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Paper short abstract:

In 2021 the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported stable rates of partner violence in Australia since 2005 despite a decline in overall violence. This ethnographic case study asks if current measures to address family violence are perpetuating the very problem they claim to address.

Paper long abstract:

In 2021 the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported stable rates of partner violence in Australia since 2005 despite a decline in overall violence. This worrying statistic leads to a sensitive question: could current measures to address family violence be perpetuating the very problem they claim to address? In the spirit of fostering academic debate and providing rigorous reflective material for clinicians, educators and researchers, this nuanced ethnographic case study of emotional abuse and child neglect offers an opportunity to reflect upon the pathways offered to partners and co-parents to address challenging situations. The case study is based upon over 1,500 pages of ethnographic fieldnotes but, to embody responsible fallibility, should be considered fictional. Listeners are invited to critically reflect upon the gendered dimension of debates about family violence, the available pathways for addressing non-physical abuse, and methods of effectively intervening to reduce the cumulative harm of child neglect.