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There has been significant investment by police agencies in the use of body-worn cameras (BWCs). Preliminary evidence suggests that when used in the context of domestic and family violence, BWC footage may strengthen evidential cases and prosecutions. There is, however, a paucity of research examining the merits of and risks posed by the use of BWC footage in DFV incidents and legal proceedings. Notably absent in much of the literature are the views and experiences of police officers who, as initial owners of BWC footage, are likely to affect how it is produced and interpreted. This paper presents findings from the first Australian study to examine how police officers, as users and operators of BWC technology, perceive the use of BWC footage in DFV-related civil and criminal legal proceedings in two Australian state jurisdictions: Western Australia and Queensland. While broadly supportive of BWC technology, police respondents, especially those from specialised DFV units, identified various benefits and limitations to using BWC footage in the context of DFV, including that BWCs have the potential to capture DFV upon police call-outs, but can be limiting insofar as they do not show ongoing patterns of violence. Our findings highlight the importance of exercising domain-specific, rather than a 'one size fits all' approach when it comes to understanding the benefits and limitations of BWC technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social workers play a critical role in responding to the needs of individuals impacted by domestic and family violence (DFV). Social work literature has long been devoted to understanding the functioning, accessibility and effectiveness of specialist DFV services. In contrast, much less is known about how non-specialist services can, and do, support victims of DFV. This study addresses this important gap by empirically examining the links between DFV and a non-specialist service designed to assist people experiencing financial hardship. To accomplish this, we draw on an expansive administrative database of assistance records (n  = 305,176) from the St Vincent de Paul Society, one of the largest non-specialist support providers in Australia. Descriptive analyses of DFV-related records (n  = 4,374) yield novel insights into the socio-demographic profile of clients seeking assistance due to DFV, the types of assistance they required and how non-specialist providers respond to DFV-related requests for assistance. Our results demonstrate that non-specialist services play a critical yet under-recognised role in responding to people impacted by DFV. This has significant social work practice implications, highlighting the importance of specialist DFV services working in tandem with non-specialist services to deliver the best outcomes for victims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing the cultural drivers of domestic and family violence (DFV) has become a core policy priority for governments across Australia. Over the last five years, the Queensland Government has taken a particularly strong stance on the issue through its Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Strategy 2016–2026. This strategy identifies the Queensland Government's leading aim of changing the community culture that drives DFV. Although there is significant evidence to support this aim, there is equally important evidence suggesting that public policies often contain problematic assumptions and ideologies that limit their ability to achieve their aims. This article presents a critical discourse analysis of Queensland's Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Strategy 2016–2026 and related policy documents to examine the assumptions and ideologies underpinning Queensland's policy and their potential to impact on policy outcomes. The findings broadly identify three areas of concern, namely an assumed link between attitudes and behaviours; a disproportionate focus on general community members compared to DFV perpetrators; and an implicit reinforcement of the gender hierarchy. The article concludes with a discussion of the broader implications of these findings for future policy development in Australia. This article presents a critical discourse analysis of the Queensland Government's current domestic and family violence policy. It identifies three distinct barriers that limit the policy's potential to achieve its leading aim of changing cultural attitudes and behaviours. Implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the Queensland case specifically, as well as the broader Australian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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