Violence in a Box

Helen Austin

 

Helen grew up in a house, not much bigger than a box, which had domestic violence oozing from every corner. The source of this violence was her father, Jack, and she was powerless to escape or change her situation.
Violence in a Box invites you to step into Helen’s childhood world and experience life with a father who instils fear and terror, every day, into the lives of his wife and children.

Fifty years ago, doctors understood the behaviour of men like Jack as “violent, temporary therapy”, outbursts that “served to release him momentarily from his anxiety…”

In Australia today, women and children are being murdered by intimate family members at an inexcusable rate. One murder is too many, but up to two women a week is an epidemic — a public crisis that demands our urgent intervention.

As a practising social worker for 30 years, Helen’s story is interwoven with a professional analysis of the historical and cultural context that has enabled domestic violence. She offers practical tips and resources for both victims and witnesses.

 

 

About the Author

 The author was a practising social worker for 30 years before retirement.and undertook a Ministerial appointment for the then Hon. MP Ron Dyer, Minister for Community Services, performed through the Children's Commission of NSW. This appointment entailed investigation of abuse towards residents of the Hall for Children in the Blue Mountains of NSW. As a result five million dollars was allocated to provide individual care packages to residents and the Hall for Children was successfully closed in 1997.

The author has held positions on a variety of boards and inter-agencies connected to child protection, domestic violence and mental health.The author has worked with Aboriginal Communities and with Land Councils. 
The author is qualified to facilitate Family Group Conferences around child protection and restoration of children back to their families where it is deemed safe to do so.

The author is qualified to undertake foster carer assessments with recommendations for approval and to train new foster carers.

The author's experiences as a child witnessing domestic violence led to a career which was throughly rewarding.