Domestic Violence Law Reform and Women’s Experience in Court: Th ...

The focus group interviews were taped, and I then made handwritten notes from the tapes, which I used for the purposes of analysis. In this case, although narrative accounts and extended quotations from interview subjects would have been illuminating, it was more important for these women that their identity and personal affairs remain completely confidential, so reporting in the form of individual stories or case studies was out of the question. In accordance with the requirement for confidentiality, I have ascribed a code name and number to each woman litigant in referencing their interview material, in the form “W.L.n.”

The women litigants interviewed were also asked to complete a short, demographic questionnaire (see appendix D). The majority of those interviewed (n = 8) were aged between 31 and 40.⁸ Only one was in the 18–24 age group identified in the ABS survey as most vulnerable to violence. This may reflect the fact that younger women are the least likely to be involved in family law proceedings and may also have relatively limited contact with support workers, and so may have been excluded by both my focus and my recruitment method. None of the women interviewed were currently in the workforce, and all were reliant on some form of welfare payments. Five undertook home duties and received what were then known as sole parent pensions. Four were students and received student allowances. Three were unemployed and in receipt of unemployment benefits, and 1 was retired on an age pension. This profile probably reflects the fact that domestic violence survivors who are not in employment are more likely to be in contact with support workers and available to participate in an interview during the daytime. There is no reason to believe, however, that their experiences in court would have been any different from those of the broader spectrum of survivors of violent relationships.

Five of the interviewees had no children; the other 8 had anywhere from 1 child (3 interviewees) to 7 children (1 interviewee). In 3 cases, these were adult children. Of the dependent children, 4 were preschool aged, while the rest ranged from ages 6 to 15. Six of the interviewees were from Anglo/Celtic/Australian backgrounds, 6 were from non-English speaking backgrounds,⁹ and 1 was from a mixed background. Eight spoke English as their first language while 5 spoke a language other than English at home.