The Taskforce’s call for formal submissions, based on its terms of reference, resulted in more than 130 responses from across Queensland. This activity targeted a different audience to the stories and therefore provided a further set of ideas to complement those described through personal experiences. The responses came from a broad cross section of non-government organisations and experts, and in particular, service providers that support victims of domestic and family violence (Figure 6).
Figure 6: Source of submissions
In summary these submissions:
» Highlighted that prevention activities should not be at the expense of early intervention or law and order responses. That is, prevention strategies must complement effective responses to existing cases of domestic and family violence. Submissions also highlighted that efforts to address attitudes within our society would need to be long- term in order to affect generational change
» Emphasised that prevention activities are the responsibility of both government and the community
Non government, networks & associations (55%) Members of the public (30%)
Private sector (5%)
Universities & professional bodies (6%)
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» Discussed the need for professional development programs for police, ambulance officers, medical practitioners, and teachers so they can recognise domestic and family violence and provide the appropriate referral and support responses
» Noted the importance of improving the way in which people seeking support can access different elements of the service system, through better linking, or integration of services, and/or through co-location of services
» Raised the need to increase the focus on changing the behaviour of perpetrators of domestic and family violence, with some suggesting this was an overlooked area. However, many noted achieving changes in behaviour was a challenge
» Warned against the delivery of men’s behaviour change programs in the absence of an integrated response which enabled the cross-verification of safety assessments with victims (for instance through a victim advocate). This element was considered by many submissions as essential to ensuring the accountability of the perpetrator, and the safety of the victim, during and after the program
» Pointed to the lack of consistency in the police response, in particular the attitude of officers responding to domestic and family violence, and whether they took the matter seriously and understood its complexity
» Highlighted the increasing reliance on the civil protective process through domestic violence orders (DVOs) and the need for the criminal law to be applied in conjunction with, and not secondary to, the civil response
» Requested a greater focus on perpetrator accountability and outlined the continuing abuse of victims by perpetrators misusing the legal system
» Pointed to the lack of consistency in the legal response and in particular the need for a consistent approach by magistrates
» Explained the unique issues experienced in regional and remote communities. For example, police are often several hours away when a call for help is placed and the community may not be accessible by road during the wet season; in the time between monthly circuit court sittings, matters are dealt with through the Remote Justices of the Peace (Magistrates Courts) Program and the person determining the matter is local and could well be related to the perpetrator.
As a whole, these submissions stressed the need for a whole-of-government approach with appropriate governance mechanisms, monitoring, and evaluation frameworks.
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3.4 Focus groups
The Taskforce engaged market research agency, Enhance Research, to undertake a series of focus groups throughout Queensland in order to gauge community attitudes toward domestic and family violence. The focus groups were conducted with specific segments of the community including:
» Adults over 25 years
» Adults 18-25 years
» School-age children 14-17 years
» Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
» People from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds
» People with a disability
» Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender and Intersex people.
Twenty-four focus groups, comprising 12 male groups and 12 female groups, were conducted in Brisbane, Logan, the Sunshine Coast, Gladstone, Mount Isa, Ipswich, the Gold Coast, Toowoomba, Townsville and Weipa.
The forums explored issues relating to awareness, attitudes, behaviours, understanding, message comprehension, and the influence of media. Enhance Research’s full report can be found at Appendix 4. In summary, the focus groups found:
» Domestic and family violence is perceived as being fairly widespread and pervasive across the community and is seen as an issue that crosses all social and geographic boundaries. There was a notion that as a topic, domestic and family violence is seen to be ‘pushed under the carpet’ and not spoken about to the same degree as other social issues. It is seen by many as a personal and highly sensitive topic which influences the degree to which it is discussed. An attitude of minding one’s own business and not discussing such a potentially personal issue is also a factor for many
» Violence in relationships is understood to occur when there is inequity in the relationship. Violence by men against women and children is commonly seen to be the most prevalent type of violence. It was also well understood that the type of violence perpetrated by men on women was generally seen to be physical but it was also recognised by some that violence could include forms of mental abuse
» The issue of non-physical violence still seems to be secondary to physical violence when discussing the topic. Examination of the definition of domestic violence from the Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act 2012 showed widespread agreement that the definition under the Act is thorough and comprehensive
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» The notion that wider societal attitudes and behaviours can provide an environment where domestic violence is allowed to occur generated mixed responses. In general, broader societal factors were not generally believed to be a significant contributor to domestic violence
» Sensationalising stories was also seen as a major issue in how instances of domestic violence could be portrayed. Media standards and the perceived responsibility of media to accurately and intelligently report incidences was noted
» Many people were unsure about how they would react if confronted with situations of witnessing violence and said they were often conflicted about whether to
intervene and, if so, how. They wanted to understand what led to a situation in order to fully understand it, especially where the violence witnessed is not overtly physical in nature
» Reporting incidents to authorities is generally seen to be the most appropriate reaction when witnessing physical violence or impending physical violence. However, some were concerned about how successful this approach was in stopping and preventing violence
» There were acknowledged gaps in terms of workplace information about how to intervene in or deal with examples of family and domestic violence that may occur in the workplace
» Community education should be centred upon the expectation that bystanders should intervene in cases of violence. This should include the most appropriate strategies to employ in different scenarios in order to shift what is currently a patchy and hesitant community response
» There was a high level of support for government-led communication campaigns to address the issue. The view that such campaigns can influence the level of social discussion around a topic if appropriately engaging and targeted was quite clear. Participants suggested that addressing the issue in a public way would send a clear signal that this was an important community issue that required attention
» Children should be a target audience for communication campaigns. Ensuring that children are aware of the issue and included in the community conversation is seen as important to driving longer-term behavioural change.
Through listening to and understanding the experiences of those affected by this insidious form of violence, and those who provide support through referral services and the legal system, the Taskforce has gained invaluable insights. The Taskforce recognises the need to provide practical solutions that will significantly improve how we support those affected by domestic and family violence. These solutions must be complemented by a long-term vision to ensure that we live in a state where our community will stand up and say ‘stop’; where we will make it known to all those who cause fear and pain that their behaviour is not acceptable; and where we will say that domestic and family violence will not be tolerated.