Domestic Violence - What you need to know about Domestic Violence and Abuse

My research question is, “What is domestic violence and abuse?” I chose this question because I knew it was a worldwide issue that is not talked about enough, and there is still very little awareness surrounding domestic and family violence.

The research that I conducted for this project involved looking at what domestic violence and abuse are, what influences abusive behaviour, different patterns of behaviour in an abusive or unhealthy relationship, and different signs of manipulation, control, and coercion. All of this information was incredibly interesting, but it was also a lot to take on as someone who was not particularly familiar with the subject. I also watched a show called Look What You Made Me Do on SBS, which followed an investigative journalist exploring the impacts of domestic violence and looking at how the system supports people experiencing domestic violence. It also showed some confronting information about the aftermath of domestic violence situations that had escalated. The series was incredibly insightful, but also confronting. As part of my project, I created a website containing all of the information that I found. I also included information about services and places that someone could go to if they or someone else was experiencing danger or domestic violence.

I learned that domestic violence is a subject that needs more awareness and needs to be talked about more. I learnt that 1 in 4 women experience domestic violence, highlighting how widespread this issue is. Domestic violence can leave a lasting impact on a person, and some people may feel that they have no choice but to stay with their abusive partner or family member. Another thing I learnt is that not everyone makes it out of these situations safely. Everyone has a role to play in standing up against domestic violence and helping to raise awareness about it.

If I were to complete this project again, I would make sure that I planned my time more carefully and gave myself more opportunities to step away from the research and process what I was learning, rather than trying to take on so much confronting information at once. I would also make sure I had regular conversations with someone I trusted throughout the project so that I could debrief and reflect on the more difficult parts of the research.

Some of the feedback that I received was that it was a great piece of work. I was also advised that if I were to do something like this again, I should make sure I take time for myself and debrief about the subject with someone else or write my thoughts down. This is because it is a topic that can be very confronting, mentally draining, and emotionally exhausting.

The Big Picture learning goals that I demonstrated were all of them, as every single learning goal was woven into the topic. I used Communication throughout my presentation and research. I used Social Reasoning to understand the background of domestic violence and abuse, as well as to analyse statistics and information surrounding the issue. I used Empirical Reasoning by experimenting with a new set of skills and making sure that the website worked effectively. Finally, I used Quantitative Reasoning for the mathematics and statistics side of the project, including looking at graphs, numbers relating to domestic violence, and other statistical information.