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Abstract
<p class="first" id="d1480795e51">Interviews with 30 women in two shires in Victoria,
Australia, confirmed that domestic
violence increased following the catastrophic Black Saturday bushfires on February
7, 2009. As such research is rare, it addresses a gap in the disaster and interpersonal
violence literature. The research that exists internationally indicates that increased
violence against women is characteristic of a postdisaster recovery in developing
countries. The relative lack of published research from primary data in developed
countries instead reflects our resistance to investigating or recognizing increased
male violence against women after disasters in developed countries. This article begins
with an overview of this literature. The primary research was qualitative, using in-depth
semistructured interviews to address the research question of whether violence against
women increased in the Australian context. The sample of 30 women was aged from 20s
to 60s. Recruitment was through flyers and advertisements, and interviews were audio-recorded,
transcribed, and checked by participants. Analysis was inductive, using modified grounded
theory. Seventeen women gave accounts of new or increased violence from male partners
that they attribute to the disaster. A key finding is that, not only is there both
increased and new domestic violence but formal reporting will not increase in communities
unwilling to hear of this hidden disaster. Findings are reported within a framework
of three broad explanations. In conclusion, although causation is not claimed, it
is important to act on the knowledge that increased domestic violence and disasters
are linked.
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