Cultural practice means recognising the protective qualities of culture for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, recognising the many obstacles that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families need to work through to be safe. It also means and providing practical solutions to those obstacles and building a rapport with families and communities based on an awareness of your power and privilege, respect and sensitivity.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families are the experts in their culture and community. You need to be the expert in building trusting relationships.
It is important to remember that every community is different and every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person’s experience of community is different. Engaging with a cultural practice advisor or other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff from within the department and other agencies will help you to understand the way that each community operates. Using tools such as genograms and ecomaps may be useful to explore the child and family’s connection to the community.
Make sure that when you are speaking with people that you are careful not to breach a family’s confidentiality. Cultural practice advisors will be able to guide you about the sharing of information so that it does not get back to the person causing the woman and child harm—which may place them at further risk of violence.
Note
The language you use to engage with an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander man, woman and child is just as important as the language used to describe the man’s violent behaviour.
Read the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural capability – respectful language guide to assist you to make respectful, conscious and insightful choices of words, terms and language.
Questions to consider in your cultural consultation
To be most effective in your consultation with the family, prepare appreciative enquiry questions that will help you to understand the child, family and community. It is also useful to ask the cultural practice advisor to help you draft some questions to ask each family member. Practise talking about any important points you need to raise with the family with the cultural practice advisor first.
Further reading
Practice guide Culturally capable behaviours.
The following considerations and questions will help you to prepare to talk with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
About the child
| Practice consideration | Consultation questions |
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What cultural information do I need to know so I can:
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About the mother
As well as questions for children, the cultural practice advisor can help you develop some questions you can ask the woman and the family. Practice talking about any important points you need to raise with the family with the cultural practice advisor first.
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Practice consideration |
Consultation questions |
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What cultural information do I need to know in order to:
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Practice prompt
Victims of family violence are unlikely to express their experience using explicit terms such as ‘family abuse and violence. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander victims are more likely to use phrases such as ‘um (pause) well, we were arguing’, ‘my husband was acting up’, he was being cheeky’, it was just a little fight’ and ‘we were drinking’. Such terms are also used by perpetrators and community members and may normalise the violent behaviour, which can lead to the extent of the problem being underestimated.
About the father
It is also useful to ask the cultural practice advisor to help you draft some questions you can ask the man. Practice talking about any important points you need to raise with the family with the cultural practice advisor first.
| Practice consideration | Consultation questions |
|---|---|
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What cultural information do I need to know in order to:
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About the community
Finally, it is also useful to ask the cultural practice advisor to help you draft some questions you can ask the community. Practise talking about any important points you need to raise with the family with the cultural practice advisor first.
The following considerations and questions will help you to prepare to talk with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
| Practice consideration | Consultation questions |
|---|---|
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What cultural information do I need to know in order to:
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How does the community respond to the woman and her child? Does this community:
What is the best way I can engage with community or Elders about violence? What are some of the things I should or shouldn’t say? |
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