On this page, you will find a collection of research studies and reports focused on family violence and sexual violence, many of which highlight the impact on children and families. These research papers offer valuable insights, evidence-informed findings and recommendations to enhance responses to these important issues.
The following research draws from lived experience perspectives and explores how they can be harnessed and integrated into family violence and sexual violence work.
This research builds on the Family Violence Experts by Experience Framework, aiming to embed victim–survivors’ lived experiences in the family violence service sector, exploring how these can be integrated into family violence work (source: Safe and Equal, 2022).
This report reviews: up to five years of consumer and lived experience participation training programs; national and international contemporary lived experience participation training in the family violence sector; national social services and health consumer participation practice; evidence-informed public facing documents; and interviews with current local providers of lived experience participation training (source: Regional Family Violence Partnership, 2024).
This is an edited summary of key findings from ANROWS research Crossing the line: Lived experience of sexual violence among trans women of colour from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds in Australia. (source: ANROWS, 2020).
This research examines the impact of family violence and sexual violence on children and young people, offering insights to improve support systems for their wellbeing.
This research report presents findings from a survey of 3775 female carers, focusing on children’s exposure to intimate partner violence and the carers’ experiences of physical and emotional abuse (source: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2023).
This first large-scale Australian study reports on the prevalence of child maltreatment, including child sexual abuse, its association with mental illness and its impact on health risk behaviours and conditions (source: The Australian Childhood Maltreatment Study, 2023).
Research findings about the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who have both experienced domestic and family violence and had contact with the child protection system (source: ANROWS, 2019).
This project seeks to understand the service system gaps for young people who are experiencing family violence in the home or from an intimate partner and aims to map a way forward (source: Melbourne City Mission, 2021).
This research delves into the prevalence and impacts of family violence and sexual violence, shedding light on their effects on individuals and communities.
The fact sheet examines the overlap of domestic and family violence (DFV) and child sexual abuse (CSA). Rates of co-occurrence vary widely, from 12% to 70%, based on methodology and samples. The review identifies challenges, such as inconsistent definitions and reliance on nonrepresentative samples, impacting prevalence estimates. It highlights the need for more detailed studies to identify perpetrators and improve targeted policies and services. Data suggests girls face higher victimization rates. Future research should focus on better definitions and representative sampling. (source: UNSW, 2024).
This report seeks to put the interpersonal safety and support needs of individuals diagnosed with long COVID on the political agenda. Globally, no attention has been paid to the intersection between long COVID and intimate partner violence (source: Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre and Safe and Equal, 2024).
Aligned with the National Outcome Standards for Perpetrator Interventions, this research examines how human services (e.g. mental health, alcohol and other drugs, child protection) can be integral to perpetrator intervention systems. Human services agencies could link men to behavior change programs and work with the legal system and family violence services to monitor and manage perpetrator risk over time through information sharing and collaboration (source: ANROWS, 2021).
This discussion paper provides an overview of key issues and literature examining the relationship between pornography and sexual violence. It includes insights and experiences from the specialist sexual assault sector (source: SASVic, 2024).
This study presents evidence relating to the prevalence of sexual violence against women in Australia and the impacts of sexual violence across a woman’s lifetime (source: ANROWS, 2022).
This study is the first in Australia to link acquired brain injury with family violence, highlighting significant service gaps in screening, rehabilitation, recovery and support (source: Brain Injury Australia, 2015).
Research on approaches to address and mitigate the effects of family violence and sexual violence.
This evaluation report by Caz McLean evaluates the Creative Art Therapy (CAT) Program by Family Access Network (FAN), which provides therapeutic support to LGBTIQA+ young people and pregnant/parenting young people impacted by family violence and homelessness. The program, funded by the Paul Ramsay Foundation and Family Safety Victoria, aims to decrease wait times for therapeutic support, provide access to LGBTIQA+ lived experience workers, and offer no-cost support to those in financial distress (source: Family Access Network, 2024).
This evaluation report, prepared by Caz McLean for Refuge Victoria, Thorne Harbour Health and Switchboard, assesses the effectiveness of a program aimed at reducing barriers for LGBTIQA+ victim survivors in accessing mainstream FV services. The report indicates there is a need for mainstream organisations to work with LGBTIQA+ community controlled organisations to probide effective responses, with the program addressing barriers through building trust, improving knowledge of services, and increasing understanding of differences in experiences of FV in relation to LGBTIQA+victim survivors
(source: Refuge Victoria, 2025).
This report presents the key findings and thematic analysis of interviews with 17 children and young people living in Victoria who have had experience of family violence (source: Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre, 2023).
This e-Safety Commission review summarises the nature, prevalence, impacts and responses to technology-facilitated abuse and sexual violence, identifying barriers, enablers and available support in Australia (source: eSafety Commissioner, 2023).
This discussion paper emphasises the need for family violence interventions to focus on the complexities of people using violence, their behaviours, motives and presentations to improve risk identification, assessment and management (source: No to Violence, 2024).
This paper examines practitioners’ views on intimate partner sexual violence in intervention programs and offers recommendations to improve identification, assessment and response (source: Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre, 2023).
Informed and guided by people with lived experience of sexual assault, this project focused on better understanding of what helps people to recover and heal after sexual violence. Findings from REACH show that recovery is enabled through personal, relational and social change (source: University of Melbourne, SAS Vic and Women with Disabilities Victoria, 2024).
This research explores women’s experiences of violence and help seeking during COVID-19 restrictions, and the impact on health for social care workers providing support (source: Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre, 2022).
In 2016, Victoria’s Royal Commission into Family Violence made 227 reform recommendations, emphasising collaboration between agencies and establishing multidisciplinary responses. This aligns with a 20-year trend in Australia and globally toward interagency approaches to family violence. This report explores how to unlock the potential of multi-agency programs to enhance support for all victim–survivors (source: Domestic Violence Victoria, 2017).
This research combines a literature review with insights from victim–survivors, family safety advocates and family violence professionals to examine strengths, barriers and opportunities in child-focused approaches. This report and guide encourages practitioners and organisations to reflect on the findings and explore practical ways to partner with children and young people to support their safety, wellbeing and recovery from family violence (source: Family Life, 2024).
The growing focus on perpetrator accountability and prioritising the safety of women and children has led to Men’s Behaviour Change Programs (MBCPs) becoming the main intervention for perpetrators in Australia. While most MBCP research assesses changes in men’s violent behaviour, this project examines partner contact practices with a focus on enhancing safety for women and children (source: ANROWS, 2020).
National and international research has found that family violence in LGBTIQ+ relationships occurs at rates similar to, if not higher than, heterosexual relationships. LGBTIQ+ populations face unique and intersecting vulnerabilities, including that: the impacts of abuse are compounded by discrimination and stigma experienced in a community context; intimate partner and family violence remains largely invisible in LGBTIQ+ communities due to myths that LGBTIQ+ people do not, or cannot, experience abuse; LGBTIQ+ communities are far less likely than the general population to find support services that meet their specific needs; and, many services are unable to support the unique needs of LGBTIQ+ people impacted by family violence (source: Centre for Family Research and Evaluation, 2020).
This project aimed to determine “what works” in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander healing programs from the perspectives of the people who deliver, use and are impacted by those programs. The research also aimed to understand the availability of healing programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQIASB+ people and those with a disability (source: ANROWS, 2024).
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Please note that the information provided on this Family Violence Sexual Violence Knowledge Hub is curated to be the most recent and relevant available. The content is continually being developed and will be regularly updated to reflect the latest insights and best practices. While we strive to maintain the accuracy and timeliness of the information, we encourage users to check back frequently for new and refreshed materials.
