Skip to Main Content

Spotlight on... awareness weeks

Awareness weeks guide

Spotlight on...

Spotlight on... awareness days, weeks and months

Featuring the latest research on key areas of health and wellbeing, our Spotlight on... series focuses on the awareness weeks, days and months that occur throughout the year.

Stay up-to-date on important health topics and explore the variety of resources available to support your work.

White ribbon month

White Ribbon Month

18 November – 13 December 2024

This year we’re doing things differently. White Ribbon Day has been expanded into White Ribbon Month. Join us from November 18th to December 13th, this time will be dedicated to broadening our reach, asking the right questions and impacting the thinking of men and boys about violence and abuse against women.  White Ribbon Australia

 

UpToDate

Cochrane Library

Guidelines

Helplines

Useful resources

Reports

Articles

Healthcare workforce

Prevention

Research

Screening

E-books

E-journals

__________________________________________________________________________________

Articles

Healthcare workforce

Views of nurses and midwives working in primary healthcare services on intimate partner violence against women
Primary care nurses/midwives in this study perceived that they were not responsible for the detection and management of intimate partner violence, and a majority reported they did not want to take an active role. However, those who were willing to engage in the detection and management of IPV required sufficient time for patient consultations, a reduced workload and a separate room with suitable physical conditions. It is recommended that nurses/midwives be provided with training on IPV detection and management at specific intervals, and studies be conducted to evaluate the outcomes of such training, and initiate the professional decision-making process of nurses/midwives to effectively identify, respond to and support individuals affected by IPV.  Australian journal of primary health 7 November 2024

A qualitative exploration of the impact of increasing criminalization on domestic violence support workers: Nonfatal strangulation as a case study
Specialized nongovernmental domestic violence (DV) services provide critical support to victim/survivors. This research draws on 14 semistructured focus groups with 27 DV support workers to examine how expanded criminalization impacts support workers’ roles using a case study of a 2016 nonfatal strangulation offense legislated in Queensland, Australia. These results describe a lack of governmental support intersecting with increased complexity and higher workload burden resulting from expanded criminalization. Expansions to criminal law need to account for and critically assess the full system impact of new DV legislation and the added burdens placed on the pivotal third sector of DV services. Violence against women 24 October 2024

Readiness of exercise physiologists, physiotherapists and other allied health professionals to respond to gender-based violence: A mixed-methods study
Experiencing gender-based violence (GBV) is associated with health conditions that are common indications for referral to exercise physiologists, physiotherapists and other allied health professionals (AHPs). The readiness of AHPs to identify and respond to GBV is currently unknown. This study aimed to determine the readiness of AHPs to respond to a person who had experienced GBV. Participants completed the modified Physician Readiness to Manage Intimate Partner Violence Survey (PREMIS) and/or an interview. The AHPs felt underprepared, had low perceived knowledge and lacked confidence to respond to and support people who have experienced GBV, despite recognition of the importance and agreement of the relevance to AHPs’ practice. Violence against women 2 June 2024

“DV fatigue”: Work stress and officers’ attitudes and performance at domestic and family violence incidents
A self-report instrument was created to measure stress, attitudes, and performance of domestic and family violence (DFV) first responders in an Australian state. Violence against women 20 March 2024

Management of acute sexual assault presenting to a large Australian sexual health clinic in 2012–2021: a retrospective clinical audit
The incidence of sexual assault continues to rise in Australia. This study aimed to describe the nature of assault, HIV/STI positivity, and its management at a sexual health clinic.  Sexual assault was an uncommon presentation at Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, with diverse circumstances surrounding assault; however, clinical documentation varied, indicating a need for a standard primary care protocol for clients presenting with acute sexual assault. Sexual health 11 April 2024

A scoping review of nursing interventions for reducing the negative impacts of domestic violence among women
Nurses have an important role to provide comprehensive nursing care to victims of domestic violence by paying attention to various aspects, namely physical, psychological, and spiritual aspects to improve safety and comfort of patients. BMC nursing 14 November 2024

Making sexual and reproductive healthcare environments safe and supportive for disclosure of sexual violence: interview findings from patients and healthcare professionals using a realist approach
The development of services that are conducive to the disclosure of sexual violence (SV) is needed to provide better support for those who have experienced SV and are ready to seek support. Use of appropriate promotional material, specific staff training and a trauma-informed approach are key elements to improve services. Sexually transmitted infections 18 November 2024

__________________________________________________________________________________

Prevention

A critical stocktake of community-based healthy masculinities programs in Victoria, Australia
Programs that engage men and boys in health promotion and violence prevention are proliferating. Many aim to foster “healthy masculinities”, using education and support to involve men and boys in adopting more positive or gender-equitable forms of selfhood and relating. This paper offers a critical stocktake of 15 such programs in one state in Australia, assessing them against common standards for gender-transformative programming among men and boys. Journal of men’s studies 29 April 2024

Feminist mothering and primary prevention of gendered violence: Insights from Australian mothers raising sons
In Australia, significant efforts like The National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022–2032, the Change the Story framework, and Man Box study have aimed to understand and address gendered violence. These initiatives stress the need for prevention, particularly focusing on young people by challenging rigid gender stereotypes and male authority and control over decision-making. This paper presents qualitative research with nine self-identified feminist mothers raising sons, exploring their underrepresented yet important role in violence prevention. It examines how these mothers discuss gender, sex, and power with their sons and the intentions of their feminist maternal practice in building gender equality. The research highlights the contributions of feminist mothers in addressing drivers of gendered violence in the primary prevention space, advocating for greater visibility of their efforts to enrich policy and practice in violence prevention in Australia. Journal of family issues 6 June 2024

The contribution of domestic and family violence death reviews in Australia: From recommendations to reform?
A key aim of domestic violence death reviews (DVDRs) is to recommend improvements to domestic violence service responses, thereby preventing future domestic violence-related deaths. However, there is little scholarship examining the implementation of DVDR recommendations. This study analyses all recommendations made by two Australian DVDR bodies, from the time of each body's establishment until September 2023, alongside government responses and implementation information. The findings show that despite high levels of initial government acceptance of DVDR recommendations there remains a considerable implementation gap. The authors  consider implementation barriers, suggest improvements to recommendation monitoring and identify areas for future research. Journal of criminology 5 February 2024

__________________________________________________________________________________

Research

“You’re never really safe”: Exploring UK mothers’ and young women's perceptions of sexual violence risk
Prevalence of sexual violence fear, current flaws within policy, and the importance of further studying the mother–daughter dyad are highlighted. Violence against women 4 November 2024

Postseparation financial abuse perpetrated through government systems: A survey of Australian mothers’ experiences of child support
Financial abuse is a form of violence that can extend well beyond intimate partner relationship breakdown. A survey of 540 Australian separated parents examined how financial abuse was perpetrated, with a focus on child support and other government systems. Women reported that their ex-partners minimized and withheld child support payments to inflict direct financial harm, while interactions between the family court, taxation, and benefit payment systems were taken advantage of to threaten or control them. Findings revealed how the mandatory and complex Australian child support system provided perpetrators with a useful means of perpetrating financial abuse across households.  Violence against women 19 September 2024

Identifying as a survivor versus a victim after sexual violence predicts divergent post-trauma pathways
The present study investigated social identification with “survivors” versus “victims” following sexual violence and the degree to which this predicted posttraumatic growth versus posttraumatic stress. Violence against women 5 September 2024

Specialist financial counseling for women affected by domestic and family violence: Staff and client perspectives on an Australian initiative
This article examines staff and client perspectives on an initiative providing co-located specialist Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) financial counseling in women's legal services. Violence against women 25 July 2024

Help-seeking after intimate partner or sexual violence: Exploring the experiences of international student women in Australia
Research suggests that many international students experience intimate partner violence (IPV) or sexual violence (SV) whilst attending tertiary institutions. Yet, little is known about how they engage in help-seeking and what types of support they need following IPV/SV. In this paper, we present findings from a qualitative analysis of 30 in-depth interviews with international student women who experienced SV/IPV while studying in Australia. The findings highlight how isolation and structural factors can create significant barriers to help-seeking for international student women. Yet, the findings also highlight the agency and resourcefulness of international student women in overcoming challenges. The provision of culturally and linguistically appropriate and tailored support for international students is crucial in order to help reduce the harms of SV/IPV.  Violence against women 22 April 2024

Longitudinal protective factors against intimate partner violence for women born in Australia and women from refugee backgrounds
The findings assist with understanding and defining of the highest risk group for targeting interventions to prevent Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), and the unique protective factors across the two IPV-affected classes for women born in Australia and those who arrived as refugees. Women 9 September 2024

Psychosocial consequences of sexual assault on women: A scoping review
Women are at a higher risk of sexual assault, partly due to societal sexism. This scoping review addresses the question: What is known about the psychosocial consequences of sexual assault on women? Archives of sexual behavior 30 October 2024

_________________________________________________________________________________

Screening

Development and validation of the Intimate Partner Sexual Violence Scale (IPSVS): A multi-dimensional scale to measure sexual violence in intimate relationships
This article describes the development of a new multi-dimensional measurement tool—the Intimate Partner Sexual Violence Scale (IPSVS). Journal of interpersonal violence 15 October 2024

‘“She tells me I'm pushy” is more likely than the man directly admitting to being pushy’: Practitioners’ views on screening and assessing risk of intimate partner sexual violence
Domestic and family violence (DFV) and sexual violence intersect, with sexual violence often perpetrated by an intimate partner alongside other forms of DFV. While DFV perpetrator interventions are commonly used in response to DFV perpetration, scant research has considered how these interventions identify and address sexual violence, including intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV). Drawing on the findings from an Australian study which involved a survey of 97 practitioners, this paper explores screening and risk assessment of IPSV within the DFV perpetrator intervention context. The research findings demonstrate limited screening and risk assessment of IPSV, particularly when compared to other forms of DFV. This demonstrates a clear need for focused attention on IPSV as part of broader efforts to hold perpetrators accountable for all forms of DFV. International journal for crime, justice and social democracy 31 May 2024

Web-based screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment for traumatic stress and alcohol misuse among survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence: Usability and acceptability study
Overall, Choices For Your Health After Trauma (CHAT) a web based screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment was acceptable among victim service professionals and survivors. Positive reactions to CHAT show promise for future research investigating the efficacy and potential benefit of CHAT when integrated into services for people with traumatic stress and alcohol misuse after recent intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual assault (SA). JMIR Formative Research 2 June 2023

__________________________________________________________________________________

E-books

This is just a sample of the e-books the library subscribes to – you will need your library login

__________________________________________________________________________________

E-Journals

A sample of the journals the library subscribes to – you will need your library login

__________________________________________________________________________________