Research, library and links DVRCV

The Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria Library holds the most comprehensive collection of books, articles, videos and research on family violence in Victoria. The library is open to the public. Visitors are welcome to borrow books, videos and self-help material. Ring to make an appointment with the librarian Ph. (03) 9486-9866.

Our library provides:

New Library Books

Domestic Violence and Child Protection: Directions for good practice
Edited by Cathy Humphreys and Nicky Stanley (2006), Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London.

This book explores the challenges of working with this complex issue, and highlights how women experiencing violence are often blamed for failing to protect their children. It examines how to respond to adults experiencing violence, whilst also attending to the specific needs of their children. This book offers positive models for practice encompassing the essential safety considerations for children, adult victims and child protection workers. It offers good examples in practice, prevention and recovery. It covers perspectives from health care, social welfare and voluntary sectors, and suggests new directions for policy and practice.

The book is divided into four parts which cover the different areas of knowledge and practice required for an integrated approach to domestic violence and child protection:

  • Defining the issues and setting the scene (the evidence for practice and multi-agency work)
  • Children’s views and needs (what children tell us, prevention programs for children and young people)
  • Protecting women and children (asking about domestic violence, responding to children)
  • Working with perpetrators (risk assessment and safety planning, batterers as parents)

The contributors have a wide variety of expertise including frontline work, research, teaching, training, academic and legal. This book is a key reference for social workers, health professionals and policy makers.


Supporting Women after Domestic Violence: Loss, Trauma and Recovery
Hilary Abrahams (2007), Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London

This book offers accessible advice on how to enable women who have experienced domestic violence to embark on a journey of recovery. The book draws on theory, original research and the personal experiences of women who have encountered domestic violence to explore the complex practical and emotional support they need when engaging in the process of recovery.

It highlights the difficulties a victim of domestic violence may encounter following an abusive relationship, offers action points to improve service provision, and covers important issues in recovery, such as the value of mutual support and how women can regain a sense of normality and self-esteem.

This book will be a key resource for those working within women’s refuges, as well as social workers, counsellors, mental health professionals and many others whose work may bring them into situations where domestic violence is an issue.

The Macho Paradox: why some men hurt women and how all men can help
Jackson Katz (2006), Sourcebooks Inc. Illinois, USA

Jackson Katz has put together a book of the work he has done over the past couple of decades to reframe the conversation in the field of gender violence prevention. He argues that, “while historically the issues of sexual assault, domestic violence, intimate partner violence, and sexual harassment have been considered "women's issues" that "good guys" sometimes help out with, I'm arguing that they're basically men's issues.

Fundamentally, the problems of sexual and domestic violence are problems of boys' and men's attitudes and behaviors, and (white) male-dominated power structures that produce, perpetuate or condone these attitudes and behaviors”.

This book challenges ‘popular misogyny’ and looks at the mainstreaming of pornography, stripping and prostitution as part of popular culture that reinforces and supports men’s violence against women.

Mind the Gap: addressing service gaps in family violence-immediate crisis and post crisis support
Debbie Kirkwood (2006), Mercy Care and Western Women’s Domestic Violence Support Network

This report highlights the critical support needed by women and children at the immediate crisis point and in the provision of long term post crisis care. It outlines the gaps in family violence support developed under the New Approach to Family Violence in Victoria such as:

  • Limited availability in supported crisis accommodation, which often results in women being placed in motels, or in women and children returning to the violent relationship
  • Family violence support is generally time limited and doesn’t accommodate long term support needs
  • Prevention initiatives need to target those who have experienced family violence to avoid re-victimization

The report highlights the models of Mercy Care and Western Women’s Domestic Violence Support Network. These services address the gaps by providing an integrated community based approach, achieving an effective continuum of support necessary for recovery of family violence and for reducing re-victimization

Mothering through Domestic Violence
Lorraine Radford and Marianne Hester (2006)
Jessica Kingsley Publishers, UK

Based on findings from six primary research studies as well as other published research this book reveals how undermining mothering – specifically, family courts and social work agencies blaming mothers for their own victimization – plays a key role in locking women into abusive relationships and exacerbating the damage done by domestic violence. It explores the principle message drawn from the research: that the needs of individual victims should inform risk assessment and safety planning by welfare practitioners. Case studies are used to explore key issues that should be considered during assessment and planning, such as the psychological impact on children of living in an abusive household; mother and child protection from an abusive partner during court proceedings; and child contact with an abusive parent.

Child Abuse and Family Law: Understanding the issues facing human service and legal professionals
Thea Brown and Renata Alexander (2007)
Allen & Unwin, New South Wales

This book draws on pioneering research to identify the causes, features and impact of child abuse in parental separation and divorce in Australia. The authors argue that professionals working with these families need to better understand the specific and often severe nature of this abuse to improve outcomes for both the children and their families.

Journeys in Fatherhood: an Anthology
No To Violence Male Family Violence Prevention Association (NTV) Inc. (2005)

An anthology of stories collected by No To Violence Male Family Violence Prevention Association Victoria. These stories by men are about diverse aspects of parenting, ranging from the decision to have a child; the process of becoming a father; ways to improve parenting; and loss and change in family formations. One of the central themes throughout this anthology is about power: how dads use it, how they abuse it, how they examine it and transform it into respectful and positive dimensions of their relationships.

Intimate Partner Abuse and Health Professionals: New Approaches to Domestic Violence
Gwenneth Roberts, Kelsey Hegarty and Gene Feder (Editors) (2006). Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, UK.

It is only recently that research has demonstrated that the serious physical and psychological consequences of intimate partner abuse mean that survivors frequently have contact with the health system. This book explores the complex issues of identification and intervention with survivors of intimate partner abuse for health professionals. It discusses controversial issues such as routine screening and mandatory reporting of intimate partner abuse. It also looks at cultural diversity, abuse in same-sex relationships and in Indigenous families.

Refugee Settlement, Safety and Wellbeing: exploring domestic and family violence in refugee communities. By Susan Rees, and Bob Pease, (2006)
Immigrant Women's Domestic Violence Service

A study that examines cultural, psychosocial and economic factors in the safety and wellbeing of refugee families experiencing domestic and family violence. This study identifies the vulnerabilities specific to immigrant and refugee women. Consultations with different communities resulted in a recommendation to use a multi-level framework to illustrate violence prevention
strategies in partnership with refugee communities. The study highlighted the value of education as well as criminal justice responses in reducing family violence. Also recommended was further investigation and developmental work with ethnic groups, elders and church leaders in relation to their roles with refugee communities, families and couples.

The Truth is Longer than a Lie: Children's Experiences of Abuse and Professional Interventions By Neerosh Mudaly and Chris Goddard (2006), Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London.

This book reports on research on the views of children and young people who had been abused. Children talk about their experiences of abuse, its effects on their lives, and their views on reasons for the abuse. The book begins with tracing the history of how abused children are silenced, then explores the ethics of undertaking research with children and having a child-centered approach. A chapter is devoted to children’s experience of disclosing and their thoughts about professional interventions. Children’s vulnerability to abuse is examined as well as factors in society that predispose children to abuse.

Court Licensed Abuse: Patriarchal Lore and the Legal Response to Intrafamilial Sexual Abuse of Children (2004). By Dr S. Caroline Taylor.
This book is based on award winning research that analyses transcripts of intrafamilial child sexual abuse trials. The reader is taken on a virtual walk through four entire trials and is privy to evidence and legal arguments withheld from juries. These case studies show the legal mechanisms through which victims' accounts of abuse are transmuted into forms that facilitate the acquittal of the alleged abuser, thus replicating the power relations inherent in the original abuse.

New DVDs/Videos

Domestic Violence - through children’s eyes (DVD)
25 minutes, Northern Violence Intervention Program, South Australia (2001)

Fifteen children and young people aged between 8-16 years wrote and acted in a play about the impact of domestic violence on their lives. The young people were receiving a service from the Northern Violence Intervention Program in South Australia. Due to the success of the play, funding was developed to produce a professional video and resource kit.

The DVD shows the children in facilitated workshops expressing their thoughts, feelings and ideas about their experiences, both in same sex groups and mixed. The scenarios have then been scripted and acted out and filmed. It is a very powerful and effective tool.

The resource kit facilitates further discussion and can be used as a series of prompts to discuss the impact of domestic violence. Suitable for a wide range of viewers including survivors of violence, support workers, children’s workers, students, group work facilitators, trainers and professionals.

Safer Lives Better Health (DVD) 100 minutes
Education Centre Against Violence (2006), New South Wales Health, NSW

This DVD, produced by the NSW Education Centre Against Violence, was developed to promote better understanding and support for people affected by domestic/family violence. People with personal experiences of domestic or Aboriginal family violence are interviewed, as well as health and interagency workers. The workers reflect upon a range of responses, which fit with current understandings of good practice. Two role plays show health workers identifying and responding to domestic violence by assessing indicators and conducting routine screening.

'From This Day Forth', Australian Story, 2004.
ABC Television. (see also Australian Story on ABC website www.abc.net.au).
Ann O'Neil describes how her husband became increasingly intimidating and abusive. After a separation, he broke into her home, shot her in the leg, then killed both of their children and himself. Ann describes how she went from 'being a mother of two, to a single person coping with a disability'. She says 'If a stranger had done this, the world would be outraged. But because it was my husband I must have caused this in some way'.

'Losing the Children', Four Corners Program 2004.
ABC Television (see also www.abc.net.au).
Jayson Dalton took the lives of his two children then killed himself. This is Dionne Dalton's story.

Through New Eyes: Exploring the Hidden Dynamics of Domestic Violence. Hunter Valley Domestic Violence Committee, NSW, 2002.
This kit comprises four videos, a CD-Rom, a handbook and worksheets. It has a particular focus on non-physical forms of violence and looks at the impact on the victim and her children; barriers to leaving; and violence prevention and young people.

A Love that Kills Ontario Women’s Directorate, Canada, 1999 (19 minutes).
Video uses actors to recreate the true story of Monica, a 19 year old Canadian woman who was killed by her ex-boyfriend. The video features a real life interview with Monica's mother, interspersed with scenes outlining the development and deterioration of Monica’s violent relationship. Actors playing Monica’s friends discuss how they noticed changes in Monica’s behaviour throughout the course of the relationship.This video is suitable as an education tool for adolescents and young adults.

Stepping Stones. Gippsland Women's Health Service, 2000 (20 minutes).
Produced by domestic violence services in the Victorian region of Gippsland, this video is suitable for women who have recently left or are contemplating leaving violent relationships. Two women who are survivors of domestic violence are interviewed about the ramifications of the violennce and how they have been able to take positive steps to build new lives.

Big Shame. Education Centre Against Violence, NSW, 1999 (20 minutes).
Fictional account of a young Aboriginal girl, Emma, who is being sexually molested by her grandfather, a respected Aboriginal elder in the community. Outlines the development of the abuse, the effect of the abuse on Emma and the barriers for Emma in attempting to seek help.

Creating the Future. Jannawi Family Centre, NSW, 2000 (60 minutes)
This video is part of a handbook to be used by education professionals and social workers who are working with children aged 5-12, whose lives have been affected by domestic violence. The video is presented by Noni Hazelhurst. Puppets called ‘The Jannawi Kids’ are used to show the experiences of children living with domestic violence in the home, and how these experiences affect their interactions with others and their feelings about themselves. Strategies for dealing with these feelings in a positive manner are explored. The hand-book contains activity sheets for children, which further explores and develops the themes presented in the video, and contains instructions for educators on appropriate use of the material.

Good Things Too. The National Film Board of Canada, 1996 (47 minutes)
A drama about five teenagers who have survived sexual abuse. The video explores the pasts of these young people through animated flashback sequences; and portrays hope and empowerment for their futures. It is accompanied by a users’ guide. The same producers have also made a video (Good Things can Still Happen, 1992) on sexual abuse for primary school age children.

Self-help and recovery books

See self-help and recovery books for a selection of those available for loan in our library.

These resources and many others are available for loan (for people in Victorian only). To borrow any of these, ring to make an appointment with our librarian Ph. (03) 9486-9866; or email dvrcv@dvrcv.org.au

Other links

Links to comprehensive family violence websites from Australia and overseas

Support groups, online message boards and chat

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