{"title":"Beyond Robodebt: Media Representations of Welfare and Fraud Before and After the Robodebt Royal Commission","authors":"Rebecca Coleman-Hicks, Georgia van Toorn","doi":"10.1002/ajs4.70069","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajs4.70069","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Australia's Robodebt scheme, an automated debt recovery program introduced in 2016, was exposed by the Robodebt Royal Commission (RC) as a serious failure of public administration and source of significant harm for thousands of Australians. Through a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of Australian news media, this study explores whether the RC's revelations of governance failures and institutionalised stigma have sparked changes in media portrayals of welfare and a decline in stigmatising language. Our analysis of 307 news media articles from four outlets, spanning two periods—1 May 2017 to 30 June 2018 and 1 May 2023 to 30 June 2024—reveals that while stigmatising language declined in conservative news media after the Robodebt RC, most coverage framed the scheme as an administrative or policy failure, with only a minority addressing the lived experiences of Robodebt recipients and the deeper systemic and attitudinal factors at play. Our analysis contributes to understanding how discursive violence is not always communicated through explicit stigmatising language, but also through what is deliberately left unsaid. We conceptualise this as ‘violence by omission’, a form of erasure that silences those most impacted while obscuring the full scale and origins of harm.</p>","PeriodicalId":46787,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Social Issues","volume":"61 2","pages":"286-295"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ajs4.70069","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148269187","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Martin O'Flaherty, Jessica Hill, Jennifer Smith-Merry
{"title":"Understanding Inequality Within a Personalised System of Disability Support: Australian Children With Disabilities' Unmet Support Needs","authors":"Martin O'Flaherty, Jessica Hill, Jennifer Smith-Merry","doi":"10.1002/ajs4.70062","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajs4.70062","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Disability support has shifted towards models of personalised care, which critics argue may contribute to increased inequalities. There is limited systematic evidence investigating inequalities in support among children with disabilities. To investigate inequalities in support, a survey of parents of children with disabilities aged 2–17 was conducted. Data from 644 participants were used to analyse unmet needs. Poisson regression was used to examine relationships between child characteristics, family background, NDIS funding, and number of unmet needs. Most children (83%) were reported to have unmet needs, with therapy, school-based support, and support workers most common. Older children and those with greater functional difficulty had higher unmet need. Low household income, adult disability, single-parent families and residence in regional areas were also associated with higher unmet need. Individual funding was associated with lower unmet need for therapy and medical care, but higher unmet need for support workers, access to community activities and transport. Unmet needs for support are common, and there exist substantial inequalities in support for children with disabilities. Individual funding was not found to reduce unmet needs for support. These results indicate that there is an urgent need for reform of Australia's disability support systems to enhance equitable support.</p>","PeriodicalId":46787,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Social Issues","volume":"61 2","pages":"318-330"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ajs4.70062","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148269242","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Confessions of a Poverty Researcher: My Journey Through the Foothills of Scholarship","authors":"Peter Saunders","doi":"10.1002/ajs4.70058","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajs4.70058","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This paper describes the key events, experiences and ideas that influenced the author's career as a poverty researcher. He describes how his early disillusion with economics was replaced by a spark of interest in social issues and how his migration from the UK to Australia in the mid-1970s provided the impetus to begin what became a lifetime focus on researching poverty. A period at the OECD broadened his international experience in comparative research and provided the basis for his appointment as Director of the Social Policy Research Centre in 1987. He highlights how his perspective on poverty changed to reflect the conceptual and practical limitations of a narrow income-based approach, was informed by his interactions with other social researchers and shaped by his participation in national and international projects, conferences, organisations and policy reviews. The focus is on explaining how his approach to poverty research has been influenced by the work of leading researchers in the field but also by the ideas, expertise and practices of many colleagues and unofficial mentors encountered along the way. It is a personal story that hopefully has meaning and relevance to other scholars working on economic and social aspects of poverty and related issues.</p>","PeriodicalId":46787,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Social Issues","volume":"61 2","pages":"236-246"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ajs4.70058","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148269204","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
I. Belperio, R. Walker, C. Bigby, I. Wiesel, F. Rillotta, C. Hutchinson
{"title":"Adults With Intellectual Disability Moving out of the Family Home Using the National Disability Insurance Scheme: Family Members' Planning Experiences","authors":"I. Belperio, R. Walker, C. Bigby, I. Wiesel, F. Rillotta, C. Hutchinson","doi":"10.1002/ajs4.70078","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajs4.70078","url":null,"abstract":"<p>For adults with intellectual disability and their families, future planning and moving out of the family home in Australia will increasingly occur within the context of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). As a market-based, individualised funding system its impact on this transition remains largely unknown. This paper reports on a qualitative study involving 17 family members who supported an adult with intellectual disability to move out of the family home using the NDIS. For many families, the NDIS provided increased funding opportunities and greater flexibility in housing and living supports than were previously available. However, they also described how navigating the Scheme and achieving desired housing and living goals had a significant impact on their well-being. More research is needed to more fully understand the mental and emotional toll of engaging with the NDIS for significant life course transitions specifically. Additionally, while initiatives such as the Australian Government's proposed ‘Navigator’ service demonstrate growing recognition of the need to bolster the quality and availability of formal support for those using the Scheme, our results would indicate that this does not yet go far enough in addressing the complex and sometimes long-lasting impact of engaging with such complex bureaucratic processes.</p>","PeriodicalId":46787,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Social Issues","volume":"61 2","pages":"372-383"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ajs4.70078","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148268875","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cameron T. Langfield, Natalia Hanley, Jason L. Payne, Helen Simpson
{"title":"To Raise or Not to Raise: An Experimental Test of Community Support for Increasing the Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility in New South Wales, Australia","authors":"Cameron T. Langfield, Natalia Hanley, Jason L. Payne, Helen Simpson","doi":"10.1002/ajs4.70097","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ajs4.70097","url":null,"abstract":"<p>While research has identified a disconnect between the minimum age of criminal responsibility (MACR) and public perceptions of criminal culpability among young people, no study has examined how offender characteristics influence support for reform using an experimental design. To address this, this study presents the first experimental test of public attitudes toward raising the MACR, offering a novel contribution to debates on youth justice reform in Australia and internationally. Drawing on data from 298 participants who completed a factorial survey experiment, this study varies offender age (10, 12, 14, or 16) and offending history (first-time versus repeat) to explore support for limiting criminal justice responses to warnings or cautions among community members. A multivariate logistic regression indicated greater public support toward younger offenders (OR = 1.09), with support declining as age increased. Prior offending was associated with lower levels of support (OR = 0.07). Women and younger respondents showed the highest level of support (OR = 6.15), but their support declined more sharply as the offender aged. These findings provide insights into the conditional nature of public support for MACR reform and underline the need for experimental methodology to be utilised more widely when estimating support for youth justice-related topics.</p>","PeriodicalId":46787,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Social Issues","volume":"61 1","pages":"163-173"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ajs4.70097","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147585085","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Emily Corbett, Michael McGann, Mark Considine, René Rejón
{"title":"Trauma-Informed Practice in Welfare-to-Work and Employment Services: A Scoping Review","authors":"Emily Corbett, Michael McGann, Mark Considine, René Rejón","doi":"10.1002/ajs4.70015","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ajs4.70015","url":null,"abstract":"<p>There is increasing recognition within welfare services, including employment services, that many participants may have histories of trauma. Research suggests that experiences of trauma not only impact individuals' psychosocial health but also vocational elements such as job performance, employability, career progression, and financial security. Yet, there is a notable lack of research detailing effective strategies for the delivery of trauma-informed employment services nor is there a well-established, empirically-tested model designed to assist such disadvantaged jobseekers in achieving long-term employment. This scoping review examines what is known regarding trauma-informed models within employment service delivery and social security systems, with a view to directing future research, practice, and policy recommendations. A total of 596 articles were identified through a comprehensive search across social science databases; 14 articles met the criteria and were included in this review. The study found that out of the articles examined, half (<i>n</i> = 7) were primarily theoretical in design. There was a significant lack of empirical evidence concerning the outcomes of trauma-informed employment services, including participants' experiences.</p>","PeriodicalId":46787,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Social Issues","volume":"61 1","pages":"174-186"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ajs4.70015","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147579828","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Homelessness Service Usage Patterns of 30,000 Homeless and At-Risk Households: The Melbourne Access Point Study","authors":"Godwin Kavaarpuo, Kathryn Daley, Guy Johnson","doi":"10.1002/ajs4.70006","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ajs4.70006","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Over the last three decades, overseas researchers have utilised administrative data to identify distinct patterns in shelter use. In Australia, the use of administrative data to understand service utilisation patterns among people ‘at risk’ of homelessness and experiencing homelessness is limited. A small number of Australian studies suggest that there are different patterns of service use. However, these studies are either drawn from single sites or utilise limited timeframes, and they are not strictly comparable with international studies as there is no equivalent to shelters in Australia. What remains unclear is whether service use patterns are agency-specific or exist at a systems level, and the relationship between household characteristics and service utilisation. This paper fills this gap using a novel subset of an administrative dataset of 70,000 unique households that presented to six Initial Assessment and Planning services in metropolitan Melbourne between 2014 and 2020. Our findings suggest three distinct patterns of service use (light, periodic, and regular) and while we find no gender differences between the three clusters, regular users are younger and more likely to have a range of disabling conditions than light and periodic users. The paper concludes with implications for policy and practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":46787,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Social Issues","volume":"61 1","pages":"187-196"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ajs4.70006","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147585032","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"I Wanted to Be Able to Stand on My Own Two Feet First—Younger Parents Exiting Homelessness and Care and Their Aspirations","authors":"Tim Moore, Stewart McDougall","doi":"10.1002/ajs4.70072","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ajs4.70072","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This qualitative study examines the aspirations, motivations and support needs of 15 young parents in South Australia with experiences of out-of-home care (OOHC) or homelessness. Most participants aimed to delay parenting to achieve financial stability, education and personal development, but faced unplanned pregnancies due to inadequate access to sexual health education and contraception. The study emphasises the importance of trauma-informed, strengths-based approaches, highlighting the need for stable housing, mental health services, and flexible education and employment opportunities. Participants valued peer-led programmes and inclusive policies that recognise their lived experiences. The findings underscore the resilience of these younger parents and the need for targeted interventions to break cycles of adversity. This research contributes to the evidence base for policies that empower young people in care and homelessness systems, fostering better long-term outcomes for them and their children. This study underscores the critical need for trauma-informed, strengths-based interventions that address the unique challenges faced by young parents transitioning from OOHC or homelessness. By informing policies focused on housing stability, tailored education and inclusive support systems, these findings aim to empower young people to break cycles of adversity and achieve long-term positive outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":46787,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Social Issues","volume":"61 1","pages":"210-221"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ajs4.70072","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147579818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S. Del Pizzo, S. J. Watson, S. Lagdon, J.-A. Jordan, B. Følner, Community Liaison Committee, K. Gleeson, K. K. MacMillan
{"title":"Public Awareness in Australia About Coercive Control in the Context of Intimate Partner Relationships","authors":"S. Del Pizzo, S. J. Watson, S. Lagdon, J.-A. Jordan, B. Følner, Community Liaison Committee, K. Gleeson, K. K. MacMillan","doi":"10.1002/ajs4.70074","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ajs4.70074","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Coercive control (CC) involves an ongoing pattern of behaviour that can occur within intimate partner violence with the aim of controlling, containing, or compelling a person, with deleterious long-term effects. This study addresses an evidence gap using Lagdon, Jordan, Devine, Tully, Armour and Shannon (2023: Journal of Family Violence 38, no. 1: 39–50) methodological approach to assess the Australian public awareness about CC. Participants reviewed two gendered CC scenarios, one more obvious and one less obvious, rated their agreement towards ten opinion statements, and answered if they had heard of the term ‘coercive control’. Binary logistic regression assessed predictors of CC awareness and split-plot analysis of covariance models assessed agreement to opinion statements by CC obviousness and victim gender. Findings indicated that reporting low awareness of CC (42%; <i>n</i> = 152) was more likely among respondents aged 18–24 years (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and among those who did not complete high school (<i>p</i> < 0.001), and less likely among those living in non-metropolitan locations (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and among those earning a low income (<i>p</i> = 0.009). There was stronger agreement (<i>p</i> < 0.001) with statements for obvious CC, indicating respondents' difficulty identifying subtle behavioural patterns and male victim-survivor experiences. Findings highlight the need for education campaigns that increase CC awareness, to facilitate early identification of less obvious CC and mitigate adverse long-term effects.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46787,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Social Issues","volume":"61 1","pages":"15-27"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147585081","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jessica Ison, Jacqui Theobald, Kirsty Forsdike, Ingrid Wilson, Elena Wilson, Leesa Hooker
{"title":"‘The System Can't Cope’: The Service System Response to Alcohol and Other Drug-Facilitated Sexual Violence","authors":"Jessica Ison, Jacqui Theobald, Kirsty Forsdike, Ingrid Wilson, Elena Wilson, Leesa Hooker","doi":"10.1002/ajs4.70060","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ajs4.70060","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Alcohol and other drug (AOD)-facilitated sexual violence can have significant impacts on victim-survivors, yet little is known about what support service providers offer them. To understand the experiences and perceptions of service providers, interviews with counsellors, health workers, forensic toxicologists and harm reduction workers were conducted. Two themes were generated, theme one: ‘The hidden contexts of AOD-facilitated sexual violence’ with the sub-themes ‘Characteristics and tactics of perpetrators’ and ‘substances used to facilitate sexual violence’ and theme two: ‘Barriers to service system responses’ with the sub-themes ‘Lack of resourcing’, ‘information gaps’ and ‘stigma and discrimination’. Participants relayed that victim-survivors identified the perpetrator often as a known male who had administered additional alcohol to them. Participants highlighted significant difficulties facing the service system, including a critical lack of resourcing for their work to be conducted effectively. They also identified information gaps resulting in unintended misinformation being divulged to victim-survivors who were also reported to experience significant stigma and discrimination. Overall, participants advocated the need for significant reform of the service system, including better resourcing, clearer information and reducing stigma, to better support the needs of victim-survivors.</p>","PeriodicalId":46787,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Social Issues","volume":"61 1","pages":"51-61"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ajs4.70060","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147579723","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}