More than half the respondents in domestic violence applications in four south-east Queensland courts during January 1994 had criminal histories, according to a new Queensland study.
Individuals involved in domestic violence applications were more likely than the general population to have been involved with police, the study by University of Queensland and Griffith University researchers found.
They also found that a high proportion of those involved in domestic violence applications had more than one court appearance and more than one application order, either with the same party or a different party.
The Criminology Research Council-funded pilot study assessed the effectiveness of computerised domestic violence data recording systems.
Study researchers were Dr Ludmilla Kwitko and Dr Jo Dower (University of Queensland) and Dr Anna Stewart and Dr Chilla Bulbeck (Griffith University).
The researchers collected court and police data on individuals involved in 602 appearances for domestic violence protection orders in January 1994 in the Beenleigh, Brisbane, Southport and Ipswich Magistrates Courts.
They also collected information on individuals on domestic violence matters before and after that month, searching by name and date of birth to establish the level of involvement in multiple and cross applications, information that has not previously been available.
The work established a data set based on cross-matching data from the Department of Justice and the Queensland Police Service.
In the sample of 602 appearances, 85.5 percent of the aggrieved were female and correspondingly, 85.5 percent of respondents were male.
Dr Stewart said the researchers found the sample of individuals in the study appeared considerably more likely that the total population to have been involved with police. 62.5 percent of male respondents and 33.3 percent of female respondents had criminal histories. More male aggrieved (35.4 percent) than female aggrieved (25.8 percent) had involvement with the police.
Those who had been charged with breaching a protection order were more likely to have criminal histories and for longer periods than those who had not.
Dr Stewart said the study found some variation between courts in terms of the length of the order, Ipswich Magistrates Court granting much shorter orders than the other three courts (42 weeks compared with around 70 weeks in the other courts studied). The average duration of the protection order when the applicant was a police officer was 74.1 weeks (no cross-application) or 69.3 weeks (cross-application) when the applicant was the aggrieved person.
Dr Kwitko said while studies suggested that women at risk of domestic violence were vulnerable in terms of lacking material and cultural resources, not all categories of women used the criminal justice system in responding to domestic violence, and there was a marked degree of under-reporting to police.
She said domestic violence occurred across all classes and ethnic groups. Women with independent incomes had greater access to alternatives besides applying for protection orders. They were able to move geographically and to seek alternative solutions such as private counselling. Furthermore, people living in disadvantaged areas could be more exposed to police intervention when domestic violence occurred.
The researchers have made several recommendations as a result of the study. They include recognising the importance of integrating compatible data systems across agencies, and instituting further research on characteristics of cross-applicants.
The study also recommends that magistrates have access to criminal histories and protection order histories when determining whether to grant orders and under what conditions.
The researchers also recommended strategies to reduce court time in dealing with domestic violence order applications, and commended the Beenleigh Magistrates Court system as a model which worked in close co-operation with specially trained police officers and had a domestic violence worker based at the court.
Dr Kwitko said the study provided insights into the effectiveness of current systems from which further suggestions for the prevention of violence could be developed.
For further information, contact Dr Kwitko, telephone 03 9344 4184 or Dr Stewart, telephone 07 3875 5784.
