Active Research

Improving legal, policy and practice responses to the intersection of domestic violence perpetration and child sexual abuse offending

Understanding child sexual abuse

Disclosure of child sexual abuse
Needs of victims and survivors
Response to child sexual abuse

Research Topic areas

Domestic & family violence
Drivers of child sexual abuse
Government & policy responses
Intersection with other violence/victimisation
Justice & legal responses

Project Duration

Start: July 2023

End: August 2025

Geographical Scope

Nation-wide

Populations

Victims and survivorsParents & caregiversWorkforce

Young adults (18-25 years)Adults (26-65 years)Older adults (>65 years)

Gender

All genders

Project Lead

Associate Professor Michael Salter, University of New South Wales

Project lead email: michael.salter@unsw.edu.au

Project Team

Associate Professor Molly Dragiewicz, Griffith University

Dr Delanie Woodlock, Monash University

Angela Lynch, Queensland Sexual Assault Network

Dr Cate Banks, Monash University

Kathleen Maltzahn, Sexual Assault Services Victoria

Professor Jan Breckenridge, University of New South Wales

Di McLeod, Gold Coast Centre against Sexual Violence

Background

This project will provide essential insights into the challenges of responding effectively to the intersections of domestic and family violence and familial child sexual abuse. Domestic and family violence perpetrators are at increased risk of sexually abusing their children, however, responses to both are siloed and lack coordination.

Aims

This project aims to investigate how legal systems respond when child sexual abuse is reported in the context of domestic and family violence, explore how the co-occurrence of child sexual abuse and domestic and family violence is managed by services, and examine the lived experience of the intersection of domestic and family violence and child sexual abuse from the perspective of survivors.

Methods

This mixed methods project will include a content analysis of Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia cases, interviews and focus groups with up to 30 practitioners, and interviews with up to 10 adult victims and survivors whose mother or stepmother was subjected to domestic and family violence, and 10 domestic and family violence survivors whose children were sexually abused by the perpetrator.

Significance and Dissemination

This project will create new knowledge about cases in which child sexual abuse occurs in the context of domestic and family violence, how legal systems respond, and how services manage these cases. The project will document the complexities faced by victims and survivors, as well as the professionals involved in their cases, and will make evidence-based recommendations to improve outcomes.

Further Details

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Funding body:
The National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse

Funding budget:
$195,651 grant

Monitoring and governance:
This project is guided by oversight of the Project Advisory Group

Australian Human Research Ethics Committee:
This project is subject to ethical oversight by the University of New South Wales Human Research Ethics Committee

Webpage link:
https://nationalcentre.org.au/research/improving-legal-policy-and-practice-responses-to-the-intersection-of-domestic-violence-perpetration-and-child-sexual-abuse-offending/

Prevention of child sexual abuse

From bystanders to allies: a structural feminist perspective for supporting child victims and adult survivors of child rape and torture.

Emma Rees
Queensland University of Technology

Needs of victims and survivors

Supporting Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse: Rapid Evidence Reviews

Michaela Guthridge
The National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse

Understanding child sexual abuse

Ngagagee Ngulu Murrup Durra (‘The Ngagagee project’)

Graham Gee
Murdoch Children's Research Institute