Responding to women experiencing domestic and family violence during the COVID‐19 pandemic_ Exploring experiences and impacts of remote service delivery in Australia.pdf (1.14 MB)
Responding to women experiencing domestic and family violence during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Exploring experiences and impacts of remote service delivery in Australia
journal contribution
posted on 2022-11-08, 03:07 authored by Naomi Pfitzner, Kate Fitz‐Gibbon, Silke MeyerSilke MeyerThe COVID-19 health pandemic has increased women's vulnerability to all forms of
domestic and family violence (DFV). In the first weeks of March 2020, most
Australian states and territories, like many other jurisdictions, entered into a period
of government-directed restrictions including stay-at-home orders, physical
distancing limitations and closure of a significant number of community services.
With more people confined to their homes, the risk of DFV increased at the same
time as access to support services was reduced. In this article, we present the
findings of two surveys conducted in the Australian states of Victoria and
Queensland to explore the professional experiences of practitioners supporting
women experiencing violence during the pandemic. Our analysis offers new insights
into the ways in which practitioners pivoted their services to respond remotely to
women experiencing violence and the challenges of effectively undertaking safety
planning and risk assessment without face-to-face contact. The second half of this
article examines the implications of remote service delivery on practitioner mental
health and well-being. The findings have global relevance and reveal the critical need
to prioritize well-being supports for DFV practitioners in crisis response plans.
History
Volume
27Issue
1Start Page
30End Page
40Number of Pages
11eISSN
1365-2206ISSN
1356-7500Publisher
WileyPublisher DOI
Additional Rights
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0Language
enPeer Reviewed
- Yes
Open Access
- Yes
Acceptance Date
2021-07-15Author Research Institute
- Queensland Centre for Domestic and Family Violence
Era Eligible
- Yes