Human rights discourse has become increasingly prominent in national and international politics, signified, for instance, through the introduction of the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act (2006) and debate regarding the merits of introducing a national Human Rights Act (Australian Human Rights Commission [AHRC], 2009; Lynch, 2010; Toy & Pearlman, 2009). It is...

This research was completed for an LLB Honours thesis, which proposed to potentially serve as a pilot for a larger study. By examining sexual assault sentencing and judicial comments from a sample of mostly 2008 judgments in Victoria, this article explores differences in sentencing, focusing on the relationship between the perpetrator and the victim. The...

The United Nations In-depth Study on all Forms of Violence Against Women: Report of the Secretary-General (2006) surveyed 71 countries and found that on average at least one woman in three is subjected to intimate partner violence in the course of her lifetime. Between 10% and 30% of women in other studies indicated that they...

This article considers the needs of victim/survivors of sexual assault who are also experiencing homelessness. Reducing homelessness and supporting those without stable, secure accommodation calls for a "trauma-informed" model of service delivery. The characteristics of this model and its implications for accommodation solutions, workforce devlopment and the evidence-base are discussed.

Thousands of women participate in multi-user online worlds such as Second Life. In these online communities, women can use their online personas - their avatars - to chat, fight, make friends and even get married. Yet the freedom that makes multi-user online worlds attractive to so many women can also pose risks. Virtual sexual harassment...