Family Violence Justice Project
The Family Violence Justice Project was piloted in 2019 in response to the findings of the Royal Commission into Family Violence which identified that criminalised women experience high rates of family violence yet have very poor engagement with the service system. Family Safety Victoria (FSV) funds Flat Out to undertake this project with the aim of improving the accessibility and responsiveness of the service system for women who are criminalised and experiencing family violence. Flat Out developed a dedicated role in partnership with FSV to lead the project across the following key domains:
Professional Education and Community Development
Relationships and Partnerships
Policy and Advocacy
Data and Evaluation.
Flat Out aims to improve the accessibility and responsiveness of the service system to women who are criminalised and experiencing family violence, or who are at risk of experiencing family violence. Women who have been criminalised require a specialised approach for service delivery based on their particular social and individual circumstances. Most criminalised women experience multiple forms of discrimination stemming not only from their criminalisation but also from their over-representation as Aboriginal or CALD women, as women with mental health and/or drug and alcohol issues, and women with disabilities.
Resources
The FVJP has created a number of resources to assist workers in better supporting criminalised women experiencing family violence. The project has also provided lived-experience expertise to contribute to resources created by other organisations.
Introduction to criminalisation and family violence
A 34 min introduction to the intersection between criminalisation and family violence., which aims to deepen worker's understanding and practice when supporting criminalised victim-survivors.
Providing safety and support for criminalised victim survivors
This tip sheet and poster was created in partnership with Safe + Equal to assist family violence practitioners working with criminalised women.
Resisting systemic collusion power and control wheel
This power and control wheel has been adapted to show how violence can be replicated in a service environment.
Supporting victim survivors who do not view police as a safe option for managing family violence risk
A reflective practice tool developed in partnership with survivor advocates and practitioners from Flat Out, Switchboard, inTouch, and Elizabeth Morgan House.
