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The Powerful Interventions: Improving the use and enforcement of Intervention Orders as a tool to address family and domestic violence in South Australia Report has been prepared following collaborative research between Dr Sarah Moulds of UniSA and Rian Yohanesh of Uniting Communities, funded by the Law Foundation of South Australia’s Brian Withers Grant. The aim of this research is to improve the quality of South Australia’s response to family and domestic violence by identifying practical reform options to increase access to and enforcement of Intervention Orders in South Australia. This aim aligns with the strong demand within the South Australian community to see the Intervention Orders regime improved.
Key Recommendations from the report:
- Improve awareness and understanding
- Improve the quality and consistency of ‘first responses’
- Clearly identify and streamline the different pathways for obtaining an Intervention Order
- Proactively promote compliance with Intervention Orders
This research was included in the ANROWS Register of Active Research (RAR). The research has concluded and the output has been added to the ANROWS library. Please visit https://www.anrows.org.au/register-of-active-research/ for more information on the RAR.
Project title
Powerful interventions: Improving the use and enforcement of intervention orders as a tool to address family and domestic violence in South Australia
Project description
The primary aim of the "Powerful interventions" project is to improve the quality of South Australia’s response to family and domestic violence by identifying practical reform options to increase access to and enforcement of intervention orders in South Australia. This aim aligns with the strong demand within the South Australian community to see the intervention orders regime improved, reflected in the recent introduction of a Private Members' bill outlining a series of reforms in this area. High-quality, evidence-based and locally orientated research is urgently needed to enable the South Australian community and legal profession to interact meaningfully with this reform landscape.
Aim
The primary aim of the "Powerful interventions" project is to improve the quality of South Australia’s response to family and domestic violence by identifying practical reform options to increase access to and enforcement of intervention orders in South Australia.
Methods
In order to achieve this aim, the "Powerful interventions" project will:
a. analyse the existing data relating to the use and enforcement of intervention orders in South Australia
b. analyse the existing data relating to compliance and breach of intervention orders in South Australia
c. identify the key legal, social, cultural and other barriers to the effective enforcement of intervention orders in South Australia
d. identify practical reform options to address or remove these barriers, and increase access to and the effectiveness of enforcement of intervention orders in South Australia.
Significance
Central to this research is the ability to engage with and learn from those with lived experience accessing, drafting, implementing and enforcing intervention orders and responding to breaches, This research aims to equip lawmakers and policymakers with the best available information as they seek to give effect to a shared commitment to reducing the prevalence of domestic and family violence in our communities, and to guard against any unintended consequences that can flow from well-intentioned but under-researched reforms.
Funding body
Law Foundation of South Australia
Funding budget
$20,940.00
Project start date
July 2021
Project completion date
June 2022
