Health Sciences

Violence Prevention in Local Communities

Researchers: Associate Professor Rae Walker, Dr Priscilla Robinson, Rick Hayes, Genevieve Howse, and Professor Vivian Lin.

Funding:

Research Partners:

Summary

The aims of this study are to evaluate the prevalence of, and the links between, the types and social levels (ie links between self-abuse, interpersonal and collective) of violence, and the risk and protective factors for the experience of violence, within two municipalities.

Status of the project: Current

Background

Violence is defined by the World health Organization as: The intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, mal-development or deprivation (WHO 2002a:4).The history of the study of violence has grown from a concern primarily with physical violence. Our understanding of violence has now extended to include the aspects that effect social, emotional and physical wellbeing, consistent with the WHO concept of health (WHO 2002b). This requires a social determinants approach to violence prevention that locates the individual within a set of inter-personal relationships that in turn are located in a community and a society. Each level interacts to cause and inhibit acts of violence (WHO 2002b). For example, by 'examining the contribution of individual, family and community characteristics and by comparing different forms of violence, a more complete description of the distribution of women's violence is possible' (Lauritsen & Schaum 2004:349). The same argument holds for any other population group. This means studying many aspects of violence in communities, rather than few aspects across communities. The outcome of such work can be comprehensive, local and municipal level, initiatives to prevent violence

The research will use three major approaches. The first will be survey based on a sample of 400 households within each of two municipalities, to measure the prevalence and correlates of violence in two specific communities. The second will be a series of discussion groups with members of violence recovery groups. Victims, witnesses and perpetrators will be in different groups. The third will be in-depth interviews with a sample of service providers offering services relevant to people experiencing violence in the two municipalities.

The survey instrument will collect the following kinds of information from witnesses, victims and perpetrators (Duque et al 2003) of violence: i) demographic data on household type and characteristics of occupants ii) acts of self-harm (Vermeiren et al (2002) iii) physical, verbal or psychological violence, and sexual aggression (Duque et al 2003) iv) neglect or deprivation (WHO 2002b:60-61) v) experience of economic, social and political violence, for example, financial insecurity, racism (Moser & McIlwaine 2004). Interviews we will be conducted by service providers experienced in working with victims of violence. The research team will provide them with training in the interview method. The initial analysis analysis will use descriptive statistics, the full analysis will use multi-level structural equation modelling to explore inter-relations between variables.
Ten discussion groups will be held with survivors of violence led by the same group of experienced service providers. Topics to be explored will include: a) Types of violence b) Who experiences it c) Trigger factors d) Locations of violent acts e) Consequences f) Access to and experience of formal services g) Access to, and experience of, informal support structures. At the conclusion of the group discussion participants will be invited to maintain a diary on their experience of violence over a 4-week period (Meth 2004). Interview and diary data will be analysed thematically using the methods of Strauss and Corbin (1990).

People (n=15) who provide services to witnesses, victims and perpetrators of violence will be interviewed about: i) the interventions that work for clients at the individual level, ii) what might work at the community level, and iii) the enablers and barriers to action, and iv) practice in the context of international evidence of effective interventions. Triangulation of this data with that obtained from survivor interviews and diaries, and the household survey will provide strong evidence upon which to base service developments and community programs.

Outcomes. The survey will describe what violence is occurring in the communities, associated factors and consequences. Qualitative data will describe adequacy of existing systems. The findings will be used by municipalities and community based service agencies for: advocacy about community needs, service planning, identifying service gaps and change for existing services to deal better with violence (particularly family violence).

Research Outputs to date:

Conference Presentations

Publications

Unpublished Reports

 

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