Submission to the Royal Commission into Family Violence Submission to the Royal Commission into Family Violence Commissioner the Honourable Marcia Neave AO (Chair) Deputy Commissioner Patricia Faulkner AO Deputy Commissioner Tony Nicholson PO Box 535 Flinders Lane VIC 8009 This submission was jointly prepared by DVRCV staff: Mandy McKenzie, Libby Eltringham, Vig Geddes, Debbie Kirkwood, Jacinta Masters, Delanie Woodlock, Philippa Bailey and Jan Earthstar, drawing on input and consultations with staff and key stakeholders. Authorised by: Vig Geddes, DVRCV Executive Officer © Copyright 2015 DVRCV 292 Wellington St Collingwood Victoria 3066 [email protected] 03 9486 9866 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 1 The Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria .............................................................................. 1 DVRCV’s submission to the Royal Commission ................................................................................... 2 DVRCV’S RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................................................. 3 Strengthen Victoria’s integrated service system ................................................................................ 3 Build consistent practice through workforce development ............................................................... 4 Embed a universal risk assessment and risk management framework .............................................. 4 Address risks to children in the context of family violence ................................................................ 5 Address the abuse of technology by family violence perpetrators .................................................... 6 Inform and resource the community .................................................................................................. 7 Support community‐based family violence research ......................................................................... 7 Improve legal responses to domestic homicides ................................................................................ 7 Build effective strategies to prevent violence against women ........................................................... 9 STRENGTHENING VICTORIA’S INTEGRATED SERVICE SYSTEM .............................................................. 10 Background ....................................................................................................................................... 10 DVRCV’s role in supporting integration ............................................................................................ 11 Issues, gaps & challenges .................................................................................................................. 12 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 18 BUILDING CONSISTENT PRACTICE THROUGH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ....................................... 19 Background ....................................................................................................................................... 19 DVRCV’s role as Victoria’s major training provider .......................................................................... 19 Issues, gaps and challenges .............................................................................................................. 21 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 27 EMBEDDING A UNIVERSAL RISK ASSESSMENT AND RISK MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK .................... 28 Background ....................................................................................................................................... 28 DVRCV’s role in training delivery ...................................................................................................... 29 Issues, gaps & challenges .................................................................................................................. 30 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 40 ADDRESSING RISKS TO CHILDREN IN THE CONTEXT OF FAMILY VIOLENCE ......................................... 42 Background ....................................................................................................................................... 42 DVRCV’s role in responses to children .............................................................................................. 42 Issues, gaps & challenges .................................................................................................................. 43 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 52 ADDRESSING THE ABUSE OF TECHNOLOGY BY FAMILY VIOLENCE PERPETRATORS ............................ 53 Background ....................................................................................................................................... 53 DVRCV’s research on technology‐facilitated abuse .......................................................................... 53 Issues, gaps & challenges .................................................................................................................. 53 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 55 INFORMING AND RESOURCING THE COMMUNITY .............................................................................. 56 Background ....................................................................................................................................... 56 DVRCV’s role as Victoria’s resource provider ................................................................................... 56 Issues, gaps & challenges .................................................................................................................. 57 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 59 SUPPORTING COMMUNITY‐BASED FAMILY VIOLENCE RESEARCH ....................................................... 60 Background ....................................................................................................................................... 60 DVRCV’s research in family violence ................................................................................................. 60 Issues, gaps & challenges .................................................................................................................. 61 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 63 IMPROVING LEGAL RESPONSES TO DOMESTIC HOMICIDES ................................................................. 64 Background ....................................................................................................................................... 64 DVRCV’s domestic homicide research .............................................................................................. 64 Issues, gaps & challenges .................................................................................................................. 65 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 72 BUILDING EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES TO PREVENT VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN .................................... 74 Background ....................................................................................................................................... 74 DVRCV’s role in primary prevention ................................................................................................. 75 issues, challenges and gaps ............................................................................................................... 76 Ensuring consistency in prevention practice .................................................................................... 77 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 85 REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................................... 86 Introduction THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RESOURCE CENTRE VICTORIA The Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria (DVRCV) aims to prevent violence in intimate and family relationships and promote non‐violent and respectful behaviour. The Centre was established in 1986 and is now the largest provider of family violence resources and training in Victoria. Our work is informed by the lives of women and children who have experienced family violence. We work within a feminist framework, which is grounded in evidence that demonstrates the gendered nature of family violence. This means that while our work covers the many forms of family violence, we have a particular focus on men’s violence towards women and children in intimate and domestic relationships. Our work on primary prevention aims to address the underlying gender inequality that is the