DFV experts share frontline experience on QCDFVR podcast across Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month

Violence against women is a deadly threat in Australia, and the Queensland Centre for Domestic and Family Violence Research is contributing to the national conversations.

Based at CQUniversity, the QCDFVR team is sharing diverse views from gendered violence frontline practitioners and researchers, with a fresh new season of its podcast The Bulb that coincides with Queensland's Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month.

The latest episode of The Bulb features CQUniversity PhD candidate Vicki Lowik, who shares the traumatic story of one of her research subjects, 'Jessica'.

Ms Lowik outlines the harrowing development and progression of domestic violence Jessica suffered during a 27-year marriage, within an Evangelical Christian community that endorsed the doctrine of male headship.

"Her husband escalated violence to the point of threatening to kill her, and Jessica's experiences align with the victims of torture,"

Ms Lowik explained.

"Attacks are abrupt and without warning, to instil fear and intimidate, to exercise control and to create an effect of the victim thinking they are losing their minds."

Another recent episode features Brisbane-based educator and facilitator David Burck, who shares his experience in responding to families where there is an abusive adolescent.

Mr Burck, who has also developed a CQUniversity online professional development course on Adolescent to Parent Violence, explains the link between adolescent offenders and their experience of witnessing domestic violence in the home.

This season has also featured Queensland changemaker Betty Taylor, the founding Manager of the Gold Coast Domestic Violence Prevention Centre and current CEO of the Red Rose Foundation, a not-for-profit working to prevent domestic or family violence deaths.

Ms Taylor explained her team's efforts to lobby government to introduce a domestic violence death review board.

"We know that most domestic violence deaths are predictable and preventable, so we asked what can we learn from women who have died, and those who have experienced very very high risk situations, so we can improve responses,"

Ms Taylor explained.

She also outlined new supports the Red Rose Foundation established for women who have suffered strangulation, including an Australian-first Strangulation Trauma Centre, and a research project with CQUniversity to look at the long-term effects.

"Strangulation is 'high harm', it creates long-term emotional, physical impacts for victims, and we're now looking at things like anoxic brain injury and strokes coming to us up to 12 months after the event,"

Ms Taylor said.

She also highlighted a lack of understanding through the courts of how strangulation has long-term impacts on victims.

CQUniversity offers a range of postgraduate and other study options for improving responses to domestic and family violence.

Visit cqu.edu.au and search courses for 'domestic violence' to learn more.

The QCDFVR is funded by The Queensland Government and proudly supported by CQUniversity, learn more at noviolence.org.au.

The first season of The Bulb was launched in September 2020 with six episodes 'shining a light' on gendered violence. Listen back here.

If victims and survivors of gendered violence have found the content of this story disturbing, free confidential 24-hour counselling is available nationally on 1800 737 732 through 1800Respect.