Abstract
Drawing on interviews with mothers and step-mothers who have experienced adolescent family violence (AFV) by their children or step-children, this chapter considers how the interviewees explain and respond to this form of violence. Explanations include that a current or previous partner, usually the children’s father, has co-opted the adolescent to abuse her, that the adolescent is jealous of her because she is a new partner of the adolescent’s father, and the adolescent’s difficulties of adjusting to a new cultural context. Some identified drug use and mental health issues experienced by the child. This chapter considers when and how the interviewees use and interact with the law in response to AFV. It considers the interviewees’ experiences of engaging with a range of legal responses including police and criminal justice, child protection services, civil protections orders and family law. In several cases, interviewees report that justice professionals have misunderstood the link between AFV and intimate partner violence and consequently the interviewees’ experience of intimate partner violence has been exacerbated. The article shows the need for justice professionals to have an improved understanding of AFV, its diverse contexts and the risks of legal engagement.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
AIHW: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2019). Child protection Australia 2017–18. Australian Government.
AIJA: Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration. (2020). National domestic and family violence bench book. Retrieved from March 15, 2021 https://www.dfvbenchbook.aija.org.au/
Coker, D., & Macquoid, A. (2015). Why opposing hyper-incarceration should be central to the work of the anti domestic violence movement. University of Miami Race and Social Justice Law Review, 5, 585–618.
Condry, R., & Miles, C. (2014). Adolescent to parent violence: Framing and mapping a hidden problem. Criminology & Criminal Justice, 14(3), 257–275. https://doi.org/10.1177/1748895813500155
Daly, K., & Nancarrow, H. (2009). Restorative justice and youth violence towards parents. In J. Ptacek (Ed.), Restorative justice and violence against women (pp. 150–176). Oxford University Press.
Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria. (2010). A coordinated response to adolescent violence in the home. Domestic Violence Resource Centre.
Douglas, H. (2018). Legal systems abuse and coercive control. Criminology and Criminal Justice, 18(1), 84–99. https://doi.org/10.1177/1748895817728380
Douglas, H., & Walsh, T. (2018). Adolescent family violence: What is the role for legal responses? Sydney Law Review, 40(4), 499–526.
Douglas, H., Harris, B., & Dragiewicz, M. (2019). Technology-facilitated domestic and family violence: Women’s experiences. British Journal of Criminology, 59(3), 551–570. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azy068
Douglas, H. (2021). Women, intimate partner violence, and the law. Oxford University Press.
Downey, L. (1997). Adolescent violence: A systematic and feminist perspective. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 18(2), 70–79.
Elliott, K., McGowan, J., Benier, K., Maher, J., & Fitz-Gibbon, K. (2018). Investigating adolescent family violence: Background, research and directions. Monash University, Monash Gender and Family Violence Research Program.
Fitz-Gibbon, K., Elliot, K., & Maher, J. (2018). Investigating adolescent family violence in Victoria: Understanding experiences and practitioner perspectives. Monash University, Monash Gender and Family Violence Research Program.
Flick, U. (2007). Designing qualitative research. Sage.
Hale, S. (2011). Breaking through the language barrier: Empowering refugee and immigrant women to combat domestic and family violence through cultural and language training report. University of Western Sydney.
Haw, A. (2010). Parenting over violence: Understanding and empowering mothers affected by adolescent violence in the home. The Patricia Giles Centre.
Holt, A. (2016a). Introduction. In A. Holt (Ed.), Working with adolescent violence and abuse towards parents: Approaches and contexts for intervention (pp. 1–12). Routledge.
Holt, A. (2016b). Adolescent-to-parent abuse as a form of “domestic violence”: A conceptual review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 17(5), 490–499. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838015584372
Howard, J. (2011). Adolescent violence in the home: The missing link in family violence prevention and response (Stakeholder Paper No. 11). University of New South Wales: Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse.
Howard, J. (2015). Adolescent violence in the home: How is it different to adult family violence? Australian Institute of Family Studies.
Howard, J., & Abbott, L. (2013). The last resort: Pathways to justice. Peninsula Health in Partnership with Victoria Legal Aid and City of Greater Dandenong Youth Services.
Judicial Council on Cultural Diversity. (2016). The path to justice: Migrant and refugee women’s experience of the courts—A report for the Judicial Council on Cultural Diversity. Judicial Council on Cultural Diversity.
Kelly, L., & Westmarland, N. (2015). Naming and defining ‘domestic violence’: Lessons from research with violent men. Feminist Review, 112, 113–127 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1057/fr.2015.52
McKenna, M., & O’Connor, R. (2012). Walking on eggshells…Child and adolescent violence in the family. Flinders University, Relationships Australia, Southern Junction Community Services.
Moulds, L., Day, A., Mildred, H., Miller, P., & Casey, S. (2016). Adolescent violence towards parents: The known and unknowns. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 37(4), 547–557.
Parkinson, P., & Cashmore, J. (2008). The voice of the child in family law disputes. Oxford University Press.
Rees, S., & Pease, B. (2006). Refugee settlement, safety and wellbeing: Exploring domestic and family violence in refugee communities. VicHealth.
Routt, G., & Anderson, L. (2011). Adolescent violence towards parents. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma 20(1), 1–11 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1080/10926771.2011.537595
Segrave, M., & Burnett-Wake, C. (2017). Addressing family violence through visa sponsor checks: A step in the right direction? Current Issues in Criminal Justice, 29(2), 155–165.
Taylor, A., Ibrahim, N., Wakefield, S., & Finn, K. (2015). Domestic and family violence protection orders in Australia: An investigation of information sharing and enforcement. ANROWS.
Thomas, K., Fitz-Gibbon, K., & Maher, J. (2019). The use of protection orders in response to adolescent family violence: Mapping divergent Australian approaches and the merits of this criminal justice intervention. Forthcoming: Current Issues in Criminal Justice.
Williams, M., Tuffin, K., & Niland, P. (2017). ‘It’s like he just goes off, BOOM!’: Mothers and grandmothers make sense of child-to-parent violence. Child and Family Social Work, 22(2), 597–606.
Legislation
Criminal Code 1899 (Qld).
Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act 2012 (Qld).
Family Law Act 1975 (Cth).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Douglas, H. (2021). Mothers and Step-Mothers Engaging with Law in Their Response to Adolescent Family Violence. In: Fitz-Gibbon, K., Douglas, H., Maher, J. (eds) Young People Using Family Violence. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-1331-9_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-1331-9_5
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-16-1330-2
Online ISBN: 978-981-16-1331-9
eBook Packages: Law and CriminologyLaw and Criminology (R0)