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Specialist sources include domestic, family and sexual violence organisations, services and academics. Violence against women specialists and survivors can add an important dimension to your reporting.
Violence against women specialists can talk about the nature of violence, why it happens, power and control, impacts on victims, accountability for perpetrators and systemic issues.
Community sector services have relatively few resources and may be unable to provide comment at short notice. Building relationships with these services in advance may help to facilitate more urgent requests for comment.
Specialist sources may also not have significant media experience. Research shows journalists can increase gender parity in news and improve the interview experience for women sources through clear, respectful and informed requests and demonstrated fair reporting.
National domestic, family and sexual violence peak bodies and key organisations
Our Watch (direct media contact: 0448 844 930 / media@ourwatch.org.au)
1800RESPECT – visit the 1800RESPECT service directory for more specialist organisations and services throughout Australia.
Australian Human Rights Commission
Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS)
National Association of Services Against Sexual Violence
Brisbane Domestic Violence Service (Brisbane)
Domestic Violence NSW (Sydney)
Safe Steps (Victoria)
Safe+Equal (Victoria)
Embolden (Adelaide)
Ruah Community Services (Perth)
Engender Equality (Hobart)
National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO)
Women with Disabilities Australia
Police as sources
Police are important sources, but they are not the only sources. Police can describe ‘incidents’ of crime. While this can be useful, some problems with this include that:
- domestic violence is not a single ‘incident’ – it is a pattern of abuse
- most violence against women goes unreported
- coercive control is not recognised as a crime in all states and territories
- police may misrepresent victims as perpetrators, particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
Find more information to accurately report on crime statistics and understand the scope of police expertise here.
Community members as sources
Neighbours, friends, family and colleagues can tell you about their perceptions of the relationship, the perpetrator and the victim. This can be problematic because violence against women in the family context is often hidden – community members cannot know what happens ‘behind closed doors’.
Related
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Evidence-based tips for journalists reporting on violence against women.
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Survivors play a critical role in the change needed to end violence against women and their children.