Domestic and family violence (DFV) affects many people across NSW, with an estimated 1 in 4 women (27%) and 1 in 8 men (12%) in Australia experiencing violence by an intimate partner or family member since the age of 15 (BOCSAR).
In NSW alone, 37,916 court appearances involving domestic violence-related charges were finalised in 2024 (BOCSAR). Despite the prevalence of DFV, there is limited qualitative research on victim-survivors’ experiences of the NSW justice system. The introduction of coercive control reforms in NSW in July 2024 provides a timely opportunity to explore current DFV victim-survivor experiences.
This project aims to understand how adult victim-survivors of domestic and family violence currently experience the justice system in New South Wales. It focuses on victim-survivors’ interactions with justice agencies, the justice system and its processes, and support services and programs that are accessed or referred to through justice agencies.
The project will engage directly with;
adult victim-survivors of DFV, and
people who work in the justice sector and related support services who have significant experience working in DFV matters
to learn about victim-survivors' experiences at different stages of the criminal justice process. These stages include first contact with police; ADVO processes; investigation, charging and prosecution; court proceedings; interactions with other justice agencies; and DFV support services and programs that are connected to justice agencies.
The research is interested in the experiences and needs of people from priority groups such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, LGBTQIA+ people, people with disability, older people, and people who live in regional and remote areas.
The project will engage with DFV victim-survivors and justice stakeholders through a mix of methods including surveys, interviews, yarning and group discussions, and other participant-led methods (such as audio or written journalling) to ensure people can share their experiences in ways that feel comfortable and safe. The way we engage with victim-survivors is currently being co-designed with people who have lived experience of domestic and family violence. All engagement is grounded in wellbeing, cultural safety and trauma-informed practice.
The insights that come from this research will help to identify which parts or stages of the justice process work well for victim-survivors of DFV, where there are barriers to victim-survivors participating in the justice process effectively, and where there are gaps in the support services available for victim-survivors.
This information will help justice sector agencies understand how and where improvements can be made to processes throughout the justice system to better meet DFV victim-survivors’ needs. It will help inform strategies to better support DFV victim-survivors in the criminal justice system and improve their justice experience. It will also inform policy and law reform.
This research will look at DFV matters that were brought to the NSW criminal justice system from 1 July 2024. This is when the new offence of coercive control in intimate relationships came into effect, but the research is interested in the experiences of all DFV survivors since that date.
The coercive control reforms go beyond making coercive control a criminal offence. They have introduced new training for police and justice professionals, increased public awareness about patterns of controlling behaviour, and strengthened coordination between courts, support services and specialist organisations. This project will consider how these changes and other recent initiatives implemented in the justice system are experienced in practice.
The research is funded by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice and is being led by the University of Sydney. Findings from this project will be published on this webpage in February 2027.
Professor Rita Shackel, Chief Investigator, Sydney Law School.
Rita has worked as a lawyer, advocate, policy adviser, researcher, academic and consultant in a range of settings including in academe, government and in non-governmental organisations.
Her research program is strongly interdisciplinary, focussing on the efficacy and improvement of legal, health and social justice processes, with a specific focus on access to justice for children and women. She has a particular interest in sexual and gender-based violence and crimes, the needs of victims and survivors of sexual violence and abuse.
Professor James Elliott, Researcher, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The Kolling Institute.
James is the Director of the Kolling Institute and the Academic Director of Allied Health and Public Health in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney and the Northern Sydney Local Health District. The primary focus of his interdisciplinary work is the use of high-resolution imaging techniques to quantify altered spinal cord anatomy and whole-body skeletal muscle degeneration as potential markers of recovery following a traumatic injury.
He is also involved in creating the world's leading well-being index. This well-being index has real-world application to improving health and well-being outcomes for victim-survivors of interpersonal violence and those with histories of complex trauma.
Associate Professor Anna Boucher, Researcher, School of Social & Political Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
Anna has worked as a solicitor, policy adviser, researcher, academic and consultant in a range of settings including in academia, for state and federal government, and for international organisations and non-governmental organisations.
She has a strong interest in immigration policy, sexual violence and migration, research methods, mixed-methods research and qualitative interviewing.
Ms Tanja Hirvonen, (Jaru and Bunuba) Researcher, Clinical Psychologist. Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology.
Tanja is a registered clinical psychologist specialising in Aboriginal mental health, social and emotional wellbeing, and health professionals’ self-care and trauma. In addition to her clinical work, she has been an active research collaborator, with a keen interest in promoting mental health education and understanding, particularly among youth in remote areas. Ms Hirvonen is an advocate for, and a practitioner of, trauma-informed healing and has successfully introduced tenets of the approach into clinical policies in the workplace as well as in counselling clients presenting with a wide variety of psychological concerns.
Associate Professor Helen Paterson, Researcher, School of Psychology, Faculty of Science.
Helen is an Associate Professor in Forensic Psychology at the University of Sydney.
She investigates ways in which psychological research and theory can inform the legal system and assist witnesses and victims of crime. Predominantly focussing on how recalling traumatic events can influence memory accuracy and psychological wellbeing, Helen’s research seeks to enhance victim-survivor memory reliability and perceived credibility, with the goal of strengthening prosecution cases and improving justice outcomes.
Sandra Close - Higher Degree by Research Student
Oliver Lester – Associate Lecturer in Psychology, School of Psychology
Claudia Carr – Research Associate
Elise Testa – Project Officer
If you are a justice professional or person who works in related DFV support services and you would like more information about the project, including how to participate, please email project.team@sydney.edu.au.
Justice professionals who wish to participate in the research through the anonymous online survey can find the link here.
You can also download the Participant Information Statement (PIS) here for more details about the study and participating in an interview.
The project will start to engage with adult victim-survivors of DFV in April 2026. More information about how victim-survivors can participate in the project will be available on this website closer to the start of engagement.
The justice sector and related support services stakeholders component of this study has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) of the University of Sydney [2025/HE001392].
