This state of knowledge paper draws on both national and international literature and policy and program evaluations, to establish what is currently known about innovative responses to violence against Indigenous women in Australia.
A key issue for researchers and practitioners lies in whether it is sufficient to apply the same perspectives that inform research on non-Indigenous women to the position of Indigenous women. There is now an increasing awareness that the issue requires its own range of tailored responses.

Emerging practice in rural and remote Indigenous communities tends to be based on an appreciation of Indigenous law, culture and knowledge as providing a basis for work with victims. This approach may ensure that ensuing practices differ in a number of crucial respects from orthodox domestic violence projects run by mainstream organisations in urban settings.