La Trobe University > Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society > Our work > Family, domestic and sexual violence

Family, domestic and sexual violence

ARCSHS has cultivated a breadth and depth of expertise in family, domestic and sexual violence over the past decade across a range of contexts and disciplines. We are proud to now formally articulate this as a core theme of our work.

Our research has explored topics such as:

  • perpetration of intimate partner violence and sexual violence
  • barriers and enablers of professional support service engagement
  • frameworks for understanding and preventing violence
  • evaluation of violence prevention initiatives.

Our family, domestic and sexual violence knowledge translation work includes:

  • the tailoring of core capability-building offerings for the family violence sector
  • the development of guidance resources for both prevention and response work.

Our projects include:

  • Crossing Lines - A study investigating unwanted sexual behaviours against LGBTQ+ people, aiming to generate actionable knowledge and focusing on the social forces, risk factors, and characteristics of those who use sexual violence
  • Respectful Connections: - A project researching transgender women’s experiences of technology-facilitated gender-based violence
  • Pleasure-centred sexual safety -  Moving beyond risk-focused approaches to sexual safety and instead celebrating sexual agency and pleasure for neurodivergent women, and trans and gender diverse people in Victoria.
  • Pride in Prevention - A project that focuses on family violence experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, intersex and queer communities, and how to prevent such violence from happening in the first place.
  • Opening Doors - Ensuring LGBTIQ-inclusive family, domestic and sexual violence services
  • Responsive pandemic practice - LGBTIQ+ family violence service innovation in Victoria during COVID-19
  • Catalysts of Change - Interventions and service pathways for gay, bisexual, trans and queer (GBTQ) men who have used family violence in Victoria, Australia

Partnership projects

ARCSHS is proud to be part of the Partners in Prevention of Sexual Violence Project, led by the Reducing Gender-based Violence (ReGEN) Research Group and based at La Trobe University's Violet Vines Marshman Centre.

Theme co-convenors:

Belinda O'Connor and Sophie Hindes

Latest updates

Pride in Prevention Program GuideCover of the Pride in Prevention Program Guide: A guide to programming for primary prevention of family violence experienced by LGBTIQ+ communities, by Belinda O'Connor, Marina Carman and Julia Earley, with the logo of Rainbow Health Australia and a design of a cartoon 'planet' with parks, skyscrapers, diverse people in pride attire doing outdoor activities and various pride billboards

A guide to programming for primary prevention of family violence experienced by LGBTIQ+ communities.

Download the Pride in Prevention Program Guide
Accessible Word version
Explore the Pride in Prevention series

Catalysts of ChangeFront cover of 'Catalysts of Change: Interventions and service pathways for gay, bisexual, trans and queer (GBTQ) men who have used family violence in Victoria, Australia' by Shane Worrell, Alyssha Fooks, Carolyn Gillespie, Vincent Silk, Libby Jamieson, Max Castle, Jake Peterson and Adam Bourne, with logos of La Trobe University, Thorne Harbour Health, Switchboard and the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, with a design of diverse cartoon men

This report explores how GBTQ men who have used violence in an intimate or family relationship are encouraged to change their behaviour and commit to a life of non-violence. Drawing on interviews with users of violence, victim survivors and practitioners (many at LGBTIQ+ community-controlled organisations) in Victoria, Australia, this research identifies how users of violence access services and the approaches utilised by service providers to engage and retain them in behaviour change programs.

Download Catalysts of Change
Download the practice guide

Responsive Pandemic PracticeCover of 'Responsive Pandemic Practice: LGBTIQ+ family violence service innovation in Victoria during COVID-19', by Shane Worrell, Jackson Fairchild, Carolyn Gillespie, Alyssha Fooks, Stephanie Lusby, Marina Carman, Libby Jamieson and Adam Bourne, September 2022, Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society at La Trobe University, with the logos of La Trobe University, Family Safety Victoria, Thorne Harbour Health, Switchboard and ARCSHS, and a cartoon design of a person at a table with laptop and a coffee, surrounded by bubbles containing other diverse people joined by dashed lines

LGBTIQ+ family violence service innovation in Victoria during COVID-19

Thorne Harbour Health and Switchboard Victoria, through its Rainbow Door helpline, were instrumental in LGBTIQ+ family violence services undergoing a major transformation throughout 2020-21 in response to COVID-19 and its associated impacts.

This report explores how these two LGBTIQ+ community-controlled organisations in Victoria, Australia, innovated to provide telehealth and other flexible services to victim survivors and perpetrators despite the suspension of almost all in-person family violence services.

The accompanying Practice guide presents lessons learned from the pandemic response, and how these can be used for the benefit of LGBTIQ+ and family violence services in the future.

Download Responsive Pandemic Practice
Download the practice guide

Opening Doors: Ensuring LGBTIQ-inclusive family, domestic and sexual violence servicesFront cover of 'Opening Doors: Ensuring LGBTIQ-inclusive family, domestic and sexual violence services: Research report', by Stephanie Lusby, Gene Lim, Marina Carman, Suzanne Fraser, Matthew Parsons, Jackson Fairchild and Adam Bourne, October 2022, Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society at La Trobe University, with a design of diverse cartoon people sitting and standing around a circle of chairs with rainbow posters on the wall

Research report

Findings from a study that considers how to improve family, domestic and sexual violence service accessibility and safety for LGBTIQ people in Australia.

Download Opening Doors

Opening Doors: Ensuring LGBTIQ-inclusive family, domestic and sexual violence services Front cover of 'Opening Doors: Ensuring LGBTIQ-inclusive family, domestic and sexual violence services: Case studies of promising practice', by Stephanie Lusby, Gene Lim, Marina Carman, Suzanne Fraser, Matthew Parsons, Jackson Fairchild and Adam Bourne, October 2022, Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society at La Trobe University, with a design of two cartoon people sitting across from each other in chairs in a therapy setting, with rainbow posters on the wall

Case studies of promising practice

A detailed exploration of the ways that LGBTIQ community-led services and other FDSV services have approached improving the safety, inclusivity and accessibility of services for LGBTIQ people and communities. These case studies are intended as a resource for organisations and practitioners to help inform their own endeavours towards improving LGBTIQ-inclusive practice.

Download Opening Doors: Case studies

Opening Doors: Ensuring LGBTIQ-inclusive family, domestic and sexual violence services Front cover of 'Opening Doors: Ensuring LGBTIQ-inclusive family, domestic and sexual violence services: Guide for practitioners', by Marina Carman, Jackson Fairchild, Stephanie Lusby and Adam Bourne, October 2022, Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society at La Trobe University and Rainbow Health Australia, with a design of diverse cartoon people sitting at a conference table with a rainbow poster on the wall

Guide for practitioners

Distills the findings of the research report and case studies to identify key implications for policy, sector-wide improvements, organisational change, LGBTIQ community engagement, workforce training and clinical governance.

Download Opening Doors: Practice guide