Consultations - Interviews (Face to Face and Telephone) 

In May and June 2008, the Council undertook 59 interviews (both face-to-face and telephone interviews) with victims, survivors, perpetrators, and witnesses of domestic and family violence and sexual assault.

One aim of the consultation process was to ensure that the Government and the Council heard directly from those most affected by domestic and family violence and sexual assault and feedback was obtained via telephone and face-to-face interviews with 59 victims, survivors, perpetrators and witnesses of domestic and family violence and sexual assault including people from Culturally, Linguistically and Religious diverse communities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait people, Rural & Remote representatives and people with disabilities.

Interviews were held in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Canberra, Hobart, Darwin, and Bunbury and each interview lasted approximately one and a half to two hours. Due to the sensitive nature of this project all participants were provided with the contact details of an agency which could provide them with information and support.

The Council is privileged that so many individuals shared their experiences, views, perceptions and hopes with the researchers and will ensure their voices are heard as the National Plan is developed.  Council members are also pleased that perpetrators had the opportunity to participate and recognise that solutions to family and domestic violence and sexual assault lie with all sectors working for a better future.

Libby Lloyd AM
Chair
National Council to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children

Summary of Findings

Many of the participants who had been sexually assaulted had also experienced domestic and family violence, and there was a strong degree of consistency in the comments made by both victims and survivors of both domestic and family violence and sexual assault. Many of the same comments were also made by perpetrators of domestic and family violence and sexual assault and given the high level of consistency across states and groups, this summary focuses on the findings that were common across the groups.

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Question 1

Why does domestic and family violence and sexual assault happen?

Participants nominated a wide range of issues, the nine key issues are presented below. These were relevant for domestic violence and sexual assault and across target segments and were nominated by victims, survivors and perpetrators of violence. They include:

• Lack of awareness of what constitutes assault;
• Societal images and attitudes;
• Poor communication skills;
• Alcohol and drug use;
• The cyclical or generational nature of domestic and family violence and sexual assault;
• Power, control and manipulation;
• Frustration and anger;
• Impact of leaving on children; and
• Lack of trust and jealousy.

Victims/survivors also spoke about: the lack of clear consistent consequences for abusive behaviours; the lack of resources to leave (e.g. money, transport); isolation; fear; and the level of acceptance or confusion about what is acceptable in some cultures.

Questions 2 & 3

What is being done to reduce it? What is being done that works?

Participants nominated a number of initiatives or approaches that they considered to be working, and some of the key comments included:

• Advertising which highlighted what was acceptable in Australia (nominated by victims/survivors and perpetrators of violence). Two specific campaigns nominated were ‘Australia Says No’ and ‘Freedom From Fear’ (which focuses on the children);
• Help Lines - which provided information, referrals and ensure confidentiality (victims/survivors and perpetrators of violence);
• Counselling services – particularly services that were confidential and run by people who had been through the situation themselves. Specific counselling elements that were said to be working were:
  • Group work which showed the person they were not alone and helped to break down isolation (victims/survivors and perpetrators of violence). For perpetrators of violence, these sessions also allowed them to open up and talk about their feelings amongst other men, which may have been be impossible in their daily life;
  • Message – that sexual assault in marriage is still sexual assault (victims/survivors and perpetrators of violence);
  • Message – that it is not your fault and you are not a bad person (victims/survivors);
  • Message – take responsibility for your actions (perpetrators of violence);
  • Anger Management, Drug/Alcohol and Parenting Skills courses (perpetrators of violence); and
  • Group work with male facilitators (perpetrators of violence).
• Accommodation – refuges, Safe at Home (victims);
• Financial assistance – Centrelink payments (victims/survivors);
• Changes in the Law (victims) - Changes in police powers e.g. police being able to issue restraining orders; changes in police attitudes; Victim Impact Statements; Victim Notification Registry; Victim Mediation Unit; and the opportunity for victims to make submissions to the Parole Board;
• General practitioners – providing advice, referrals and medication;
• Nightclubs (victims/survivors) – Keeping lids on drinks campaign; and
• Information provided at community centres.

When asked what was not working or which services were unhelpful participants raised a wide range of concerns including:

• Public attitudes, with the issue still stigmatised. Victims/survivors of sexual assault added that the public was still reluctant to intervene at the time.
• Social marketing campaigns. Some of the victims/survivors felt that the advertisements were only effective if they were backed up with a range of services and support and ran long term.
• Accommodation issues including:
  • Difficulty staying in unfamiliar surroundings when in distress and that it may be easier to return home;
  • Safe at Home–Victims/survivors required greater security if they were to stay at home e.g. help with security systems; and
  • There was believed to be a lack of places for perpetrators of violence to go when they had been removed from the family home.
• Policing issues including poor initial experiences meaning victims wouldn’t call again.
• Counselling including:
  • a ‘one size fits all’ approach was not appropriate for victims/survivors or perpetrators of violence;
  • Group work (Perpetrators of violence) - where the mix of people included disruptive people who had been ordered to attend but didn’t want to be there, and where there was a mix of minor and serious offenders;
  • Counsellors (Perpetrators of violence) - Counsellors who are straight out of university without being through the experience themselves, and those who run ‘textbook’ groups; and
  • Lack of continuity of services (Perpetrators of violence) – For example, Men’s groups that get closed down due to lack of funding.
• Legal and child support and protection issues (Victims of domestic and family violence) including:
  • Restraining orders not working; and
  • A concern that some Family Law outcomes compel children to spend time with the perpetrator of violence even if they were scared to go.
• School Education (Victims of sexual assault)– some younger victims said they saw the messages but ignored them since they believed it would never happen to them.
• Poor street lighting (Victims/survivors of sexual assault).
• Hospitals (Victims of sexual assault) - the stigma of entering the hospital and hospital employees who judged victims.
• Courts (Perpetrators of violence) – Information about courses and services was not freely available at some courts and they are not always held at convenient times, but there are consequences for non-attendance.
• Lack of services for men (Perpetrators of violence) including after hours services.

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Question 4

What else would prevent and stop re-occurrence? Where do we go from here?

When considering what else could be done to help people in domestic and family violence and sexual assault situations, the most common responses were:

• Before an incident –Educating people about the different types of assault, reducing the stigma so it can be discussed, being aware of the warning signs (victims/survivors) or trigger points (perpetrators of violence) and addressing the cycle of domestic and family violence and sexual assault
• During an incident –Trying to focus on what they could do for themselves(victims/survivors). Perpetrators of violence talked about concentrating on keeping calm and thinking about the consequences e.g. losing everything; and
• After an incident  - Both segments spoke about removing the perpetrator of violence (or taking a time out until they were calm), letting people know where to get help, providing support groups or counselling where they can mix with people in the same situation and Help Lines.

To make the situation safer, victims/survivors of both domestic and family violence and sexual assault focused on leaving the situation, having an exit plan andremoving the perpetrator of violence. Other suggestions common to both groups were: having a support network; having a code word with friends so they know when to come immediately; being aware that what is happening is wrong; making someone aware of what is happening; moving to a public place; trying to retain some power; and talking in a calm manner so as not to upset the perpetrator of violence.

Victims/survivors of domestic and family violence also suggested, knowing about alternative accommodation options and being aware of other people or services that could help.

When asked what else could be done to prevent or reduce domestic and family violence and sexual assault the key things identified by both victims/survivors and perpetrators of violence were:

• education to break the cycle (e.g. school programs on anger management, self confidence, relationships, sex education and the real impact of their behaviours e.g. binge drinking);
• better role models;
• recognising the warning signs and triggers; and
• removing people from eachother.

Recommendations

The feedback provided three overall areas for recommendations:

Prevention through Australia-wide initiatives, social education and awareness of strong consequences.

• Australia-wide initiatives
  • Initiatives identified as working should be investigated with a view to rolling these out throughout Australia.
• Education and prevention campaigns including mass media
  • Campaigns highlighting the unacceptability of domestic and family violence and sexual assault are believed to have been effective in raising the issue; however, more and sustained campaigns are required to reduce the stigma attached to domestic and family violence and sexual assault.
  • When developing education campaigns the impact of use of the word ‘violence’ and whether this restricts the relevance of the message to physical violence should be considered.
  • Key phrases which appeared to have impacted on both victims/survivors and perpetrators of violence were: it is not acceptable in Australia; sexual assault in marriage is still sexual assault; andyou are not alone.
  • Additional messages for victims/survivors were: it was not your fault, you are not a bad person and it could happen to anyone. Meanwhile additional messages for perpetrators of domestic and family violence   were take responsibility for your actions and you could lose everything.
• Law reform
• Aspects of the law which could benefit from review include:restraining orders, Family Law, Child support and Child Protection.

Reduced risk through early intervention programs for high risk segments

• Breaking the cycle for the next generation (School based programs)
  • Continue to fund school based programs from early childhood to senior high school, and embed non-violence into the curriculum.
• General Practitioners, Child Health Nurses and Community Centres
  • General practitioners and child health nurses play an important role and these providers need to be knowledgeable about domestic and family violence and sexual assault and have access to current lists of service providers.
• Victims/survivors.
  • Continue to educate people recognising warning signs and having an exit strategy;
  • Exit strategy components could be presented on handbag pocket cards or on leaflets left at Community Centres; and
  • There is a need for affordable confidence building and self defence courses, which could be provided at Community Centres.
• Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities
  • Continue to educate communities about what is acceptable in Australia. In particular that no one ‘owns’ anyone in Australia and that sexual assault can occur in a marriage;
  • Review Immigration Laws surrounding marriages that end quickly due to assault, and review access to employment opportunities; and
  • Provide information in different languages.
• Indigenous
  • Review the level of housing stock in Indigenous communities;
  • Maximise the number of indigenous workers employed in key services;
  • Continue dialogue with elders; and
  • Ensure Indigenous Legal and Medical Services are maintained.
• Rural/Remote
  • Consider alternative methods of service provision, e.g. e-counselling, travelling services and Help Lines;
  • Ensure victims/survivors can be guaranteed confidentiality from service providers;
  • Consider alternative ways to help people who do not have access to transport; and
  • Consider fostering strong neighbourhood watch systems in remote communities, if they do not already exist.
• People with disabilities
  • Enable people with disabilities to have greater choice in who acts as their personal care worker; and
  • Develop strict guidelines on what is acceptable in care worker contact.
• Higher socio-economic
  • Highlight in campaigns that domestic and family violence and sexual assault can happen in all walks of life; and
  • Don’t assume that victims from a higher socio-economic area have access to money as they may be victims of financial abuse.
• Night club segment
  • Continue to work with establishments to maintain safe practices e.g. keeping tops on drinks.
• Child witnesses
  • Consider key messages of confidentiality and that getting someone else involved does not automatically mean that somebody goes to jail; and
  • Ensure that existing Kids Help Lines are adequately knowledgeable about domestic and family violence and sexual assault.

Awareness that there is support available in times of crisis, whether fleeing the family home, staying put, or being removed.

In addition to being aware that domestic and family violence and sexual assault is not acceptable, that there are strong consequences, and that it is okay to speak out about it, people also need to know that there is support available. Key recommendations include:

• Ensure there isadequate housing stock for emergency situations;
• Review what is expected of victims arriving at refuges, so they don’t feel overwhelmed and simply return home;
• Review accommodation options available for perpetrators of domestic and family violence and sexual assault who have left the family home, so they are not breaching restraining orders to return home;
• Ensure victims staying in the home (e.g. under Safe at Home) have adequate security support such as security systems;
• Ensure Centrelink benefits are maintained; and
• Provide different programs for different levels of violence.