NCJ Number
187552
Date Published
1999
Length
29 pages
Annotation
This chapter reviews and critiques action taken against domestic violence in Australia, both federally and by States/Territories, over the last 15 years.
Abstract
The process which began with the naming of the problem, the establishment of women's refuges in the mid-1970's, and community education, has moved over the last 10 years to encompass "system" change. Laws have been passed to enable police to take a more proactive role; considerable community debate has occurred about judicial attitudes and the treatment of women by the legal system; and there have been State and Federal Task Forces for the purposes of examining domestic violence and gender bias in the law. Further, State and Federal governments have endorsed a National Strategy on Violence Against Women, which accepts a feminist sociocultural analysis of "power and control" as the underlying cause and advocates coordinated intervention. In spite of these efforts, however, interviews with victims/survivors of domestic violence apparently show that little has changed in the way responses are made to domestic violence victims. Reasons for this include the conservative discourse about domestic violence now being given legitimacy through government (Federal and State/Territory) approaches to domestic violence, as well as the increasingly loud voice of men's rights supporters. This chapter includes an overview of the peculiar nature of Australian constructions of masculinity, so as to provide an understanding of the sociocultural support for male violence against women in Australia. The last 15 years in Australia show that progress can be made in addressing domestic violence, but the persistence of traditional cultural values regarding gender status and roles requires continued efforts to counter such values through education and advocacy for gender equality and respect for women's right to be safe in their own homes. 44 references and 26 notes