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LaVAWN News No 2 / 2022
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LaVAWN - La Trobe Violence Against Women Research Network
Welcome to another edition of the LAVAWN news.

Happy International Women's Day. This morning we have been reading the words of First Nations women and women of colour who point out the inequality in this country for non-white women. Check out Sissy Austin's article and Sisonke Msimang's article.

The theme for IWD is "Changing climates: Equality today for a sustainable tomorrow", which acknowledges the impacts that the climate crisis is having and will continue to have on women, particularly women of colour. This is a timely theme given the floods in Northern NSW, and our thoughts go out to friends and family. If you are looking for a place to donate, the Koori Mail has a fundraiser for First Nations communities, and your money will go straight to people in need; here is the link.

We also want to reaffirm our support for all women and condemn actions that exclude transgender women. There has been a bill put forward in Tasmania to prevent transgender women from participating in women's sport that we strongly oppose. 

Kirsty has been doing some great work on sport and the prevention of violence against women. On the weekend, she was interviewed for 7 News about the Victorian Government's new guidelines for the prevention of violence against women through sport and the launch of a grant program, more here

In other news, Monash is offering 24 scholarships for victim-survivors in their Graduate Certificate of Family Violence Prevention, more here

This month we have a presentation from LAVAWN coordinator Dr Jess Ison on the primary prevention of sexual violence and harassment at Australian universities, find the abstract below. 

Last month, we brought you A/Professor Leesa Hooker and Dr Jess Ison presenting "Primary prevention of sexual violence and harassment". You can watch the recording here.  

We want to hear about your research. Do you have any collaborations or publications? Please let Jess know.

As always, we have a list of support services at the end of this email. 

Regards,
Kirsty Forsdike, LAVAWN Chair
Jess Ison, LAVAWN Coordinator

email: k.forsdike@latrobe.edu.au
email: j.ison@latrobe.edu.au

Image from: UN Women.  

In this Newsletter
2 / 2022

 

Is primary prevention a priority at Australian universities?


Dr Jessica Ison
17 March, 12.30-1.30 via zoom
 

Primary prevention has considerable attention in domestic, family and sexual violence research and practice. Peak bodies such as Our Watch have singled out universities as a key location for primary prevention activities. Yet, we know little about what universities are doing across Australia towards the primary prevention of sexual violence and harassment on campuses.

Our study comprised qualitative, semi-formal interviews with 32 people across 28 universities who work in Safer Community style units. We asked them about their current primary prevention interventions and what they have planned for the future. The findings showed that there are few primary prevention interventions at Australian universities. Currently, universities are focused on response and, in particular, on their reporting pathways. This is paired with short, one-off interventions on consent or bystander behaviour. However, some universities are trying to move towards a primary prevention model. Drawing on the expertise of staff in Safer Community, we argue for a whole-of-university, trauma-informed approach that can ultimately prevent sexual violence and harassment on campus. 

Dr Jessica Ison is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Judith Lumley Centre, researching drug and alcohol facilitated sexual violence. She is also evaluating the Enhance, Assess, Acknowledge, Act (EAAA) program to empower young women in their first year of university. She was previously project manager for the Australian Sexual Violence Primary Prevention project, which identified effective sexual violence and harassment primary prevention interventions and mapped out a Theory of Change for the Australian Government. Jess is also the coordinator of the La Trobe Violence Against Women Network (LAVAWN) and lectures and tutors in Gender Studies, Criminology and Legal Studies.
Seminar series: Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre seminar series. Seminar 1: At the borders: Exploring migrant women’s experiences of precarity, family violence and help-seeking in Victoria, Australia. More information here


Do you have any upcoming events? Please send them to Jess for the following newsletter. 

Newsletters

The latest Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) newsletter is available here.  

The latest AWAVA newsletter is available here
 


Articles

Frew, E. A. and Forsdike, K. (2021) “Commemorative Events and Public Rituals: Redefining our Leisure Engagement with Violent Death as Healing Practice and/through Social Activism” Event Management DOI 10.3727/152599521X16192004803692

Forsdike, K. & Fullagar, S. (2021) “Addressing the complexity of violence against women in sport: Using the World Café method to inform organizational response” Journal of Sport Management. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2020-0435

Have you had any articles come out this year? Please send them to Jess so she can collate them for the following newsletter. 

Support services


Safer Community: Provides expert advice and information for LTU staff and students.
Website: https://www.latrobe.edu.au/students/support/wellbeing/services/safer-community
Tel: (03) 9479 8988

Employee Assistance Program: Free and confidential, short-term support program for a wide variety of work-related and personal problems.
Website: LTU Staff Intranet Tel: 1300 687 327

1800RESPECT: National sexual assault, domestic, family violence counselling service. Website: www.1800respect.org.au Tel: 1800 737 732

Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre: Victoria’s family violence support service. Website: www.safesteps.org.au Tel: 1800 015 188

Sexual Assault Crisis Line (SACL): State-wide, after-hours, confidential, telephone crisis counselling service for people who have experienced both past and recent sexual assault. Website: www.sacl.com.au Tel: 1800 806 292

Djirra: Djirra is a place where culture is shared and celebrated, and where practical support is available to all Aboriginal women and particularly to Aboriginal people who are currently experiencing family violence or have in the past.
Website: www.djirra.org.au Tel: 1800 105 3030

QLife: Counselling for LGBTIQ people, by LGBTIQ people
Website: www.qlife.org.au Tel: 1800 184 527

inTouch: Multicultural centre against family violence
Website: www.intouch.org.au Tel: 1800 755 988
 
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