RT Article
T1 Indigenous Perspectives on Help-Seeking for Family Violence: Voices From an Australian Community
JF Journal of interpersonal violence
VO 36
IS 21/22
SP 10128
OP 10146
A1 Fiolet, Renee
A2 Tarzia, Laura
A2 Owen, Renee
A2 Eccles, Corrina
A2 Nicholson, Kayley
A2 Owen, May 1891-1988
A2 Fry, Syd
A2 Knox, Jasmine
A2 Hegarty, Kelsey
LA English
YR 2021
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1778199070
AB Indigenous peoples experience high rates of family violence (FV) yet are said to access support at lower rates than their non-Indigenous counterparts. There is an absence of Indigenous voices regarding their help-seeking behaviors for FV, particularly concerning men’s views. The aim of this research was to seek Indigenous perspectives on their help-seeking behaviors for FV. Individual, face-to-face semistructured interviews took place with 23 Indigenous Australians (14 women and 9 men) recruited from one large community in Victoria, Australia. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Data were categorized and organized, and themes were identified using thematic analysis. Five main themes emerged from the data. “You’re Aboriginal, so that’s just how it is” describes the experiences with discrimination and judgment that create general barriers for Indigenous peoples to access services. The second theme “putting a big blanket over it” articulates the role that shame plays in deterring support-seeking for FV. “How do you trust somebody?” defines the fear in the hearts and minds of Indigenous participants who contemplate help-seeking. A further main theme of “someone that they could have a yarn with” explores what occurs when participants initially decide to seek support. Their thoughts on what participants want from interactions with formal services are explored in the final theme “a safe space.” Significant barriers to seeking support for FV exist for Indigenous peoples, including discrimination, shame, and fear. Service providers need to work on addressing these barriers through an increased understanding of Indigenous experiences and beliefs in an effort to encourage help-seeking behaviors. Interventions to assist kin in dealing with FV and for service providers to create safe spaces are urgent. More research informed by Indigenous voices is needed.
K1 Interviews
K1 help-seeking behaviors
K1 Family Violence
K1 Aboriginal
K1 Indigenous
DO 10.1177/0886260519883861