School of Social and Political Science

Description

Child maltreatment prevalence data from Australia indicates that 43.8% of young people aged 16-24 years reported experiences of family violence. However, despite this data, children and young people’s voices are less represented in the scholarship.

This paper draws on qualitative research conducted in Australia with gatekeepers on the barriers and enablers in family violence research with children.

Semi-structured interviews occurred with 49 participants from five cohorts: mothers with experiences of family violence, family violence service providers, child clinicians, Human Research Ethics Committee members, and family violence researchers.

Gatekeepers expressed disquiet about family violence research with children, some challenged the ethics of this research. Protectionist gatekeeping and heightened risks present significant obstacles to children’s research engagement. To best enable the participation of children, the highest level of safeguarding is necessary. Research must be attuned, trauma-safe, child friendly and rights-based.

Interdisciplinary and cross-sector research utilising the clinical expertise of diverse disciplines also considered important. This research led to the development of Attuned Trauma-Safe Research and the STARR (SAFE, Trauma-Safe, Activity-based, Relational and Rights-based participation) enabling model. This model offers an approach for facilitating children’s safe participation in family violence research.

Please note that this seminar may be recorded.

The Speaker

Dr Trish Mackey, PhD, BAppSc OT, BSW Hons, MSocSc (Welf &Soc Pol), G.Dip Prof Writ, is Senior Lecturer/Researcher and Course Director for the Bachelor of Social Work with Charles Sturt University, Australia.

Prior to coming into full-time academia, Dr Mackey held the position of Deputy Public Advocate with the Australian Capital Territory Human Rights Commission and had responsibilities for oversighting and monitoring service systems, such as child protection, mental health, youth justice and family violence. She has presented at international conferences on her work in human rights, domestic violence research, social work, and public advocacy in areas of child protection, statutory victims' rights protection and in mental health.

Dr Mackey’s commitment to upholding the rights of children in family violence service provision, and enabling their participation in research, led to PhD studies on facilitating children’s safe participation in family violence research. In addition to being a social work academic and practitioner, Dr Mackey is an occupational therapist and maintains a part-time private practice.