Identifying and Responding to Intimate Partner Violence in Australian Refugee Settlement Services

Purpose: Emerging evidence suggests that women settling in a country after forced migration are at greater risk of intimate partner violence (IPV). Screening for IPV has been widely implemented in mainstream health services and found to increase identification of IPV and provide opportunities for access to support. The Australian government funds a suite of settlement services and programs to assist refugees in their settlement journey. This study aimed to assess the suitability of these settings to screen refugee women and to tailor responses to their needs, given their low utilisation of mainstream services. 

Methods: This study piloted IPV screening and a brief intervention for women accessing settlement services at four sites in Australia. Using the recently validated four-item ACTS tool which enquires about the frequency of women being afraid, controlled, threatened and slapped/hit by a partner, screening was undertaken by bi-cultural workers with risk assessment, safety planning and referral offered to those who disclosed. 

Results: Over a four-month period, 354 women were approached at routine visits to the service with 309 (87%) being asked the ACTS questions and 18 (5%) refusing. Responses from 90 women (29%) to the ACTS questions indicated past 12 months IPV. Of those experiencing IPV, 28 (31%) accepted support from the site’s IPV worker including four (4%) additionally referred to other services.

Conclusion: Strong uptake, with high screening rates, low refusal rates and high disclosure rates indicate the potential for screening refugee women in services they already access for settlement support.