Family violence and temporary visa holders during COVID-19

Every day across Australia, domestic and family violence services and their case managers and key staff, are supporting women and children experiencing domestic and family violence. Their work is focused on short term needs in the first instance, and then looks to medium-to-long term supports that can be accessed and established to assist women to live securely and safely. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, this work has changed in terms of where it is undertaken and how, but it remains the case that case managers work with clients to assess and identify risk, to develop risk management strategies and to navigate access to the supports and systems available. This study captures the immediate needs, contexts and circumstances of 100 women who held temporary visas and sought the support of inTouch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence (inTouch) due to their experience of family or domestic violence during the first lockdown phase [from the declaration of a State of Emergency across Victoria on 16 March to 31 May 2020].

在澳大利亚全境，每日均有家庭暴力（domestic and family violence）服务机构及其个案管理员、核心工作人员，为遭受家庭暴力的妇女与儿童提供支援。此类服务工作首先以满足服务对象的短期需求为首要目标，随后搭建可获取的中长期支援体系，助力妇女实现安全稳定的生活。在新冠大流行（COVID-19 pandemic）期间，此类工作的开展场所与实施方式均发生了变化，但个案管理员仍需与服务对象协作，开展风险评估与识别工作，制定风险管理策略，并协助服务对象对接可用的支援资源与体系。本研究收录了100名持临时签证的妇女的即时需求、具体背景与处境。这些妇女因在首轮封控阶段（即2020年3月16日澳大利亚维多利亚州全境宣布进入紧急状态至2020年5月31日期间）遭受家庭暴力，向反家庭暴力多元文化中心inTouch（inTouch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence）寻求支援。