The Whole Story: The Dilemma of the Domestic Violence Protection Order Narrative

Abstract

The complaint narrative, in which victims describe their experiences of abuse as part of the domestic violence protection order application process, has been questioned on the basis that quality and outcome might vary depending on who completes the form. Using a mixed-methods narrative analysis approach, we advance this inquiry by examining whether distinct ‘types’ of narratives can be identified across a sample of protection order application narratives from the state of Queensland in Australia. We find three distinct narrative types that are differently associated with who makes the application and the protection order outcome. The results underscore the unevenness in the protection order process and equitable access to justice more broadly.