361).

Developing a Research Agenda with Victim-Survivors to Improve Health Sector Responses to Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence in Australia

Developing a Research Agenda with Victim-Survivors to Improve Health Sector Responses to Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence in Australia