Statewide domestic and family violence prevention services will take part in an on-going data collection strategy from October 1.

The initiative has been co-ordinated by the CQU Mackay-based Queensland Centre for the Prevention of Domestic (QCPDFV), the Department of Families and statewide domestic and family violence networks. The strategy involves 27 government-funded, community-based support services systematically collecting information from new clients. Information will be stored and collated in a centralised database at the QCPDFV.

The database will be used to generate monthly statistical summaries to monitor trends in the use of Queensland’s domestic and family violence legislation. Amendments to the legislation, which commenced on March 10 2003, extend the State’s civil legislative protection against domestic and family violence. People affected by violence in some dating relationships, informal care relationships, and family relationships are now protected under the Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act 1989, in addition to spousal and spousal-like relationships that have been covered since 1989.

Monthly statistical summaries of the client data will be made available on the Centre’s website. The summaries will include total number of new domestic and family violence matters for the month; percentage of female, male and transgender clients; ethnicity and main language spoken at home; number of children in various age groups exposed to domestic and family violence; type or relationship involved in the matter; and percentage of matters reported to police. The monthly statistical summaries and specific queries on the database will enable the QCPDFV and other stakeholders to monitor trends in access to domestic and family violence prevention services, and use of the legislation. The evidence available through the database and further research generated by observable trends, will contribute to future legislative, policy and program development. The Centre’s Newsletter will also include a quarterly summary and analysis of the data from December 2003.

The Department of Families will co-ordinate the collation of data collected by government agencies including the Queensland Police Service, Department of Justice and Legal Aid Queensland. A significant feature of the QCPDFV database is the collection of information that is not available through any other source, such as court data, which will be an important contribution to understanding people affected by domestic and family violence who use domestic and family violence prevention services but who do not access legal intervention.

Much of the data collated by the QCPDFV, such as number and ages of children exposed to domestic and family violence and number of clients affected by various disabilities, is simply not collected by any other agency, anywhere in Australia.

For further information about the Domestic and Family Violence Database visit the Centre’s website at www.noviolence.com.au.