Resources for practitioners working with young people using violence in the home
Family Safety Victoria has contracted the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare (the Centre) to undertake a project that contributes to the emerging evidence base of what works for young people who use violence in the home. The aim of the Building the Evidence Base project is to better understand the nature of youth violence in the home and the approaches that work, including earlier intervention.
This summary report brings together key findings from data collected by the Centre in late 2019 and early 2020 via an online survey, focus group consultations and a symposium co-hosted with Family Safety Victoria which showcased a range of promising programs focused on working effectively with adolescents who use violence in the home.
The Centre recently undertook work with FSV to develop this resource for professionals who might be working with adolescents who use family violence during COVID-19. For practitioners working in child and family and specialist family violence services already engaged with families, this guide supports engagement with parents and carers during home isolation. For workers from various service sectors including child protection, education, health, youth justice, mental health, homelessness and police, this guide promotes visibility of adolescent family violence, identifies key risk factors and supports families to seek intervention with specialist services.
MARAM Practice Guide for professionals working with adolescents who use violence in the home (Currently under development)
The MARAM Practice Guide for Professionals Working with Adolescents who Use Violence in the Home (the Practice Guide) will form one part of a broader set of initiatives funded by FSV to raise awareness among professionals who work with adolescents who use violence in the home. It sits within a suite of other guidance materials relating to MARAM. The Practice Guide is aimed at professionals who either work directly or come into contact with adolescents who use violence in the home and will be targeted at all workforces that have requirements under MARAM.
Interview with Assistant Commissioner Dean McWhirter (Family Violence Command, Victoria Police)
The Family Violence Command is the first of its kind in any policing jurisdiction in Australia. In this interview with Centre staff, Assistant Commissioner Dean McWhirter addresses practical issues faced when responding to young people using violence in the home, and addresses how service sectors might work together to intervene earlier.
Menu of Evidence-Informed Practice (Currently under development)
This document will outline evidence-informed and promising programs and practice designed for young people using violence in the home, across various jurisdictions in Victoria and Australia.
Scoping Review (Currently under development)
The Centre is conducting a limited review of the literature to address the question: What are the key considerations and principles required when identifying, assessing, and managing risk for young people using violence in the home?
Sector consultations to inform Practice Guide (under development)
To gain useful insight into various service sectors, the Centre will facilitate a series of consultation sessions with key stakeholders, to make sure the content of the Practice Guide is relevant, accessible, and informed by the best available evidence (drawn from research, practitioner expertise and client perspectives). This series of ‘snapshots’ gives a brief summary of what we heard from each sector.
In March 2020, the Centre and FSV co-hosted a symposium that brought together peak bodies, sector leaders, academics and government stakeholders to better understand the nature of this issue and how we can respond earlier to support young people and families. A number of these presentations have been recorded and have been made available for you to view.
The Centre speaks with Kasey Holyman, Programs Manger at Uniting’s Child, Youth and Families in the Goulburn North East Region, about the issue of young people using violence in the home, and the service and practice approaches that seem promising.
The Centre for Innovative Justice and ANROWS have launched their report on Positive Interventions for Perpetrators of Adolescent Violence in the home – also known as the PIPA Project. In this article, the Centre shares reflections on this report, and its implications for policy and practice.
Click here to find out more about other work the Centre is doing in relation to adolescent violence in the home. For further queries, please contact Michele Lonsdale at michele.lonsdale@cfecfw.asn.au
A note about Occupational Violence and Aggression in Residential Care Services
Residential Care Work is the profession with the highest exposure to workplace violence in the child and family services sector.
As a separate project, the Centre is currently working in collaboration with Victorian CSOs, the Australian Services Union and WorkSafe Victoria to address this health and safety issue.
