Resilience and Resistance in the Community Sector: Organisational Challenges and Responses by the Australian DFV Sector in the Time of COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic led to increases in family violence in Australia and elsewhere. In response, organisations in the domestic and family violence (DFV) sector, had to adapt to the emerging public health measures and worked collaboratively to protect the most vulnerable in the community. These services, including courts, rapidly transformed their methods of service delivery that are likely to continue for some time. But what have been the implications/impacts of these rapid changes on the DFV service sector in Australia? How have these impacts informed the future needs of the DFV sector? And what is needed to strengthen this community sector of the future? This article reports on the findings of a national research project examining the impacts of COVID-19 on the DFV service sector and the adaptations and innovations that emerged in response. The study highlights that the surge in demand for services put pressure on an already overwhelmed workforce/service sector and provided an opportunity for front line workers to contribute to building a robust sector to respond to future crisis events. These findings have significant implications for future DFV sector service delivery, and for the social work profession as a whole.

Resilience and Resistance in the Community Sector: Organisational Challenges and Responses by the Australian DFV Sector in the Time of COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic led to increases in family violence in Australia and elsewhere. In response, organisations in the domestic and family violence (DFV) sector, had to adapt to the emerging public health measures and worked collaboratively to protect the most vulnerable in the community. These services, including courts, rapidly transformed their methods of service delivery that are likely to continue for some time. But what have been the implications/impacts of these rapid changes on the DFV service sector in Australia? How have these impacts informed the future needs of the DFV sector? And what is needed to strengthen this community sector of the future? This article reports on the findings of a national research project examining the impacts of COVID-19 on the DFV service sector and the adaptations and innovations that emerged in response. The study highlights that the surge in demand for services put pressure on an already overwhelmed workforce/service sector and provided an opportunity for front line workers to contribute to building a robust sector to respond to future crisis events. These findings have significant implications for future DFV sector service delivery, and for the social work profession as a whole. Community organisations in the domestic and family violence (DFV) sector have borne the brunt of responding to women and children during the onset of COVID-19 pandemic. This Australia-wide survey describes the ways in which the sector was impacted and the innovative ways they adapted to public health measures to keep women and children safe amidst escalating rates of domestic violence. Global research demonstrated the differential ways the pandemic was experienced, with women living in domestic violence situations more adversely affected than other groups and these findings have been mirrored in Australian studies. The findings of this research also highlight the sector's resourcing needs going forward, given that increased rates of DFV are anticipated in future pandemics or disasters caused by climate change events. This study is a contribution by front line DFV workers to resist the dominant positioning of 'resilience' in the community sector and challenges the notion that a 'return to normal' is possible. Rather the sector is calling for a reconstruction of the meaning of resilience, involving new conversations about the role of the state, a return to local low-cost solutions particularly with regards to the use of technology in the times of crisis, and our relationship with the environment, science and technology.

Locked Down with the Perpetrator: The Hidden Impacts of COVID-19 on Domestic and Family Violence in Australia

Prior to the COVID-19 global pandemic, domestic and family violence (DFV) had been recognised globally as an epidemic in its own right. Further, research has established that during times of crisis and/or after disasters, rates of DFV can escalate. The COVID-19 pandemic has been no exception, with emerging research from around the world confirming that the public health measures and social effects associated with COVID-19 have increased the frequency and severity of DFV in various countries. In contributing to this evolving body of literature, this paper reports on the findings of a national research project that examined the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic on DFV in Australia. This nationwide survey of service providers indicates the public health responses to COVID-19 such as lockdowns and travel restrictions, while necessary to stem the pandemic, have had profound effects on increasing women’s risk and vulnerability to domestic violence, while at the same time making it more difficult for women to leave violent relationships and access support. However, this vulnerability is not evenly distributed. The pandemic pushed marginalised voices further underground, with many unable to seek help, locked down with their abuser. Our survey sought to amplify the experiences of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities;Indigenous communities;lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, + (LGBTIQ+) communities;women locked down with school-age children;those already in violent relationships;and those whose first experience of domestic violence coincided with the onset of the pandemic. For logistical and ethical reasons, we could only access their voices through the responses from the domestic violence sector.

Weaponizing COVID-19: How the Pandemic Influenced the Behavior of Those Who Use Violence in Domestic and Family Relationships.

COVID-19 has increased threats to women's safety in Australia and globally. This research is based on a 2020 nationwide survey about the impacts of COVID-19 on domestic and family violence (DFV) services and allied sectors throughout Australia. This study focuses on how perpetrator behaviors-coercion, control, and violence-changed and intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two central themes identified from this qualitative analysis were the increase in complexity and severity of DFV during COVID-19. The analysis highlights how perpetrator behavior reflects the weaponizing of COVID-19 against women and children. The article concludes with a discussion about the theoretical, practice, and policy implications.

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Australian domestic and family violence services and their clients

Abstract During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, reports emerged that lockdowns were increasing the prevalence of domestic and family violence (DFV) in Australia and across the world. The lockdowns and restrictions were necessary to contain the pandemic. However, leaders in the domestic family violence sector expressed concerns early during 2020 that these lockdowns would lead to the escalation of domestic and family violence. Calling it a shadow pandemic, the United Nations Secretary-General urged all governments to prioritise the prevention of violence against women in their national response plan for COVID-19. To gain some insight into the Australian context, a Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Centre for Justice research team conducted a nationwide survey to assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on DFV services and their clients. Findings based on survey data from 362 participants from the DFV sector, including 1,507 qualitative responses, confirm the concerns raised early in the COVID-19 pandemic. This article provides an overview of the survey results, discusses the findings in the light of national international research and highlights the resources needed to strengthen the DFV sector in the future.