1. ADOLESCENT FAMILY VIOLENCE
Prof Tamara Walsh
Prof Heather Douglas
2018 Community Legal Centres Queensland Conference – Friday 9 March 2018

2. ADOLESCENT FAMILY VIOLENCE: WHAT IS IT?
Where acts of violence are perpetrated by an older child against a parent, sibling or other member of their household.
A (seldom discussed) type of domestic/family violence.
Often:
perpetrators are male
the child is post-pubescent – but may have perpetrated acts of violence long before that
the victim is the mother – but also can be younger siblings, grandparents, housemates
the child has been diagnosed with ASD or another disorder or disability associated with challenging behaviour
Sometimes:
the child has previously come to the attention of the police/youth justice system
the child has been subject to child protection intervention, including placement in resi care

3. OUR STUDY
Five focus groups with non-government organisations servicing women, children and young people, and families (n=26).
Funding:
TC Beirne School of Law, The University of Queensland
Douglas’s ARC Future Fellowship (FT )
Semi-structured group interviews.

4. KEY FINDINGS You can’t generalise.
Affects all demographic groups – irrespective of income, race, housing status.
Can occur in a range of different circumstances for a variety of reasons.
Participants could not agree on recommendations for reform.
For researchers, and advocates, this is a very dissatisfying outcome…

5. CASE STUDY A – ADOLESCENT FAMILY VIOLENCE IN THE CONTEXT OF IPV
Case study A – where the adolescent’s violence is associated (either directly or indirectly) with intimate partner violence
Directly – where a violent father ‘uses’ the children to continue the violence
through acts of actual violence
through surveillance/stalking
through oppositionality/obstruction
Indirectly – where a child acts violently as a result of intimate partner violence they have observed within the home
become a ‘mini me’
use violence as a coping strategy
use violence to be ‘powerful’ (to cope with feelings of vulnerability)

6. CASE STUDY B – VIOLENCE ASSOCIATED WITH A CHILD’S DISABILITY
Case study B – where the adolescent has been diagnosed with a disability or disorder that can result in challenging behaviours
Most often Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) – but can be other conduct disorders, developmental disorders, or trauma.
Often parents have sought help for many years.
Parents may reach a point of crisis around the time of the child’s puberty because:
the parents can no longer physically restrain/manage the child;
medications are no longer effective.

7. CASE STUDY C – ‘VIOLENCE’ IN OUT OF HOME CARE PLACEMENTS
Case study C – where the adolescent is displaying challenging behaviour within an out of home care placement – most often resi care.
The child’s violence may not be particularly serious – ‘risk’ may be over-stated.
Often the child will have experienced significant trauma.
Resi care environments are often not particularly nurturing.
Youth workers may lack appropriate training in de-escalation – and be subject to ‘no touch’ policies.
Confusion around legal requirements – police, insurance.

8. CASE STUDY D – SERIOUS ACTS OF VIOLENCE
Case study D – where the adolescent’s violence is serious, perhaps life-threatening.
Often, the perpetrator will be an older male child, and the victim will be the mother.
There is no doubt that protective action needs to be taken for the sake of the mother, and younger siblings.
Again, there may be trauma, mental health problems, ASD or other diagnosis, history of intimate partner violence.

9. KEY AGENCIES Police Child Safety Domestic Violence Courts Family Court
Disability Services

10. POINTS OF AGREEMENT Children should not be criminalised
Unless the violence is so serious there is no other option?
None of the key agencies are currently intervening, or are not intervening appropriately – service delivery gap.
Mothers generally want help, not removal of the child
Although, sometimes, they may feel they have no choice.
Interventions need to be:
protective of mothers and younger children;
therapeutic;
family-focused.
Staff of residential care units need appropriate/better training

11. POSSIBLE RESPONSES Domestic violence orders
Adding children to orders: as protected persons?
Ability to take out orders against children?
Restorative justice – mediation
Intervening restoratively on first call-out?
Referring families to mediation services?
Court orders to compel participation?
Mandatory treatment
Court orders to compel treatment?
Rethink child protection interventions
Remove fewer children?
Reconsider the use of residential units as an out of home care option?

12. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Which agencies/departments should take the lead?
Which interventions do you support?
Which interventions would you caution against?
Can you think of any other appropriate interventions?
Can you think of an intervention that would be appropriate across all of the case studies?
What should our next steps be for:
research; and
advocacy?

13. CONTACT US Prof Tamara Walsh Prof Heather Douglas t.walsh@uq.edu.au
Prof Heather Douglas