Listening to Womens Voices

1
Listening to Womens Voices

• Conversations with Women about Domestic Violence
  and Family Law

2
Questions

• How long was/is your involvement in Family Law?
• What were you hoping the outcome would be? What
  were you worried about?
• Many women going through Family Law have
  experienced domestic violence. This may include
  behaviour such as physical assault, harassment,
  intimidation, financial control, emotional abuse
  and sexual assault. Did you experience domestic
  violence in your relationship? If yes, is there
  an AVO? Who does it cover?

3
Questions (cont)

• When you began the Family Law process, did anyone
  ask you about your experience of domestic
  violence?
• Did you experience mediation as part of the
  Family Law process?
• How did you feel about mediation?
• In what ways did the Family Law Court prioritise
  your safety during mediation?

4
Questions (cont)

• What effects do you think the Family Law process
  had on your children?
• Did you have concerns regarding contact between
  your ex-partner and your children? If so, what
  were they?
• Did you notice a difference in your childrens
  behaviour before and/or after contact? If so,
  what was it?

5
Questions (cont)

• In what ways did the Family Law Court prioritise
  your childrens safety during the process?
• What professionals were involved with you and
  your family during the Family Law process?
• Who did you find helpful/unhelpful? What did they
  do that was helpful/unhelpful?
• Is there anything else you would like to say that
  hasnt been covered?

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Family Violence is

• Conduct, whether actual or threatened, by a
  person towards, or towards the property of, a
  member of the persons family that causes that or
  any other member of the persons family to fear
  for, or to be apprehensive about, his or her
  personal well-being or safety (Section 60D
  Family Law Act)

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Elements of Family Violence

• Family Violence covers a broad range of
  controlling behaviours, commonly of a physical,
  sexual, and/or psychological nature, which
  typically involve fear, harm, intimidation and
  emotional deprivation. It occurs within a variety
  of close interpersonal relationships, such as
  between spouses, partners, parents and children,
  siblings and in other relationships where
  significant others are not part of the physical
  household but are part of the family and/or are
  fulfilling the function of family. (Te Rito, New
  Zealand Family Violence Prevention Strategy,
  February 2002, p8).

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Themes

• Safety
• Children
• Mediation
• Concerns and fears
• Powerlessness
• On going violence and intimidation