Complaint Mechanisms for Reporting Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation

Led by A/Prof Linda Steele, in collaboration with A/Prof Dinesh Wadiwel (University of Sydney) and Dr Claire Spivakovsky (University of Melbourne)

The research  

The research report understands a complaint mechanism as a procedure within an organisation, institution or governing authority which allows individuals to report negative experiences and problematic conduct and policy; seek individual rectification; and, where appropriate, trigger system change. Some people with disability utilise complaint mechanisms to report violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.

The report discusses the use of complaint mechanisms, and in particular the challenges that it often creates, including whether existing complaint mechanisms are fit for purpose, whether complaint mechanisms are able to guarantee equality before the law and equal rights to justice for people with disability, how complaint mechanisms relate to other reporting pathways, in particular police and courts, and whether complaint mechanisms are able to protect individuals from violence and create system change to prevent violence.

How the research supports positive change 

While the report raises concerns about complaint mechanisms, it recognises that complaint mechanisms may be able to offer alternative forms of justice in outcome that are not available through the police and courts. This research provides guidance to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (the Disability Royal Commission) on the design of accessible and inclusive complaint mechanisms, by putting forward an ideal approach to reporting pathways. The report utilises contemporary understandings of human rights, violence prevention, procedural justice and justice in outcome to identify the principles that should inform the design of complaint mechanisms to optimise their functioning. The report further provides a mapping of the Australian complaint mechanism landscape, through a survey of website information, and where appropriate, policy or legislation, identifying some common features and limitations of existing complaint mechanism approaches, particularly in relation to the reporting of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.

To find out more 

Read the research paper here: Complaint Mechanisms: Reporting Pathways for Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation