Transcript Examining white privilege

Community
psychology in
Aotearoa/
New Zealand
Neville Robertson
University of Waikato
Kirikiriroa/Hamilton
Aotearoa/New Zealand
Overview
Domestic violence research – an exemplar of
Community Psychology in Aotearoa/New Zealand
–
–
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The problems illustrated - Case study
An ecological analysis of the challenge of battering
Community psychology contributions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Police arrest policy
Domestic protection study – and law reform
Community intervention projects
Zero tolerance charter
Other research
Reflections on community psychology generally
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–
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Key characteristics of Community Psychology in Aotearoa
Community psychology practice
Issues
Intimate violence: a “difficult” subject
…rape, incest and other sexual
offending are by their nature
particularly difficult to talk about …
However, silence has always been the
mark of the rapist and the oppressor,
and does not indicate consent in either
public discourse private relationships.
Sue Bradford, Member of the New Zealand Parliament,
10 November, 2004
D begins phone
campaign from
(City)
Separation
Burglary &
assault
Buys gun
1st psych
clinic
2nd
psych
clinic
and
followup
appmts
Family
court
counsellor
R files for
separation –
goes to (Town)
Meeting
Case study
Roslyn & Donald
Travels on
assignment
Protection
orders
Buys
2nd
gun
Breach &
assault
Family court
counsellor 1
Swaps
gun
Breach and
murder
Counsellor 2
Counsellor 2
E:Over-arching
Mappingcultural
the response
problem
values and misogyny
•See only part of the picture
•Overlook/ignore violence
•Endanger women
•Collude with abuser
Potential for reform?
Individual discretion
Context of fear
and enforced
privacy
(1) Police arrest policy
(Greg Ford, 1985-87)
Dominant model – reluctant involvement
(restore calm and leave)
– Victims dissatisfied
– Problems of repeat calls
Trialled policy
– Arrest, if evidence – without complaint
– Follow-up by women’s refuges
Evaluation
– Increased satisfaction (even among men)
– Fewer repeat calls
Adopted as national policy 1987
(2) Domestic Protection Study
Ruth Busch, Neville Robertson & Hilary Lapsley
Victims Task Force concerned about
repeated breaches of protection orders
(Domestic Protection Act, 1982)
Negotiated wider brief to include
examining access to the orders
Note: the Victims’ Task Force was
administered by the Department of
Justice.
Our approach
Literature review
Key informant interviews - police
officers, judges, lawyers, counsellors,
women’s refuge workers, court staff
Analysis of official statistics
Analysis of judicial decisions
Case studies of 20 Māori and non-Māori
women
Outcomes of domestic violence
calls to 3 police districts
Outcome
Large city
Small city
Rural town All districts
Arrested
12.8%
15.2%
15.4%
14.3%
Warned
6.2%
2.4%
4.3%
4.3%
No further
action
80.5%
82.4%
80.3%
80.8%
Police arrest policy poorly implemented
Qualitative data vital (police)
Asked about his views on the causes of
domestic violence, a police prosecutor
commented:
Some women have a huge capacity to
create massive problems within their
household. They can't keep their
bloody mouths shut at the appropriate
time.
“Downstream” problems
Why arrest if
Women won’t give evidence?
– Victim blaming cf. PE fit
Judges slap men over the wrist with a
damp bus ticket?
– i.e. there is a systemic problem – over and
above individual attitudes.
Judge’s attitudes
I find it difficult to accept the District Court
Judge’s categorisation of this (single) punch as
(constituting serious violence) This punch appears to
have arisen out of the instinctive reaction by the
appellant to the argument that had arisen between
him and the complainant. It was not part of a
sustained course of violence. The consequence was a
not uncommon black eye and no more. It was not the
worst of black eyes
(Justice Doogue, Kelly v the Police (Unreported Judgment,
High Court at Rotorua, 15 May 1991), emphasis added)
Judge’s attitudes (2)
Mr X I am sure clings to the hope that in some
way or another his family unit can be restored
and that I think is evidenced by the fact that
every now and then he gravitates instinctively
towards his home even though his condition
when he arrives there regrettably sometimes
makes him an unwelcome visitor.
Judge Inglis, X v X (Unreported decision, Wellington Family
Court, FP 085/1127/83, 8 October 1986, emphasis added)
Courts…
In addition to judge’s attitudes:
Victim-witnesses often unprotected
from intimidation.
Event-focus of criminal jurisdiction
means history and context of violence
lost.
And in the Family Court
Strong orientation towards mediation as
preferred resolution.
Women’s stories - compelling
illustrations of “the gap”
i.e. the gap between women’s experiences
and the system’s response.
Fatal danger - cf pathetic, blubbering
man
Terroristic threats - cf. flowers for
mothers’ day
Assaults and intimidation - cf “I just
want to see my children”
Wanting orders enforced - cf. paranoid,
vindictive women
Our Report
Domestic
Violence and the
Justice System: A
study of breaches
of protection
orders.
101 recommendations
including 35 for law
changes
Approved by our
advisory committee
Censored report published
Domestic
Violence and the
Justice System: A
study of breaches
of protection
orders.
Protection
from Family
Violence:
A study of
breaches of
protection
orders
The Domestic Violence Act 1995
Broader definition of domestic violence
Orders more widely available
Simpler process for obtaining final orders
Mandatory referral of respondents to
stopping violence programmes
Free counseling for victims and children
Increased penalties for breaching orders
Presumption against violent parent having
custody or unsupervised access
Research + activism = reform?
(3) Community intervention projects
Shared philosophy (prioritising safety and
autonomy of women).
Agency protocols (Police, Courts, Corrections)
to ensure consistency.
Monitoring of protocols by women’s advocates
– to ensure accountability of offender and
decision-maker.
Networking to share information.
Services for victims.
Programmes for abusers.
Hamilton Abuse Intervention Project
Police call
Interagency arrangements
- Protocols
- Meetings
Arrest?
Advocate
Court
Court advocate
Women’s
programme
Men’s programme
Enforcement for
non-compliance
Parallel
development
Family Court grants
protection order
Evaluation of HAIP - achievements
Number of arrests markedly increased.
Women strongly positive about police.
Bail rules applied consistency.
Charging regime reasonably consistent.
Successful prosecutions improved (from
64% to 90%).
Men’s programme attendance consistently
enforced by Probation.
Programme participants generally positive
(including men).
Women reported feeling safer.
Needs assessment
and community
consultation
(4) Zero Tolerance to
Family Violence Charter
(Safer Hamilton)
Development of charter
(a motherhood
statement)
Safety Audits
Invitation for
organisations to sign
Policy development
(e.g.. Screening, referral
protocols)
Training to implement policies
Consultant on
implementation
Other community psychology research in
domestic violence
Mutual support groups for battered women (Rebekah
Pratt)
Women’s perspectives of the effectiveness of the
HAIP stopping violence programme (Jane Furness)
Women’s experiences of health professionals
(Elizabeth Flaherty)
Children’s experiences of supervised access (Sue
Jolley)
Women’s experiences of child protection services
(Lorraine Corbett)
Intentional injury among residents of women’s
refuges (Poli Karapu, Ariana Simpson, Karen
Whiteman, Neville Robertson)
Reflections (1): Key characteristics of
Community Psychology in Aotearoa
Very applied – pragmatic approach to social
change
Multi-level approach
– Societal/Organisational/Community/Individual
Critical, social justice orientation
Cultural context (and cultural safety) central
Methodologically diverse (e.g. surveys, focus
groups, interviews, ethnographic)
Interdisciplinarity
Close collaboration with community activists
Evaluation of services and programmes
– Tool for incremental social change
Reflections (2):
Examples of practice
Arena/
Level
Societal
Organisational
community
Individual
Health
Māori health
policy analyst
Heath promotion
Anti-stigma work
Family advocate
within psychiatric
hospital
Social
services
Social policy
analyst
Manager, sexual
assault service
Stopping violence
worker
Cultural safety
trainer
Literacy tutor.
Support for
“marginal”
students
Education Literary
advisor
Diverse issues, multiple levels, multiple roles
Practice….
People with community psychology training
seldom work in jobs labelled “psychologist”
Within psychology, community psychologists
have often been to the fore in reform (e.g.
Bicultural issues)
Key skills
– Applied research, especially programme evaluation
– Critical analysis
– Relationship building
Issues
Is Community Psychology
– an area of activity, or
– an approach which can be applied across
areas?
Tension between working collaboratively
and maintaining profile of sub-discipline
Tension between professionalism and
radicalism