Homelessness and Sexual Assult

This article published by the Australian Institute of Family Studies looks at the problem of homelessness through the lens of those who have also experienced sexual assault. The author Zoë Morrison suggests looking at homelessness from this perspective provides different ways of understanding homelessness overall, and different solutions to the homelessness problem.

The authors state the ideal outcome of the paper is to assist the recognition of sexual trauma within new approaches to homelessness in Australia, and to prompt the implementation of practical and effective ways to integrate this recognition into our response to this significant social justice issue.

While this paper supports current understandings of solving homelessness through more than "just accommodation and a job", it argues for an explicit recognition of sexual assault and other violent trauma within these "housing plus" solutions. It describes a model that has "trauma-informed" and "trauma-specific" service systems, said by some to represent a "vital paradigm shift" in the sector. Finally, this paper also addresses how these issues are relevant to the broader issues of social inclusion and human capital agenda, as well as suggesting some topics for future research.

The paper was produced by the ACSSA (Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assult) Wrap No. 7, 2009.

Read the full publication Homelessness and Sexual Assult via the Australian Institute of Family Studies website.

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