Foundation Knowledge:
Capability One

What are violence and abuse?

• 1800 RESPECT provides information about the different types of intimate partner violence, family violence and sexual assault including examples.

What is violence against women?

• UN Women’s list of Key Terms relating to the types of violence against women.

What is sexual assault?

• CASA (Centres Against Sexual Assault) Forum provides a factsheet with definitions, types and examples of things that constitute sexual assault.

• Family and domestic violence are defined by the Victorian Government as any violent, threatening, coercive or controlling behaviour that occurs in current or past family, domestic or intimate relationships.

Family violence can happen in all types of families and includes the forms of violence described above as well as:

Adolescent violence in the home

• Australian Institute of Family Studies article focusing on how adolescent family violence within the home is different to that perpetrated by adults.

Elder abuse

• Safe and Equal and Seniors Rights Victoria’s tip sheet provides information around intergenerational household elder abuse.
• Relationships Victoria tip sheet provides information around elder abuse as a form of family violence.
• Victorian Government has practice guidelines for health services and community agencies for the prevention of elder abuse With Respect to Age – 2009

Child abuse

• This website by the Australian Institute of Family Studies provides information to help understand child abuse and neglect.

• Our Watch’s Quick Facts –  A range of facts relating to violence against women.
• The Australian Bureau of Statistics Personal Safety Survey (PSS) is the most up to date place to find statistics on family, domestic, sexual violence, physical assault, partner emotional abuse, child abuse, sexual harassment, stalking and safety. For additional gendered analysis of the PSS see ANROWS’ Research report on the 2012 PSS.
• National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS) provides statistics about the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations of Australia for a wide range of areas of social concern including health, education, culture and labour force participation.
• VicHealth’s Violence Against Women in Australia: Research Summary 2017 summarises current research around violence against women and its prevention.
• Our Watch – An article explaining what drives violence against women. 

The Power and Control Wheel is also known as the Duluth model explores the relationship between power, control and family violence. The two videos below explain the model including its creation.

• Understanding the Power and Control Wheel
• Ellen Pence discusses the Background Behind the Wheel

• Change the Story is the National Framework for the Prevention of Violence Against Women and was developed by Our Watch, VicHealth and ANROWS. This video provides a quick introduction to the framework and is particularly useful in explaining the drivers of violence against women. (Watch the video with an audio description here)
• This Summary of Change the Story Framework document provides an overview of the Change the Story.
• Change the Story contains the full framework for the prevention of violence against women report.
• Putting Prevention into Practice – How to Change the Story – this guide from Our Watch further explores the Change the Story Framework with a specific focus on putting theory into practice. There is also a How to Change the Story 4-page summary document available.

• The ANROWS website includes an additional analysis of the ABS Personal Safety Survey data to explore the differences between violence experienced and perpetrated by men and women

• Family Violence Myths & Facts – Safe Steps website detailing some of the myths and facts about family violence and violence against women.
• Myth Busting: Domestic & Family Violence at Work  – A resource developed by Our Watch that uses evidence to debunk common myths and assumptions.

Key findings and videos from the 2017 National Community Attitudes to Violence Against Women (NCAS) Survey, including the prevalence of beliefs in broader society that condone violence and gender inequality:

• Summary Report: Are we there yet? Australians’ attitudes towards violence against women & gender equality
• Youth Attitudes to gender equality and violence against women videos
• Attitudes towards violence against women and gender equality among people from non-English speaking countries
• Attitudes towards violence against women and gender equality among Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders
• Challenging the Foundations of Violence Against Women – This video from Gippsland Women’s Health highlights the relationship between attitudes, behaviours and violence against women.

• Safe and Equal Understanding Family Violence – General information around family violence including prevalence and impacts, including impact on children.
• National burden of disease study examining the impact of violence against women
• Exposure to Family Violence and Its Effects on Children – Information from the Australian Family Court about the impacts of family violence in children.

• Fast Facts: Indigenous Family Violence (ANROWS) prev- Provides family violence statistics specific to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women (ANROWS)
• Our Watch has developed a specific resource for preventing violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women –  Changing the picture: preventing violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women
• Dhelk Dja: Safe Our Way – Strong Culture, Strong Peoples, Strong Families 2018-2028 is the key Aboriginal-led Victorian Agreement that commits Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal services and government to work together and be accountable for ensuring that Aboriginal people, families and communities are stronger, safer, thriving and living free from family violence.

• 2017 National Community Attitudes (NCAS) Survey – Summary Report
• Youth Attitudes to gender equality and violence against women videos
• Attitudes towards violence against women and gender equality among people from non-English speaking countries
• Attitudes towards violence against women and gender equality among Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders

• Diagram and accompanying explanation detail the differences between levels of prevention:  Change the Story (pg 15)
• DV Vic/DVRCV’s Approaches to addressing violence against women poster uses plain language and specific examples to illustrate the three approaches to addressing violence against women and how they can situate their work across this continuum.

Information around the various sectors and settings in which prevention takes place is provided in both Change the Story and How to Change the Story on the pages outlined below.

• Change the Story (pg 38-40)
• Putting Prevention of Violence Against Women into Practice – How to Change the Story Handbook (pg 81- 92)

See below for relevant sections regarding the drivers and reinforcing factors and their relationship to the prevention of violence against women.

• Change the Story (pg 9, 22-31, 33-34)
• Putting Prevention of Violence Against Women into Practice – How to Change the Story Handbook (pg 23-27, 30-31)

• Change the Story (pg 8 & 31) discusses the relationship between gendered drivers and reinforcing factors. This is highlighted in a visual in figure 6.

Actions and techniques are discussed in Change the Story with specific examples and further exploration in Change the Story Handbook.

• Change the Story (pg 41-44)
• Putting Prevention of Violence Against Women into Practice – How to Change the Story Handbook (pg 73-80, 93-106)

Intersectionality is a key concept in primary prevention work. The resources listed below address the following knowledge indicators:

• Understanding different manifestations and impacts of family violence and violence against women within diverse groups and communities.
• The impact of socioeconomic status, culture, geography, age, disability, sexuality and gender identity when developing initiatives to prevent violence against women.
• Culturally safe and responsive practices including adapting practice in the context of continuous cultural learning.
• Different prevalence, forms and impact of violence against women on diverse groups and communities.
• Understanding how multiple forms of discrimination, disadvantage and oppression experienced by diverse individuals, groups and communities, reduce access to resources and support and compound experiences of violence.
• Embedding the principles of cross-cultural practice in primary prevention work.

• Change the Story (pg 36-37)
• Putting Prevention of Violence Against Women into Practice: How to Change the Story Handbook (pg 49-61). This section discusses intersectionality and best practice considerations when working with diverse population groups.
• Our Watch Workplace Equality and Respect standards practice guidelines – Intersectional Approach 
• Diversity and Intersectionality Framework (State of Victoria) – A framework to assist in developing intersectional approaches in family violence work including examples of considerations that need to be made in terms of specific groups of people.
• The Pride in Prevention Evidence Guide (Rainbow Health Victoria) this guide summarises the currently available evidence on the drivers of family violence experienced by LGBTIQA+ communities and provides recommendations for priority interventions to address it.
• Changing the picture: preventing violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women (Our Watch) A resource for preventing violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.

• Intersectionality Video A video from Newcastle University (UK) explaining intersectionality.
• The Urgency of Intersectionality TED Talk by Kimberlé Crenshaw.
• What does intersectional feminism actually mean?  International Women’s Development Agency.

• Changing the picture: preventing violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women (Our Watch) A resource for preventing violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women
• Fast Facts: Indigenous Family Violence (ANROWS) Provides family violence statistics specific to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women
• Resources to address violence against women in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Communities (ANROWS) This document details a wide range of resources relevant to preventing violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
• Dhelk Dja: Safe Our Way: Strong Culture, Strong Peoples, Strong Families The Aboriginal 10-year family violence agreement for 2018-2028 (see pg 36 -37 for prevention priorities).

• The Pride in Prevention Evidence Guide (Rainbow Health Victoria) Summarises the currently available evidence on the drivers of family violence experienced by LGBTIQA+ communities and provides recommendations for priority interventions to address it.
• Primary prevention of family violence against people from LGBTI communities – An analysis of existing research  (Our Watch, in partnership with GLHV and Vic Govt) A literature review providing background knowledge around the existing research.
• Family Violence in an LGBTIQ context is an article published by DV Vic/ DVRCV that explores family violence in the context of LGBTIQA+ relationships.
• The Australian Trans and Gender Diverse Sexual Health Survey collects information about the sexual and romantic lives of trans and gender diverse people.

• Information and resources regarding working with CALD women are available on the Our Watch website here.
• Violence against women in CALD communities: Understandings and actions to prevent violence against women in CALD communities. A report by AMES Australia and the Department of Social Services.
• This ANROWS paper presents the current knowledge (2015) around violence against immigrant and refugee women.
• On Her Way: Primary prevention of violence against immigrant and refugee women in Australia This study by the Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health highlights the need for consideration of women who are immigrants and refugees in the prevention of violence against women initiatives.
• Promoting community-led responses to violence against immigrant and refugee women in metropolitan and regional Australia. The ASPIRE Project: State of knowledge paper. This paper brings together national and international research around family violence perpetrated against immigrant and refugee women.
• Intersectionality matters: A guide to engaging immigrant and refugee communities to prevent violence against women is a resource guide developed by Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health. This guide builds on the framework outlined in Change the Story and acknowledges the importance of understanding how gender inequality intersects with other forms of discrimination, particularly when working with women from diverse cultural backgrounds.

• Women with Disabilities Victoria Factsheets A range of information around women with disabilities including a factsheet on experiences of violence.
• Primary Prevention of Violence Against Women with Disabilities (Women with Disabilities Victoria) A video that unpacks how the drivers of violence against women are experienced by women with disabilities
• Adopting mainstream approaches: Taking account of and including people with an intellectual disability in violence and abuse prevention A research paper around utilising mainstream approaches for prevention of violence against women with people with intellectual disabilities.
• Our Right to Safety and Respect: Guidelines for developing resources with women with disabilities about safety and respect  A set of best practice guidelines and considerations for workers and organisations in developing resources that relate to the prevention of and response to violence against women with disabilities.