Stories of Family Safety Study
Improving the safety & wellbeing of family members when the family law courts are involved for families during separation.
Parent separation is a dangerous time for family members, especially when it involves litigation to resolve parenting and property disputes. The Stories of Family Safety Study is a world-first project about the factors that create safety in the face of risk, funded through two grants from the Australian Research Council (ARC). It hopes to inform global family law policy and practice, with intergenerational benefit for vulnerable Australian families and society.
The project is led by Professor Jennifer McIntosh, AM and Director of the Bouverie Centre, with an Investigator team comprising researchers across La Trobe University, in partnership with the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA), and Relationships Australia South Australia (RASA).
Our ARC Linkage project aimed to discover contributors to improved safety over one year of family court involvement, for Australian families involved in the Lighthouse Project (Lighthouse) Family violence: Overview | Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.
Lighthouse is an innovative approach taken by the FCFCOA to screen for and manage risk, with a primary focus on improving safety outcomes for families involved in the family court system. Lighthouse was initially piloted in select registries and was upscaled nationwide to FCFCOA registries in 2022. Central to Lighthouse is the Detection of Overall Risk Screen Triage (DOORS Triage), a legislated screening tool completed by families at entry-to-court. This tool was built by McIntosh and colleagues at RASA, adapted from their Family Law DOORS screening system (McIntosh et al., 2016), validated with over 7,000 parents (Wells et al., 2018). Our first study demonstrated its utility and accuracy in the family court context (Wells et al., 2025).
Following on from the Linkage project, our ARC Discovery project will follow up the original cohort, four years after first filing their matter with the family courts. We will be focusing on factors that sustain safety beyond involvement with the courts, with specific attention to the cultural factors most relevant to the ongoing safety of Indigenous families.
There is unique potential for our project to contribute new knowledge to the family law field, with direct significant public health benefit, nationally and internationally. This offers a greater capacity to understand, evaluate and reduce the interpersonal, economic and social burden of family violence, for all family members affected by post-separation violence, and within the systems that support them.
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Knowledge Translations
Project Team
Principal Investigator:
Professor Jennifer McIntosh AM (La Trobe University)
Chief Investigators:
Dr Felicity Painter (La Trobe University)
Dr Anna Booth (La Trobe University)
Professor Yvonne Wells (La Trobe University)
Associate Professor Jason (Heng) Jiang (La Trobe University)
Associate Professor Bradley Wright (La Trobe University)
Professor Amy Holtzworth-Munroe (Indiana University)
Partner Investigators:
Ms Elizabeth Evans (Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia)
Dr Jamie Lee (Relationships Australia South Australia)
Dr Claire Ralfs (Relationships Australia South Australia)
Student Investigators:
Ms Kristel Krella (La Trobe University)
Ms Jess Barnes (La Trobe University)
Principal Investigator
Professor Jennifer McIntosh - Project Director
Jennifer is Director and Professor of Systemic Practice (Family Therapy) at the Bouverie Centre, La Trobe University and is a clinical and developmental psychologist, family therapist, and researcher. Her work in family research and its translation focuses on enabling parents, professionals and service systems to strengthen family safety and enhanced well-being.
Chief Investigators
Dr Felicity Painter
Felicity is a post-doctoral research fellow at the Bouverie Centre, La Trobe University. Felicity completed a PhD in developmental psychology, with a specific focus on family functioning and child-parent attachment. Felicity’s primary research interest pertains to early relational health and the promotion of positive social and emotional development across the life course.
Dr Anna Booth
Anna is a post-doctoral research fellow at the Bouverie Centre, La Trobe University. Anna’s research has focused on infant mental health, attachment, family stress, family violence, and maternal and child health. Anna has a keen focus on research translation and works in partnership with government and community sector stakeholders to better understand and support the needs of vulnerable Australian families and children.
Prof Yvonne Wells
Yvonne is a Professor at the Lincoln Centre for Research on Ageing, Australian Institute for Primary Care & Ageing, La Trobe University. Her main research areas include transitions in later life, healthy ageing, community and aged care services, and residential aged care. Yvonne has been successful in securing funding for applied research projects for government departments, aged care providers, and other agencies.
A Prof Heng (Jason) Jiang
Jason is a Health Economist at the Department of Public Health and the Centre for Alcohol Policy Research (CAPR), School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University. He conducts quantitative and economic analyses related to health risk factors or behaviours, health policy and interventions.
A Prof Bradley Wright
Bradley is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology, Counselling & Therapy, School of Psychology & Public Health, La Trobe University. He conducts research in the area of performance psychology (organizational & sport psychology) and is also interested in Psychophysiology and Research Methods and Statistics.
Partner Investigators
Ms Elizabeth Evans (Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia)
Elizabeth is Deputy Registrar and Project Manager of Lighthouse at the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. Elizabeth has completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours and a Bachelor of Laws with Honours (Graduate Entry). She led the implementation of the Lighthouse Project Pilot and its national expansion in 2022 and continues to manage its operations.
Prof Amy Holtzworth-Munroe (Indiana University)
Amy is a Professor in Indiana University’s Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. She has conducted research on intimate partner violence since the mid-1980s. From 2016, she has conducted collaborative research on family law issues focusing on families experiencing parental divorce or separation. This includes randomized controlled trials testing the effectiveness of family law interventions.
Dr Jamie Lee (Relationships Australia South Australia)
Jamie is Practice Manager for Family DOORS at Relationships Australia South Australia and Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, La Trobe University. Jamie has worked on many key initiatives around identifying and responding to violence, abuse, and mental health issues. He is also a Counselling Psychologist, working with children and their families affected by parental separation and child protection concerns.
Dr Claire Ralfs (Relationships Australia South Australia)
Claire is CEO of Relationships Australia South Australia, and has more than 30 years of experience in the not-for-profit community services and education sector. Claire is dedicated to human services that strengthen family safety, children's wellbeing, cultural respect, and effective use of community resources.
Student Investigator
Kristel Krella
Kristel is a PhD candidate and Research Assistant at the Bouverie Centre, La Trobe University. Kristel’s research focuses on safety for families affected by domestic and family violence and improving systems through multidisciplinary collaboration and promoting lived experience perspectives.
Jess Barnes
Jess is a PhD candidate at the Bouverie Centre, La Trobe University. Jess’ research is focused on enhancing shared responsibility for safety from domestic and family violence. She is interested in research-translation in the digital space, to facilitate joint risk identification and management.
Recruitment for Upcoming Studies
2026 and Beyond
Recruitment for our next study will begin early in 2026, inviting all parents who have been part of the Stories of Family Safety Study to take part in our new survey. Like our previous studies, this will be a paid research opportunity.
By being part of this new study, you will help us to understand pathways of safety for parents and children across their court journey and beyond.
This information is important for informing research, policy and practice in this space. It helps to improve the safety and wellbeing of other families, like yours, who require the support of the courts to resolve separation-related disputes.
The research that matters
Below, we provide a summary of our studies since the project began in 2022.
Study | Title / Description | Overview |
1a | Family Violence Risk on Entry to the Family Courts of Australia: Profiles and Predictive Validity of the DOORS Triage Process | This study sought to test the utility and accuracy of the Family DOORS Triage tool and associated risk response processes. |
1b | Health, Legal and Security Costs Associated with Improved Safety from Family Violence during Family Court Involvement | This study examines the legal, healthcare, and safety-related costs for families during the family law process. |
1c | Predictors of Change in Family Violence Risk Over Time for Parents Involved in Family Court Litigation | This study looks at the combination of factors that influence the safety of parents involved in family law matters over time. |
2a | Family Violence Risk Screening and Case Management Pathways in the Australian Family Courts: A Cluster-Controlled Comparison. | This study examines whether there are differences in court processes and safety markers for matters involved in Lighthouse, compared to those that proceeded under usual court processes. |
3a, b, c (PhD1) | Parent and Child Experiences of Restored Safety from Domestic and Family Violence | The research conducted for this PhD is concerned with the lived experience of restored safety for parents and children across a year after entering the Courts. |
4a, b, c, d (PhD2) | Enhancing Shared Responsibility for Safety from Family Violence: Toward an Online Resource for Parents and Family Court Professionals | This PhD is focused on generating knowledge regarding online DFV interventions for shared use in the family court context, and the translation of these findings involves the development of a purpose-built, online and interactive resource prototype. |
For more detailed information about the studies, please see below.
STUDY 1
Our first study examined how useful and accurate DOORS Triage is as a risk‑screening tool. This tool plays a central role in the court’s approach to identifying and responding to family safety concerns, and you may remember completing it when your matter was first filed with the Courts.
We analysed information from just over 4,000 parents and found that the tool performs well in identifying risk, with strong participation from families who are considered highly vulnerable.
Overall, the findings provide solid support for continuing to use DOORS Triage in the court system. It helps identify risks quickly and accurately, allowing for more tailored responses when families first engage with the Courts.
Click here to read the full research paper.
Our second study looked at the legal, healthcare and safety-related costs for families during the family law process, as well as the types of spending that led to improved safety. If you completed our follow-up survey about 1 year after your matter was filed with the Courts, your responses were included in this study.
From the experiences of just over 400 parents, we found strong support for identifying risk early in the family law process, investing in counselling for both parents and children, and providing targeted support to mothers who face high costs related to their security and health.
Click here [hyperlink] to read the full research paper.
Study 1c examined the combination of factors that influence the safety of parents involved in family law matters over time. From the responses of over 400 parents, we found that parents were less likely to experience improved safety if they had only young children, reported concerns about the other party’s behaviour, or felt harassed by the other party or their family.
These findings help highlight which families may be more vulnerable when they first come to court, and point to specific risk factors that could be targeted to better support and improve safety outcomes.
STUDY 2
Study 2a study looked at whether there were differences in court processes and safety markers for matters involved in the Lighthouse pilot, which included confidential family violence risk screening using DOORS, to guide triage and case management, compared with matters that proceeded under the usual court processes.
Our findings show that Lighthouse, including the use of DOORS Triage, was linked with faster Court responses. We also found evidence of stronger safety-focused actions and an increased emphasis on children’s wellbeing.
PhDs
Our project team also includes two PhD candidates, busily working on related studies with the guidance and support of the team.
The research conducted for this PhD is concerned with the experience of restored safety for parents and children across a year after entering the Courts. More specifically, it aims to understand their lived experience perspectives on the circumstances that led to an increase in self-reported safety across this period. Comprising three studies, it is hoped that findings will contribute to the thinking of the wider ARC investigation team and create new knowledge regarding family and systemic drivers of increased safety in this context. Such knowledge is key to developing a responsive system, where the voices of parents and children are placed at the centre of efforts seeking to enhance their safety.
Study 3a - Enhancing Safety for Separating Families Affected by Domestic and Family Violence: A Scoping Review of Modifiable Factors.
Read full paper here - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40110867
Study 3b - Restored Safety Following Family Violence Threat or Harm: Separated Mothers’ Lived Experiences Across the First Year of Family Court Involvement.
Study 3c - Restored Safety Following Family Violence Threat or Harm: Young People’s Lived Experiences Across the First Year of Family Court Involvement.
PhD 2 is focused on generating knowledge regarding online DFV interventions for shared use in the family court context, and the translation of these findings involves the development on a purpose-built, online and interactive resource prototype. This resource prototype will aim to reduce DFV related risk and enhance safety, and it will be co-designed for collaborative use by the professionals and families involved in family court processes.
Study 4a - Online programs for litigating parents to reduce family violence risk: scoping the evidence for enhanced knowledge and shared systems response.
Study 4b - Multi-systemic factors enhancing safety after family violence, for litigating parents and their children: A thematic analysis
Study 4c - A Delphi study to refine the core content to be included in the prototype of the online resource.
Study 4d - Development of the prototype, informed by the findings of studies 4a, b and c.
What’s coming up?
Both PhD candidates will continue their research into 2026, as the wider team moves towards recruitment for the next phase of the project: pathways of sustained safety for parents and children across their court journey and beyond, with specific attention to the cultural factors most relevant to the ongoing safety of Indigenous families.
Project output will comprise several core papers and 3 PhDs, each with several publications.
Select the tabs below to review the publications and their progress.
Publications
Barnes, J. R. J., Painter, F. L., Holtzworth-Munroe, A., Krella, K. A., Wells, Y. D., Lee, J., … McIntosh, J. E. (2026). Online Psychoeducation Programs for Separated Litigating Parents: A Scoping Review of Domestic and Family Violence Content. Family Transitions, 67(4), 272–319. https://doi.org/10.1080/28375300.2026.2656551
Painter, F. L., Wright, B. J., Holtzworth-Munroe, A., Wells, Y. D., Lee, J., Krella, K. A., Booth, A. T., Jiang, H., Evans, E., & McIntosh, J. E. (2026). Family violence risk screening and case management pathways in the Australian family courts: A cluster-controlled comparison.Psychology, Public Policy, and Law. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/law0000494
Krella, K. A., Painter, F. L., Booth, A. T., Holtzworth-Munroe, A., Evans, E., Jiang, H., & McIntosh, J. E. (2025). Enhancing safety for separating families affected by domestic and family violence: A scoping review of modifiable factors. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380251325195
Wells, Y. D., McIntosh, J. E., Painter, F. L., Holtzworth-Munroe, A., Wright, B. J., Jiang, H., Lee, J., Krella, K. A., Booth, A. T., & Evans, E. (2025). Family violence risk on entry to the family courts of Australia: Profiles and predictive validity of the DOORS triage process. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 8862605251363611. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605251363611
Research Translation
Enhancing safety for separating families affected by DV and FV
Title | Lead Author | Date Submitted | Journal |
|---|---|---|---|
Health, Legal and Security Costs Associated with Improved Safety from Family Violence during Family Court Involvement.
| McIntosh | November 2025 | Journal of Family Violence |
Restored Safety Following Family Violence Threat or Harm: Separated Mother’s Lived Experience Across the First Year of Family Court Involvement. | Krella | January 2026 | Psychology, Public Policy, and Law |
Title | Lead Author |
|---|---|
Multi-systemic factors enhancing safety after family violence, for litigating parents and their children. | Barnes |
Predictors of change in family violence risk over time for parents involved in family court litigation | Painter |
Phone: +61 418 842 068 [for study participants only]
Email: family.safety.study@latrobe.edu.au
Address: The Bouverie Centre, La Trobe University
8 Gardiner Street, Brunswick VIC 3056
McIntosh, J. E., Wells, Y., & Lee, J. (2016). Development and validation of the Family Law DOORS. Psychological Assessment, 28(11), 1516.
Wells, Y., Lee, J., Li, X., Tan, E. S., & McIntosh, J. E. (2018). Re-examination of the Family Law Detection of Overall Risk Screen (FL-DOORS): Establishing fitness for purpose. Psychological Assessment, 30(8), 1121.
Wells, Y. D., McIntosh, J. E., Painter, F. L., Holtzworth-Munroe, A., Wright, B. J., Jiang, H., Lee, J., Krella, K. A., Booth, A. T., & Evans, E. (2025). Family violence risk on entry to the family courts of Australia: Profiles and predictive validity of the DOORS triage process. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 8862605251363611. Advance online publication.
2022-2026: ARC Linkage Project (LP210100181) and partner funding from RASA
2026-2029: ARC Discovery Project (DP260103244)
Ethics approval number: 06072022