Understanding and responding to family violence risks to children: Evidence-based risk assessment for children and the importance of gender

Abstract

This article examines practitioners’ perspectives on family violence risk assessment practices for children, based on a comprehensive research project involving over 1,000 members of Victoria’s family violence system. The findings highlight the importance of interagency collaboration, specialised training, and a shared responsibility among services. Despite the significant impact of family violence on children, the research identifies a lack of evidence-based tools specifically targeting child risk assessment and ongoing issues related to gendered patterns in family violence responses. Recommendations focus on refining risk assessment frameworks to address these gaps while maintaining attention to the gendered structures of family violence.