Maternal Alienation - South Australian Policy Online

with the partnership with the universities and distinguished researchers,Dr Margie Ripper from the University of Adelaide and Professor Liz KellyC.B.E., Director of the Child and Women Abuse Studies Unit, LondonMetropolitan University. The project has benefited from the expertiseof these researchers, but has not funded any part of the PhD. Theresearch/evidence basis for the project will be undertaken as part of thePhD and will include:• Interviews with women.• Interviews with workers.• Research on the relationship between domestic violence, childsexual abuse and child protection leading to better understandingsamongst practitioners.• Literature Review which will situate this work within local, nationaland international research and practice on violence against childrenand women, and child protection.Action ResearchThe research dimension encourages dialogue between researchers, policymakersand practitioners. The project became a means of bringing newideas from the latest research into the arena of policy and practice, andallowing the practice context to inform areas of theory and research.This is an action-research approach. From this standpoint, a number ofpapers were presented at conferences:• ‘Working across Services and Sectors to counter the Effects ofViolence on Mothers and Children - The Maternal AlienationProject’, paper by Anne Morris presented at Beyond the Rhetoric inEarly Intervention - Bridging the Gap between Education, Healthand Crime Prevention, March 2003, Adelaide;• ‘The mother of the victim as potential supporter and protector:considerations and challenges’, paper by Anne Morris presented atChild Sexual Abuse: Justice Response or Alternative ResolutionConference, May 2003, Adelaide;10