Family violence appears overtly in many cases before the courts, but it can also seep insidiously into all manner of cases across jurisdictions. Be equipped with the essential knowledge you need to make the legal system safer.
Without the know-how to recognise and respond appropriately to family violence, our courts and tribunals can become unsafe for victims, or the site of systems abuse (the manipulation of legal and other systems by perpetrators of family violence to reassert power and control, threaten, intimidate or harass).
This foundational program will provide you with a nuanced understanding of the social context of family violence and assist you in applying this knowledge when hearing and determining matters. It will shine a light on:
- the nature and complex dynamics of family violence
- how to identify and assess risk factors
- ways to appropriately communicate with people who use violence and people experiencing violence.
Note: This program is open to judicial officers only.
Speakers.
Kate Fitz-Gibbon is a Professor (Practice) with the Faculty of Business and Economics at Monash University and an Honorary Professorial Fellow with the Melbourne Law School at University of Melbourne. Kate also holds affiliated research appointments with the School of Law and Social Justice at University of Liverpool (UK) and the Research Center on Violence at West Virginia University (US). From 2020 to 2023, Kate was Director of the Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre, and a Professor of Social Sciences in the Faculty of Arts at Monash University.
Kate is an international research leader in the area of domestic and family violence. Kate’s research findings have been cited by the High Court of Australia, published in books, academic journals and reports and presented at national and international conferences. Kate has advised on law reform and family violence reviews in Australia and internationally and has authored over 30 submissions to inquiries. In 2021 Kate was appointed Chair of Respect Victoria, and she was selected as part of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders 2024. Kate is the author of ‘Our National Crisis: Violence Against Women & Children’ (2024), part of Monash University Publishing’s In The National Interest series.
Kate Fitz-Gibbon is a Professor (Practice) with the Faculty of Business and Economics at Monash University and an Honorary Professorial Fellow with the Melbourne Law School at University of Melbourne. Kate also holds affiliated research appointments with the School of Law and Social Justice at University of Liverpool (UK) and the Research Center on Violence at West Virginia University (US). From 2020 to 2023, Kate was Director of the Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre, and a Professor of Social Sciences in the Faculty of Arts at Monash University.
Kate is an international research leader in the area of domestic and family violence. Kate’s research findings have been cited by the High Court of Australia, published in books, academic journals and reports and presented at national and international conferences. Kate has advised on law reform and family violence reviews in Australia and internationally and has authored over 30 submissions to inquiries. In 2021 Kate was appointed Chair of Respect Victoria, and she was selected as part of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders 2024. Kate is the author of ‘Our National Crisis: Violence Against Women & Children’ (2024), part of Monash University Publishing’s In The National Interest series.