The Batty Effect: a case study on the influence of victim-survivors, and an argument for purposefully engaging and empowering diverse voices in the development of public policy

Why are victim-survivors of gender-based violence such powerful agents of change? What perils do they face? New research published in the journal Violence Against Women (@VAWJournal) presents findings from an in-depth study of victim-survivor advocate Rosie Batty and the significant social and policy change she helped to drive in Australia. Lead author Lisa Wheildon (@wheeliebinit), from BehaviourWorks at the Monash Sustainable Development Institute, shares a summary of the findings from the study, co-authored with Professor Jacqui True (@JacquiTrue), Associate Professor Asher Flynn (@AsherFlynn), and Abby Wild.

Rosie Batty (photo supplied by Rosie)

“If anything comes out of this, I want it to be a lesson to everybody that family violence happens to everybody no matter how nice your house is, no matter how intelligent you are, it happens to anyone and everyone.”

These simple words and the grief-stricken image of Rosie Batty speaking to media outside her home the morning after her 11-year-old son Luke was murdered by his father at cricket training are etched into the memories of many Australians. While some realised at the time that these words and the woman who spoke them were remarkable, few could have foreseen that they would signal the beginning of an extraordinary period of social and political transformation across Australia.   

Domestic and family violence is a widespread problem globally

Domestic and family violence (DFV) is widespread and results in significant personal, government, and business costs. In Australia, intimate partner violence is the highest health risk factor (greater than smoking, alcohol, and obesity) for women in their reproductive years (18-44 years). Yet until Luke’s tragic death in 2014, the subsequent outpouring of community grief, and the commencement of Rosie’s advocacy, DFV was an issue that was rarely publicly discussed. It was a private issue, kept behind closed doors. Something then Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police, Ken Lay, described as “Australia’s filthy little secret.”

Figure 1. Ten-year Google trends search for the term domestic violence in Australia (2010–2020).

Note. Interest over time numbers represent search interest relative to the highest point on the chart for the given region, Australia, and time, 2010–2020. A value of 100 is the peak popularity for the term. A value of 50 means that the term is half as popular. A score of 0 means that there was not enough data for this term.

From 2015 things started to change

As Figure 1 indicates, an increase in website searches for the term domestic violence peaked in 2015 when Rosie was named Australian of the Year and began a period of extensive and relentless advocacy. DFV became an issue of public, media, and political concern. And it became an issue that people demanded could and should be addressed and prevented.

Research undertaken as part of my PhD at Monash University, and published in Violence Against Women, examines the role Rosie played in helping bring about this period of remarkable change and considers other socio-political factors that provided the conditions for change. Together with my Monash University co-authors, Professor Jacqui True, Associate Professor Asher Flynn, and Abby Wild, we sought to understand what it was about Rosie and what it was about that point in history that made this transformation possible. Ultimately, we wanted to know how we might maintain this sort of momentum and bring about real, lasting improvements in policies and services to support victim-survivors of DFV.

The research consisted of an in-depth interview with Rosie and interviews with eight policy actors. Interview data were supplemented by analyses of media and government reports and other documents.  We found that Rosie possesses personal characteristics and capabilities, which in many ways made her the ‘ideal victim’ and policy entrepreneur/change agent. Her ability to understand others and to put herself in their shoes was particularly notable, as was her driving ambition to ensure that no one else would go through the same sort of tragedy.

One of the most important themes to emerge from the interviews was the importance of Rosie’s outsider status and the fact she was not from the DFV sector or government. We found that in responding to wicked policy problems like DFV, it is increasingly common for individual actors who are very often outside government to be the ones bringing about reform. Rosie’s outsider status, together with the power and urgency of her lived experience, enabled her to overcome institutional divisions and ideological differences to build networks encompassing the expertise and institutional know-how required to achieve substantial change.

A window of opportunity

We also found that Rosie’s advocacy began at a time when a ‘window of opportunity’ had opened up in Victoria, following the election of the Andrews’ Labor Government, which had made an election commitment to hold a Royal Commission into family violence. Several interviews provided a clear sense that the Andrews’ Government saw DFV as the issue that would present the opportunity to break down silos and undertake the business of government differently. Rosie provided the community support and momentum for this change.

The importance of the feminist movement

The foundations established by decades of work undertaken by the feminist/women’s movement and organisations, such as the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth), also emerged as a critical theme in our research. For example, VicHealth’s Preventing violence before it occurs framework was identified as key in explaining the gendered drivers of violence against women and identifying actions to address those determinants. This groundwork provided a framework for understanding DFV. It meant that within pockets of the Victorian Government and the DFV and public health sectors, there was a workforce ready to make the most of the opportunities Rosie and the new government helped create.

Perils

However, our study also identified risks and limitations for victim-survivors engaged in reform efforts. In considering the history of the victims’ rights movement, we found that victim-survivors have invariably been used to promote political agendas in a way that rarely helps them. Our research confirmed that gendered power imbalances, stereotypes, and social norms, particularly regarding ‘ideal victims,’ mean many victim-survivors can feel pressure to be compliant and avoid upsetting powerful interests. We also found the assumption, made by some policy actors, that Rosie’s experience would open the door for other, more diverse victim-survivors was wrong.

Despite the prioritisation of victim-survivors voices, there are still many less “ideal,” more representative voices that are not being heard. Initiatives engaging victim-survivors in the development of public policy must address power imbalances. Ensuring the empowerment and autonomy of victim-survivors is critical.

Writer Ursula K. le Guin said, “When we women offer our experience as our truth, as human truth, all the maps change. There are new mountains.” Rosie spoke her truth that morning in February 2014, and she has continued to speak her truth throughout her advocacy. Speaking truth to power shines a light on system failures and can bring about positive change. We just need those in power to be brave enough to listen.