2023 – Violence Against Women and Children

KODY Research Team. (2023). Substance Use Coercion: The Intersection of Domestic and Family Violence and Alcohol and Other Drugs. Policy Briefing Paper, November 2023. University of Melbourne.

Posted by: Rhys Lawry Posted on: November 9, 2023 2023 , Publication

In the context of domestic and family violence (DFV), substance use often forms part of the tactics of
violence and abuse. Alcohol and (or) Other Drugs (AOD) when leveraged as a tactic of violence and
abuse is referred to as substance use coercion, though some stakeholders prefer the term substance
use exploitation. While acknowledging this nuance, this briefing paper will generally use the term
‘substance use coercion’ for ease of reading, and reflecting the dominant language over a 2 year
period in the Policy Stakeholder Group.

This paper discusses the current Australian policy context and the pathways forward for the inclusion
of substance use coercion in DFV and AOD policy, including the impact on children and young
people, and the need for an aligned national and state policy to reduce silos between sectors.

Access Document

KODY Policy Stakeholder Group: Leverage Points for policy development across sectors: a systems approach. Report of Workshop 1, November 2022 (2023)

Posted by: Rhys Lawry Posted on: June 16, 2023 2023 , Publication

This report presents the findings from the first KODY Policy Stakeholder Group workshop held at the University of Melbourne on the 29^th of November 2022. The KODY Policy Stakeholder Group (PSG) brings together professionals from across Australia who are interested in improving the policy environment and services for families experiencing issues with substance use and family violence. Stakeholders came from a range of sectors including alcohol and other drugs (AOD), domestic and family violence (DFV), child protection, child and family welfare and government policymakers. This report contains a summary of key topic areas discussed in the PSG Workshop:

A synthesis of current knowledge on the relationship between AOD and DFV.
A snapshot of the systems targeted by the PSG.
A summary of presentations adhering to the knowledge diamond heuristic.
An action plan with key priorities identified to guide the PSG’s future work.

Access Document

KODY Practitioner Workshop: Practitioner-led Knowledge Building – Report (2023)

Posted by: Rhys Lawry Posted on: June 8, 2023 2023 , Publication

On March 16th, 2023, the KODY Program’s first Practitioner Workshop was held in Richmond, Melbourne. Practitioners and program managers from Kids First and Odyssey House Victoria (OHV), along with researchers from the University of Melbourne and Southern Cross University, attended the three-hour workshop. The first half of the workshop consisted of a case study presented by KODY Caring Dads (CD) facilitators to illustrate the work, and an overview of program referral data, client numbers and profile, presented by the research team. Interested professionals from outside the program attended this half of the workshop. The second part involved a conversation mapping exercise.

There was considerable discussion about the development of various aspects of the KODY program since it started in 2021. A wider conception of KODY than a groupwork program for men emerged – towards a program not only working with all members of the family, but also actively engaging with the services surrounding the family and working collaboratively and holistically with them. This paper presents the Case Study, and a summary of participants’ thoughts, fears, and hopes about the KODY program.

Download report

Programme responses for men who perpetrate intimate partner violence in the context of alcohol or other drugs: a scoping review (2023)

Posted by: Rhys Lawry Posted on: April 28, 2023 2023 , Publication

This scoping paper explored the contextual factors influencing the development and implementation of programmes addressing men’s perpetration of intimate partner violence in the context of substance use. Twenty-one peer reviewed studies reporting on ten programs were included for analysis. This scoping review found a limited evidence base, indicating systemic barriers hindering services’ capacity to expand this field of work. Additional support is required from the wider service systems to intervene in men’s perpetration of intimate partner violence and use of substances.

Access Document

Humphreys, C. (2023, 30 January). Domestic Violence Linked to Alcohol Use is A National Emergency. Pursuit.

Posted by: Rhys Lawry Posted on: January 30, 2023 2023 , Publication

”Alcohol and other drug use increases the severity of violence towards victim survivors, but the drug and alcohol sector and the domestic violence sector remain stubbornly siloed.”

In this Pursuit article, Professor Cathy Humphreys drew attention to data on increased numbers of domestic-related assaults and alcohol-related assaults recorded in Alice Springs between 2021-2022, to highlight the intersection between domestic and family violence and alcohol and other drugs in Australia. In particular, Professor Humphreys discussed experiences of violence where alcohol and other drug use is part of the tactics of coercive control used by perpetrators, and emphasised the role of wholistic service responses in this area.

Read the article

Citation:
Humphreys, C. (2023, 30 January). Domestic Violence Linked to Alcohol Use is A National Emergency. Pursuit. https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/domestic-violence-linked-to-alcohol-use-is-a-national-emergency