Innovating and evaluating to build evidence Primary prevention of violence against women and their children is a relatively new field. High-quality, evaluated initiatives addressing known drivers of violence against women have only been undertaken within the last 10 to 15 years, but the results demonstrated above show that change is possible. The ‘newness’ of the field and subsequent limited number of fully evaluated examples should never be a reason or excuse for inaction, or for failing to invest in innovative prevention policy and programs. Our obligations to address violence against women as a human rights abuse 112 have led international organisations to caution that a current lack of evaluation must not be used by governments or funders as a justification for avoiding investment or innovation. 113 Further, narrowly defined standards of evidence – often derived from other fields – may be inappropriate for such a complex social problem as violence against women. 114 Rather, program design and development should draw on all available evidence, prioritising formal evaluations, but also incorporating lessons from research, practice and consultation and advice from those with relevant expertise. Attention should be paid not only to replicating successful techniques, but to testing, adapting and evaluating them in different contexts and settings – an approach that is not only evidence-based, but also evidence-building. Evaluation methods Investment in evaluation is crucial if we are to strengthen our knowledge of what works – and, just as importantly, what does not work – to prevent violence. Evaluation should form part of any prevention initiative, and should be resourced appropriately as a tool for learning and accountability. A range of qualitative and quantitative evaluation strategies may be appropriate depending on the program and information being sought. 115 Evaluations making provision for long-term follow up would provide valuable future learnings – particularly in the Australian context, where such data is limited. Much innovative prevention work is currently trialling new methodologies, or building engagement and capacity for more substantive future work, and so may not yet be ready for a large-scale or longitudinal study. Determining the effectiveness of prevention techniques is based on a number of variables: what is being evaluated, the quality of design and implementation, how well the initiative communicates to its target audience, the supports available, longevity, the skills of practitioners involved, and where and with whom the initiative is taking place. Short to mid-term evaluation measures that examine the strengths and weakness of the process taken, as well as measuring change against the underlying drivers of and contributors to violence against women, can provide important learnings. Responding to emerging issues Prevention work needs to include innovative approaches that help build evidence in an evolving field. This includes building evidence for the effectiveness of initiatives for particular groups, and in specific contexts, whether this is teenage boys in a sports club, Aboriginal communities in a rural area, or women with disabilities in an institutional setting. To maintain relevance and reach across a diverse and rapidly evolving Australian society, prevention strategies and approaches will need to respond to emerging issues and a changing environment. There is a need to continue to scan the environment and undertake research to guide this ongoing innovation and adaptation and to support the development of new approaches. The impacts on young people of increased accessibility of pornography, for example, are beginning to be taken into account in schools-based and other activities. But in future, new types of violence that might emerge with technology or social changes will need to be analysed and addressed. 48
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