"What's the problem?": Australian public policy constructions of domestic and family violence

Violence Against Women. 2009 May;15(5):532-52. doi: 10.1177/1077801209331408. Epub 2009 Feb 10.

Abstract

The campaign of feminists to have domestic violence formally acknowledged as a key issue affecting Australian women succeeded in the early 1980s when governments began developing policy seeking to address the problem. Far from simply adopting feminist gendered understandings of domestic violence, however, the development of contemporary policy responses to this issue has been influenced by a number of competing discourses about the problem, its causes, and possible solutions. Drawing on Bacchi's policy analysis approach, the authors compare the discursive constructions of domestic violence inherent in how the issue is named, framed, and defined across contemporary Australian policy documents.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Australia
  • Domestic Violence / legislation & jurisprudence*
  • Domestic Violence / prevention & control
  • Female
  • Health Policy / legislation & jurisprudence*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • National Health Programs / legislation & jurisprudence
  • Public Opinion*
  • Social Perception
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Spouse Abuse / legislation & jurisprudence
  • Women's Health / legislation & jurisprudence*
  • Women's Rights / legislation & jurisprudence