Sexual and family violence
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Intimate partner violence among current and ex-serving Australian Defence Force personnel and families
In Australian-first research, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) commissioned Phoenix Australia – Centre for Post-traumatic Mental Health to examine the rates of intimate partner violence among current- and ex-serving Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel, using data collected in 2015 from a large-scale study of current (at the time) and recently (then) transitioned ADF personnel and their families.
For the purposes of this research, the Transition and Wellbeing Research Programme data was used to:
- examine the rates of intimate partner violence within the Australian veteran community;
- identify vulnerable groups; and
- provide an understanding of the implications of intimate partner violence on help-seeking and service utilisation.
Findings from the study suggest an elevated number of veteran families having experienced IPV, identifying them as a vulnerable cohort.
The findings highlight opportunities for continued action to address intimate partner violence in the veteran community, a national priority for the Australian government and the DVA.
