Whittlesea CALD Communities Family Violence Research Report 2012 | Page 7

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information about their legal rights and the availability of support services, they would have taken
action in relation to the family violence impacting on them.
Being connected to external support often had not only an effect on the women themselves but also
an effect on the perpetrator of the abuse. A number of women reported that once the perpetrator
knew that others knew about the abuse and that the women had outside support this led to a
change in their behaviour.
The value of support groups that connected women to each other and reduced their isolation was
reported as especially important in empowering women. Women who were connected to support
groups felt more confident, had greater self-esteem and felt more informed about their rights and
the options available to them.

Perspectives from Service Providers
Service providers perceived and articulated the barriers faced by CALD women in accessing support
and information in relation to family violence in much the same way as the women themselves.
Among the 23 workers from specialist family violence and mainstream service providers consulted
there was general consensus on ways in which support services and access for CALD women might
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