Talking families: examining cultural differences in the role of family and community-level risk and protective factors on parental empowerment, informal and formal help seeking

For the purpose of this report we analyse data derived from the 2015-2016 Talking Families Survey, conducted by Ipsos Australia. The Talking Families Survey captured experiences relating to parenting, coping, help seeking and engagement in a culturally diverse sample. Ipsos previously examined and reported a number of significant bivariate findings with regards to parental empowerment and efficacy, as well as help seeking (both formal and informal), amongst other outcome measures. Here, we focus on the parent subsample (n=1991). We build on the existing Ipsos research by undertaking a series of multivariate analyses, with a particular focus on the role of domestic and family violence, community and neighbourhood factors and cultural differences in parental empowerment and efficacy, help seeking and engagement. We examine the role of individual characteristics and risk factors along with family- and community-level risk and protective factors. Findings are generated for the overall parent sample and an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-specific subsample of parents.