Category Archives: Our Research

Beware of bushfire scams – Dr Cassandra Cross

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The recent Australian bushfires are presenting the latest opportunity for fraud.

QUT C4J member, Dr Cassandra Cross, has written an article for The Conversation about how this fraud can happen, how you can safely donate and how you can think long term about protecting yourself from fraud.

Cass researches on various aspects of fraud including the policing, prevention and support for online fraud, including romance fraud and cybercrime.  In 2011, she was awarded the Donald Mackay Churchill Fellowship, which enabled her to travel to the UK, USA and Canada to examine how these jurisdictions respond to online fraud.

In 2013, Cass was awarded a Criminology Research Grant (CRG) to undertake the first Australian study examining the reporting and support needs of online fraud victims. In 2015, she was awarded a second CRG to examine the process of identity restoration for victims of identity theft, in partnership with iDcare. In 2016, she was awarded a third CRG to examine the policing of cybercrime in Australia.

In 2019 Cass was appointed Senior Research Fellow to the Cybersecurity CRC, delivering industry-led cyber security research outcomes.   

The article is well worth a read – read here     

 

 

 

Fulbright Scholar Award – Associate Professor Kelly Richards

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Our heartfelt congratulations to Associate Professor Kelly Richards on her recent Fulbright Scholar Award for 2020.

Kelly will use her Fulbright Scholar Award to further her research on victim/survivors of sexual violence and Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) at California State University-Fresno and the University of Vermont.

Kelly’s research focuses primarily on sexual offending against children, and especially on the reintegration of those who perpetrate sexual violence. In 2010 Kelly was awarded the ACT Government Office for Women Audrey Fagan Churchill Fellowship to investigate CoSA around the globe. Kelly is a member of a wide range of professional and community organisations in the fields of criminology and sexual violence. She is a Member of the Queensland Government’s Child Death Case Review Panels, the Queensland representative on the After Prison Network, a Committee Member of the Queensland chapter of Restorative Practices International, a member of the Brisbane Rape and Incest Survivors’ Support Centre Research and Reference Group, and a member of the Bravehearts Foundation Expert Research Advisory Panel, among others. 

 

 

Workshop: Youth and Peace in the Indo-Pacific: Policy, Practice, Action

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Public Panel – 27 November                     Workshop day 2

Helen Berents – Workshop Welcome

On the 28th and 29th of November, QUT Centre for Justice hosted a workshop funded by the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA), ‘Youth and Peace in the Indo-Pacific: Policy, Practice, Action’.

The workshop was co-convened by School of Justice Senior Lecturer, Dr Helen Berents, along with Dr Caitlin Mollica (Griffith University) and Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia Professor Jacqui True (Monash University).

On Wednesday 27, November there was a public evening panel event including Dr Helen Berents, on ‘Agents of Change: What Can Youth Offer Peace and Security?’ held at the Ship Inn, Southbank.

The workshop on the 28th and 29th brought together invited academics, advocates, and civil society representatives from across Australia to consider how policy responses and scholarship can better engage with the peace and security challenges facing young people in the Indo-Pacific region.

Over half the world’s population is under 30 years old; and almost half of the world’s youth live in the Indo-Pacific. Young people in the region face multiple, intersecting challenges including the impact of conflict and insecurity, economic insecurity, and growing environmental risks. Yet they are often marginalised or excluded from the institutions tasked with implementing peace and security. This workshop aimed to facilitate a critical policy dialogue, which examines post-conflict practices that have sought to meaningfully engage with the experiences of youth in the region.

 The workshop drew on the established work and leadership of feminist scholars and practitioners, which has brought about gender inclusive policy making, and encouraged the development of similar practices for those individuals aged between 18-29 years old. In doing so, it contributed critical scholarship that considers the contributions of youth participation to the creation of more inclusive and holistic peace practices; and Australia’s role in the development of youth mainstreaming policies and practices in conflict-affected contexts.

Further information about the workshop can be found here.

 

 

 

The Final Report of ARC Field Research on Women’s Police Stations, Buenos Aires, Argentina is now published in English and Spanish

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The Final Report of ARC Field Research on Women’s Police Stations, Buenos Aires, Argentina is now published in English and Spanish, and free to download from the project page

Summary of the Report
Women’s Police Stations are unique innovations that emerged from nations of the Global South in the second half of the 20th century to address violence against women. This report presents the results of a world first study of the unique way these stations called Comisaría de la Mujer (CMF) prevent gender-based violence in the Province of Buenos Aires Argentina. In Spanish and Portuguese these stations are called Police Stations for Women, for the sake of ease in this article we call them Women’s Police Stations. Little is currently known about how this distinctive multi-disciplinary model of policing (that includes social workers, lawyers, psychologists and police) prevents gender violence.
First, we outline the background to the emergence of Women’s Police Stations in the societies of the Global South designed explicitly to respond to and prevent gender-based violence. These stations are distinguished from the women only police units that existed in most parts of the Global North that restricted women in law enforcement to caring for women and children in custody (Cartron 2015, 9). The main substance of the report presents the results of our empirical study on the role of Women’s Police Stations in responding to and preventing gender violence in the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The province established its first women’s police station in 1988 and now has 128. They account for one in five of all police stations in the province and since 2009 have had a legislated mandate to prevent gender violence which distinguishes them from other Women’s Police Stations. We interviewed 100 employees from ten of these unique multi-disciplinary stations.
The final section critically reflects on the virtues and limits of Women’s Police Stations as a model for addressing and preventing gender-based violence. The report compares traditional policing versus specialist policing approaches to the prevention of gender-based violence. While not without limitations, we conclude that specialised Women’s Police Stations in the societies of the Global South widen access to justice, empower women to break the cycle of domestic violence, and engage in a form of community policing that challenges the social norms that sustain gender violence. As a by-product they also provide a career in law enforcement for police (male and female) who specialise in responding to gender violence. The study is framed by Southern Criminology which reverses the notion that ideas, policies and theories can only travel from the Global North to the Global South. The study is funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) and includes a multi-country team of researchers whose contributions we gratefully acknowledge.

Citation

English

Carrington, K. Sozzo, M. Puyol, M. V. Gamboa, M. Guala, N. Ghiberto, L. Zysman, D. (2019) The Role of Women’s Police Stations in Responding to and Preventing Gender Violence: Buenos Aires, Argentina: Final Report of Field Research. QUT Centre for Justice: Brisbane. Research Report Series 1.

Spanish
Carrington, Kerry , Sozzo, Maximo , Puyol, Maria Victoria , Gamboa, Marcela , Guala, Natacha , Ghiberto, Luciana , & Zysman, Diego (2019) El rol de las Comisarías de la Mujer en la prevención y el abordaje de la violencia de género, Buenos Aires, Argentina: Informe final de trabajo de campo. QUT Centre for Justice: Brisbane. Research Report Series 1.

For more information about the ARC project click here

Bridget Harris: ANZSOC New Scholar Prize 2019

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Congratulations to QUT C4J member, Dr Bridget Harris, on her recent award of ANZSOC New Scholar Prize for 2019.  The New Scholar Prize is given each year for the best publication in criminology (or a related area) written by a member of the Society who qualifies as an early career researcher.

The article, co-authored with Delanie Woodlock , was published in British Journal of Criminology and  is titled, “Digital Coercive Control: Insights From Two Landmark Domestic Violence Studies”.  The authors present their recent studies on harmful and invasive behaviours enacted through technology.  Bridget applies her research focus of domestic and family violence (DFV) and spatiality, and the unique ‘spaceless’ features of technology-facilitated DFV.

The full article is available through open access and can be found here.

Congratulations to Bridget on a very successful year pioneering and further developing research into this very important area, both in Australia and internationally.  A well deserved award.

 

 

QUT Workshop: Gender Violence and the Global South

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The QUT Centre for Justice co-hosted a two day workshop on Gender Violence and the Global South on 2-3 November in the beautiful surroundings of the Botanic Gardens Café.

The workshop heard from leading scholars on gender violence from Brasil, Victoria, NSW, Qld, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and PNG. Outcomes include plans to edit a special edition of the Journal, a Handbook on Feminism and Gender Violence in the Global South, a co-hosted conference in Port Alegre, Brasil, November 2020; an international network, and international reading group. Key note speakers included Carmen Hein de Campos, Soraia Mendes, Camila Magalhaes, and Thiago Peirobom from Brasil, Heather Nancarrow, CEO of ANROWS; Professor Heather Douglas, Law UQ; and Rowena Maguire, QUT Law

 

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Centre for Justice DECRA success 2020

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Congratulations to Centre for Justice members, Dr Bridget Harris and Dr Helen Berents who have both been awarded a DECRA to commence in 2020. This is an outstanding result, not just for QUT and for the Faculty but for both of these exceptional researchers.

The DECRA success rate for 2020 was 16% nationwide. Across Australia just only 21 grants were allocated to the FoR code 16 (Studies in Human Society). These were the only HASS DECRAs awarded to QUT this year which again speaks to the calibre and standing of the researchers and their projects.

Bridget’s project is titled: Building State responses to technology-facilitated domestic violence
This project aims to investigate one of Australia’s most pressing social problems: domestic violence and the emerging use of digital technology to enact and escalate abuse and stalking. Technology-facilitated domestic violence threatens psychological, emotional and physical wellbeing and safety (and signifies risk of homicide), and so warrants attention. Justice systems have a crucial role to play in preventing technology-facilitated violence and safeguarding and empowering victim/survivors. This timely project seeks to assess existing State responses to and regulation of such harms. It expects to provide an evidence base to enhance and develop innovative policing and judicial policy and practice, with benefits to communities and economies.

Helen’s project is titled: Youth Leadership and the Future of Peace and Security
This project aims to investigate the roles youth play in building inclusive and durable peace at local and international levels. It advances one of the first detailed studies of youth-led peacebuilding in three post-conflict contexts in order to generate new insights into best practice for including youth in peace and security policies. Expected outcomes contribute to growing global recognition of youth peace advocacy by providing richer understandings of how to support and empower youth in conflict-affected contexts. The project seeks to strengthen Australia’s leadership in peacebuilding initiatives and enhance policy efforts towards regional and global security and prosperity.

Congratulations Helen and Bridget.

Engaging men in the Pacific in violence prevention

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Photo credit: UN Women/Natalie Garrison

Associate Professor Michael Flood leading discussion at the Pacific Regional Dialogue on Engaging Men in the Prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls (Fiji)
Photo credit: UN Women/Natalie Garrison

In countries throughout the Pacific, there is growing interest in the roles men can play in stopping violence against women. At the Pacific Regional Dialogue on Engaging Men in the Prevention of Violence Against Women, Associate Professor Michael Flood contributed to the facilitation of the first three days of the workshop. He focused on how to engage men in primary prevention, exploring international best practice in this work and the practical and political challenges of engaging men.

The Pacific Regional Dialogue on Engaging Men in the Prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls gathered more than 40 participants from seven Pacific countries’ governments, civil society organizations, faith-based organisations, and communities of male advocates for women’s human rights. The Regional Dialogue was formally opened by Minister for Health and Medical Services Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete. Participants came from Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu.

The Regional Dialogue, led by the Pacific Women’s Network Against Violence Against Women, was a collaboration between the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC) and the UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office. It took place over 16–20 September 2019 in Sigatoka, Fiji. More information on the event is available in this media release.

‘Toxic masculinity’ at GOMA

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GOMA Talks: Toxic Masculinity discussion, held during the ‘Quilty’ exhibition / Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane / September 2019 / Image courtesy: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / Photography: Chloe Callistemon

Associate Professor Michael Flood was one of the panellists in a recent event on ‘toxic masculinity’ at the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) in Brisbane, on September 23. The event was hosted by ABC Radio National host Paul Barclay (Big Ideas), and featured Michael Flood, Catharine Lumby, Joe Williams, and Tarang Chawla.

Flood contributed to a lively discussion on ‘toxic masculinity’. What does the term mean, and is it useful? What impact do dominant norms of manhood have, both among boys and men and those around them?

About 360 people attended the event, across four locations, and another 304 viewed the live stream online during the session. Audience members were able to send in questions and comments live as the event proceeded, with 149 people doing so. Twitter reach during the program included 68,000+ accounts and 295,000+ impressions. A recording of the event is available on YouTube.

Event: Thirty years after Fitzgerald: The unfinished business of Queensland’s sex work policy

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In July the CJSDRC launched the first of its briefing papers, The Case for Decriminalisation: Sex Work and the Law in QLD’.

This month the paper will be re-launched at Queensland State Parliament,by Centre Director Melissa Bull, at an event sponsored by Peter Russo, State Member for Toohey. If you are interested in reading and hearing more about decriminalisation, join the Respect Inc and #DecrimQLD in Brisbane Parliament House for a solutions-focused Symposium on the unfinished business of the Fitzgerald Inquiry Report. The Fitzgerald Report recommended significant changes to prevent the continued misuse of police powers. Thirty years later sex work remains in the Criminal Code. At this Symposium you will have the opportunity to hear the concerns and solutions from experts in the field of sex work policy. More about the event can be found below.

Thirty years after Fitzgerald: The unfinished business of Queensland’s sex work policy
Sex industry policy in Queensland remains unfinished business. Thirty years after the 1989 Fitzgerald Inquiry found excessive levels of police corruption and misuse of powers over the sex industry, 80% of sex workers in Queensland are still subject to police regulation and monitoring.

In response to the Fitzgerald Inquiry, the Prostitution Act 1999 (Qld) introduced a brothel licensing system but left the Criminal Code 1899 (Qld) intact. The 1999 legislation criminalises sex workers working in pairs and massage parlours, and regulates only 20 brothels. Standard practices such as hiring a receptionist, texting another worker when a client arrives and leaves, are illegal. Police powers include immunity when posing as clients undercover. Police now actively prosecute sex workers for implementing safety strategies, with charges up by 126%, and for incorrect wording in sex work advertising, with charges up 450%. The ‘criminals’ are predominantly women over 30; they are fined up to $6,000. Access to justice is impeded. The unintended consequence of the lack of action on this issue is that basic safety strategies are criminalised. Everyday, sex workers in Queensland must choose between working safely or legally.

The evidence is that decriminalisation is the best model of sex industry regulation. It is a system that would bring all sex industry businesses under Queensland’s existing robust business and industrial regulation. Repealing outdated laws would finish the work of Fitzgerald and provide safer working conditions for sex workers, free from fear of arrest.
This symposium is sponsored by Peter Russo MP, State Member for Toohey.

Photo ID and a ticket are essential for Parliament House events.

Register here

Janelle Fawkes