Violence Against Women Bulletin - December 1999
Information Bulletin - December 1999: Volume 3, Issue 4
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News from the NSW Council on Violence Against Women
Council Position Paper on Perpetrator Programs for Violent Men in the Context of Domestic Violence
The NSW Council on Violence Against Women has recently completed its position paper on the issue of the provision of perpetrator programs for men with a history of domestic violence. The position paper is the result of a formal request for advice on the issue from the Government.
Many individuals and services across the State provided valuable input to inform the Council’s position.
In summary, the Council supports the development of such programs, recommending a framework to optimise their effectiveness including:
- the adherence to over-arching principles to inform the development of programs for perpetrators;
- compliance with minimum standards that can be applied across all programs for perpetrators in NSW, irrespective of whether perpetrators attend voluntarily or are mandated;
- monitoring of programs to determine adherence to the minimum standards; and
- operational guidelines, developed by the service providers to guide the day-to-day operation, to be developed in accordance with over-arching principles and minimum standards.
“All programs for perpetrators of domestic violence, irrespective of whether they are mandated programs, voluntary programs, government funded and run, or conducted by a community organisation, will be encouraged to operate within the framework to provide consistency in the quality of service provision” said Jane Mills, chair of the Council subcommittee that developed the position paper.
“Willingness to operate within the framework will also ultimately lead to greater knowledge on effectiveness of particular models for particular target groups.”
The position paper will be published and widely distributed early in 2000. It will also be available on Lawlink, the website for the NSW Attorney General’s Department on www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au
News from the Unit
In memory of Di Furniss
In September this year, Di Furniss, Regional Violence Prevention Specialist, Northern Rivers Region, died after a battle with cancer.
Di will be remembered for her passionate advocacy for local communities, her dedication for ensuring community members have a say in the delivery of services and her indefatigable commitment to improving the delivery of public programs to women.
Di’s continuing contribution to the implementation of the NSW Strategy to Reduce Violence Against Women will be very sadly missed.
Denise’s new position
Denise Henry, Regional Violence Prevention Specialist for the Illawarra Region, has accepted a 12 months’ secondment to the NSW Police Service to work on the development of new initiatives arising from the Drug Summit.
Liz Mulder, Regional Violence Prevention Specialist for the Macquarie Region, has accepted a position as Sexual Assault Co-ordinator.
Here’s to a happy and safe Festive Season
The irony of the festive season is that it is a time of year places extra demands on service providers in the violence against women sector.
While it is important to acknowledge this, Regional Violence Prevention Specialists and staff located in the Unit also wish everyone a joyous and safe festive season.
Programs for Perpetrators of Domestic Violence
In February, the Minister for Women announced a proposed pilot project – a domestic violence intervention education program for violent men. It is proposed that a pilot program be funded to test the effectiveness of such programs.
“It is not enough to protect the victims of violence, we need to go further by introducing measures to try to break the cycle of violence,” the Minister for Community Services and Minister for Women, Mrs Lo Po’ said when announcing the pilot.
Over the last few years, educational programs for men who are violent towards their partners and or children have emerged in New South Wales and elsewhere in Australia.
There is much debate about whether these programs should exist at all, whether they are effective in reducing violence and whether governments should be involved in funding such programs. Increasing numbers of professionals, including women’s domestic violence services and interagency networks, are beginning to think about whether it is time to look seriously at intervention programs which make men take responsibility for their violence and its consequences. Women involved in violent relationships are indicating they want help for their partners to stop the violence. They don’t necessarily want to end the relationship or to have the men end up serving a gaol sentence.
In order to maintain a focus on the criminality of violence, strong policy guidelines have been maintained.
“The program will not be available to men who have been charged with criminal offences relating to their violent behaviour and is not an alternative to criminal proceedings or gaol.
It will not minimise penalties for violent men nor will it prevent police from initiating criminal charges where warranted,” Mrs Lo Po’ said.
In November, a forum was held to discuss issues raised by the Government’s announcement of a pilot perpetrator program.
The forum was attended by over 120 people, representing a wide range of services from across the State.
The morning of the forum featured a range of speakers including:
- Peter Homel, Director, Crime Prevention Division, NSW Attorney General’s Department; and
- Jane Mills, NSW Council on Violence Against Women, who spoke about the Council’s Position Paper on Perpetrator Programs for Violent Men in the Context of Domestic Violence.
Four speakers discussed their experience of providing programs to perpetrators:
- Elizabeth Shaw, Relationships Australia;
- Greg Yee, Domestic Violence Intervention and Prevention Service, Lifecare Counselling and Family Services;
- Greg Telford, Co-ordinated Service to Aboriginal Families; and
- Eddie Ozols, Lismore Domestic Violence Abuse Program, Probation and Parole Service.
All speakers affirmed the importance of perpetrator programs having a primary focus on achieving outcomes for women and children. They welcomed the development of principles and standards to guide the delivery of such programs.
In the afternoon, participants divided into workshop groups to analyse key issues affecting the delivery of programs. Workshop topics were:
- Indigenous issues;
- Legislation issues;
- Program standards;
- Program content; and
- Interagency partnership and procedures.
A strong theme emerging from the forum was the need for the proposed pilot program to research the different issues relating to the delivery of programs to metropolitan, rural and Aboriginal communities.
DV Link – online domestic violence resource centre
A new online resource centre for workers in the domestic violence sector is being developed. Staff from the Women’s Domestic Violence Court Assistance Program, Local Courts, and the Violence Against Women Specialist Unit are working closely with Executive and Strategic Services in the Attorney General’s Department to establish the online resource.
DV Link will be accessible to all workers interested in the delivery of services to women who have experienced domestic violence. Information will include:
- news;
- resources, referral information;
- current projects;
- reports and papers (including policies and procedures);
- professional development;
- statistics; and
- links with other websites.
It is planned to have DV Link ready to go live early in the new year.
Apprehended Violence Legal Issues Co-ordinating Committee (AVLICC)
Established in 1997, the Apprehended Violence Legal Issues Co-ordinating Committee (otherwise known as AVLICC) is an interagency group comprising non-government and government membership. Membership includes representatives from the Attorney General’s Department, the NSW Police Service, the Police Ministry, the Department for Women, Local Courts, the Legal Aid Commission, the Judicial Commission, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and key services such as the Domestic Violence Advocacy Service and the Women’s Domestic Violence Court Assistance Scheme.
The purpose of AVLICC is to ensure appropriate co-ordination of criminal justice system services for people seeking Apprehended Violence Orders (AVOs) and to examine and identify legal, policy and procedural barriers to the provision of adequate criminal justice system services. AVLICC also makes recommendations for consistent and improved legislation, policies and procedures. The needs of women and children experiencing domestic violence are given particular attention.
AVLICC has recently contributed or is currently contributing to the:
- review of AVO legislation;
- development of local court standards and guidelines;
- development of AVO forms; and
- the development of criminal justice interagency guidelines.
Each stakeholder brings a different perspective on issues discussed at AVLICC. This enhances the committee’s capacity to identify the most appropriate, effective actions.
“While sometimes there is disagreement about particular issues – problems can more easily be resolved because key stakeholders are in the room,” said Natalie Gouda from the Criminal Law Review Division of the Attorney General’s Department and chair of AVLICC.
“People on the ground delivering services make a direct contribution to the development of policy and legislation.
“Within their own agency, each committee member will have particular projects that may impact on the whole AVO system. For example, here in the Criminal Law Review Division, we’ve been working on reforms to the AVO system to improve the efficacy and efficiency of Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders. Issues raised by service providers in AVLICC have had a direct influence on this work”.
Agenda items are generally placed under the categories of legislation, police, courts, policy and other business. You can put an issue on the agenda by writing to the chair.
Contact: Natalie Gouda, Criminal Law Review Division, NSW Attorney General’s Department, GPO Box 6, Sydney 2001 or email natalie_gouda@agd.nsw.gov.au
AVLICC’s Terms of Reference
1. Examine and identify legal, policy and procedural barriers to the provision of adequate criminal justice services and to ensure appropriate co-ordination of services to persons seeking protection from personal and domestic violence;
2. Make recommendations for consistent and improved legislation, policies, procedures and criminal justice system services to persons seeking protection from personal and domestic violence; and
3. Pay particular attention to the needs of persons, particularly women and children, seeking protection from domestic violence. Needs and concerns of the following groups are a key consideration of the Committee:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children;
- Women and children from non-English speaking backgrounds;
- Older women;
- Women and children with disabilities;
- Lesbians and their children; and
- Young women and their children.
New Regional Action Plans
Regional Action Plans for this year are currently being produced and will be available in the new year. |
Homeless women speakout against Violence
Principles of social justice and human rights underpin the Homeless Women's Speakout, which affirms the right of homeless women to live lives free from violence.
Over 50 homeless women attended the Speakout, held on 25 October 1999 in Sydney's YWCA Cafe, as part of the Y's Week without Violence.
Highlights from the evening's program include homeless women speaking about how the inner city could be a safer place for them, an acknowledgment of country by Betty Little, Jeannie Lewis's song I'm stronger than I look, the Bosnian Women's Choir singing Take me Home Country Road and discussions around the cafe tables about preventing violence against women.
Factors identified by homeless women as assisting them to feel safer include:
- safe houses for women;
- companionship from other women in similar circumstances;
- police on the beat;
- women's own skills and abilities; and
- improvements to the urban environment.
"Any program or service working with homeless people needs to respond to the vulnerability of homeless women to sexual assault and physical violence" says Robyn Edwards, the Speakout organiser and South Eastern Sydney RVPS. Robyn plans to take the key themes and issues raised at the Speakout to the newly established NSW Partnerships against Homelessness.
Regional Violence Prevention Specialists (RVPS) Contact List
| Regional Specialist | Area Health Region | Location | Phone |
| To be announced | Northern Sydney | Manly | (02) 9976 8020 |
| To be announced | Far West | Bourke | (02) 6872 1795 |
Robyn Edwards
Sydney | South Eastern | Zetland | (02) 9382 8145 |
| Mary Willis (temporary) | Northern Rivers | Lismore | (02) 6620 2132 |
Lilian Gomez
Sydney | South Western
| Liverpool | (02) 9821 8527 |
| Cathy Hastings | New England | Tamworth | (02) 6768 2814 |
| To be announced | Illawarra | Wollongong
East | (02) 4254 0302
|
| Anoop Johar | Wentworth | Penrith | (02) 4732 1322 |
| Helen Kay | Mid Western | Orange | (02) 6361 6925 |
| Karen MacLean | Greater Murray | Albury | (02) 6058 1850 |
Jillian Meyers-
Brittain | Hunter | Newcastle | (02) 4929 0921 |
| Matina Mottee | Central Sydney | Burwood | (02) 9715 0448 |
| Liz Mulder | Macquarie | Coonabarabran | (02) 6842 6447 |
| Chris Smith | Central Coast | Gosford | (02) 4320 2575 |
Rugmini
Venkatraman | Western Sydney | Parramatta | (02) 9633 0717 |
| To be announced | Mid North Coast | Taree | (02) 6551 1507 |
| Tashe Long | Southern | Queanbeyan | (02) 6298 9966 |
The Violence Against Women Specialist Unit is based in the Crime Prevention Division of the NSW Attorney General’s Department. It is one of the central elements of the NSW Strategy To Reduce Violence Against Women.
This bulletin is for anyone interested in the prevention of violence against women and is intended to inform people about the NSW Strategy To Reduce Violence Against Women and its implementation. For more information about the Bulletin contact the Violence Against Women Specialist Unit.
ISSN 1328-437
Click here to download the PDF version of the December 1999 Bulletin>>
 | To view a PDF document, you will need a copy of Adobe Acrobat on your computer. If you do not have a copy of Adobe Acrobat, you can download a copy for free from the Adobe site. |
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