The FAIR (Family Violence Affecting Children and Young People from Immigrant and Refugee Backgrounds) project is a participatory mixed-methods study examining the needs of migrant and refugee children affected by domestic and family violence (DFV) in Australia.
The research, conducted through interviews with young people, mothers, and stakeholders, plus digital storytelling and quantitative data analysis, reveals significant systemic failures. Key findings show that migrant and refugee children face compounding barriers including systemic racism, fear of child removal, immigration detention concerns, and visa-related service ineligibility. Young people reported multiple forms of violence and only sought help when DFV reached critically high risk levels, describing services as overwhelming and not trauma-informed.
Stakeholders highlighted that child protection responses lack nuance in addressing DFV patterns, with Victorian services experiencing 40% staff vacancy rates. Mothers described how coercive control isolated families and how practitioners often lacked comprehensive understanding of DFV’s impact on children.
