Working with Communities to Prevent Domestic Violence: A Practice Framework and The Six Ps

My concept of The Six Ps for reducing domestic violence in communities emerged from my experience of working on the Safe in Our Town (SiOT) project, which aimed to develop a more coordinated community response to the issue of domestic violence in Glen Innes, a small rural community in Australia. Such an aim may seem straightforward in theory, but practice proved otherwise. The process of engaging the community in dialogue about domestic violence involved an added layer of complexity because, firstly, people generally do not want to talk about domestic violence; secondly, it is a contentious issue; and thirdly, it is a deeply personal subject for many. To deal with this complexity, I engaged in a continual process of critical self-reflection throughout the course of the project and I share the insights from that process in this paper. First, I present the practice framework that was developed as the project progressed, which assisted in maintaining focus on what I was doing and why I was doing it. I then go on to share some of my 'on the ground' practice experience of certain situations, before explaining The Six Ps, which, in essence, provide a reference point for navigating the complex web of interactions that shape this very complex field of practice.