Lesley Laing

Across the Divide: Using Research to Enhance Collaboration Between Mental Health and Domestic Violence Services

Abstract Recognition of the deleterious effects of domestic violence on womens mental health has highlighted the potential benefits for women of collaboration between mental health and domestic violence services. Yet the different histories, knowledge bases, and organisational cultures of the mental health and domestic violence sectors present formidable challenges to the development of effective collaborative work. This article draws on a large research enquiry, involving four separate but related studies, which explored aspects of collaboration between these two service sectors. It focuses particularly on data collected in interviews with practitioners from mental health and domestic violence services who were participants in an action research study (one of the four studies), which was aimed at discovering the factors that contributed to enhanced collaboration and the benefits of this for women who experience both domestic violence and mental health issues.

Secondary victimization: domestic violence survivors navigating the family law system

This qualitative study explored the experiences of 22 domestic violence survivors attempting to negotiate safe post-separation parenting arrangements through the Australian family law system. Their allegations of violence put them at odds with a system that values mediated settlements and shared parenting. Skeptical responses, accusations of parental alienation, and pressure to agree to unsafe arrangements exacerbated the effects of post-separation violence. Core themes in the women’s narratives of engagement with the family law system—silencing, control, and undermining the mother–child relationship—mirrored domestic violence dynamics, suggesting the concept of secondary victimization as a useful lens for understanding their experiences.

Intervening with Children Living with Domestic Violence: Is the System Safe?

ABSTRACT This article examines cross-sector relationships that facilitated or impeded effective responses to women and children experiencing domestic violence. It reports on the findings of a study of 54 Australian professionals working in either statutory child protection, family law, or domestic violence and community services. Qualitative data gathered from focus groups with participants is the research base for this article. The study found that overwhelmingly the focus group participants described myriad policies and practices in the public sphere that could compound the impact of men’s violence against women in the private sphere. IMPLICATIONS Comprehensive risk assessments should attend to assessing the risks posed by institutions of the state. The findings are particularly relevant to practitioners and policymakers who wish to work in socially just ways, which begin with rendering visible the coercive tactics of the state.

Practitioner Perspectives on Collaboration across Domestic Violence, Child Protection, and Family Law: Who's Minding the Gap?

ABSTRACT Australia has two legal systems that address safety where children have been exposed to domestic violence: the state- and territory-based statutory child protection systems and the federal family law system. Numerous reports and recommendations have attempted to address the jurisdictional gap between the state and territory systems of public law and the federal system of private law that result in different approaches, which have implications for survivors of domestic violence attempting to establish safe, post-separation parenting arrangements. This article describes the findings of 5 focus groups with 54 domestic violence, child protection, and family law practitioners in both front-line and managerial positions. These focus groups explored participants’ perspectives on the opportunities for, and barriers to, collaboration for children’s safety across the three sectors in response to calls for improving service integration. While common ground from which to build collaboration was identified, there were different views about the potential role of child protection services in cases involving the family law system. This indicates the need to build common understandings of the nature and risks to children of post-separation domestic violence. IMPLICATIONS Comprehensive responses to children exposed to domestic violence require the collaboration of the child protection, family law, and domestic violence services. Efforts to enhance service integration need to address both cross-jurisdictional legal barriers and to build common understandings of post-separation domestic violence.