Strengthening the Domestic and Family Violence Workforce: Key Questions

ABSTRACT

The significant impact of domestic and family violence in Australia calls for a workforce that is both highly skilled and capable of meeting the demands of complex and challenging jobs. Yet despite the increasingly national visibility of domestic violence, the workers—and work itself—have largely remained invisible. We argue for a shift in conversation, highlighting the need for a workforce approach that is not only strategic but that also applies a theorised lens to domestic and family violence work inclusive of both gender and Indigeneity.

IMPLICATIONS

• The domestic and family violence workforce and workers should be made more visible to better support development in this sector.

• A workforce development strategy is needed to build knowledge about who is doing this work, the nature of the work, workplace structures and cultures, and work environments and conditions.

• The significance of gendered power relations, Indigeneity, high risk, trauma environments, and emotional labour in domestic and family violence work cannot be ignored in development strategies.

澳大利亚家庭暴力影响严重，需要有一支技法高超的队伍来满足复杂而艰难的工作的各种需求。尽管家暴越来越受到举国的关注，工作者以及工作本身却默默无闻。笔者认为应该转移对话，彰显一支队伍，它不仅具有战略意义，也能把理论的透镜应用于包含了性别和原住问题的家暴工作领域。

KEYWORDS:

• Domestic Violence
• Family Violence
• Workforce

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Sarah Wendt http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1006-0299

Kris Natalier http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2867-1135

Kate Seymour http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4902-7776