Research

Research is an important area of work for RAV as it highlights issues, service gaps, areas for improvement and good practice.

Current research projects

RAV is involved in three major projects funded by the Australian Research Council, reaffirming our commitment to research to better inform our clinical practice and service delivery.

The long term benefits of Good Connecting

Relationships Australia (Victoria) is in the third year of a three-year research project in partnership with La Trobe University. The project is investigating the long-term benefits of couple counselling and RAV’s ‘Good Connecting’ relationship education course. We are hopeful the findings will help us achieve even better outcomes for our clients through improved counselling and relationship education.

RAV also contributed to a national research project on the impact of the 2006 family law reforms on clients through the Family Dispute Resolution Network.

Family violence and the fdr process

Again in partnership with La Trobe, RAV has obtained a three-year grant to undertake a major longitudinal study into the impact of family violence on the FDR process and outcomes. The study aims to:

• map profiles of clients seeking family mediation
• determine whether family violence history is identified by mediators and how this influences processes and outcome decisions
• examine changes in a range of indices across the pre-mediation, post-mediation and six month follow-up period, and the impact of the mediation process and mediation decisions on these indicators.

Diversity in Australian life

During the year, Australian Research Council funding was confirmed for a study titled: Work, Love and Play in Diverse Australian Family Life with RANational, the University of Melbourne, La Trobe University and The Bouverie Centre. 

Same-sex parenting and children's outcomes

Scheduled to start in 2010, a five-year study will examine same-sex parenting and children’s outcomes. The study is expected to provide a broad and in-depth examination of a variety of factors that can impact on child outcomes: how parents balance their working commitments and domestic arrangements; characteristics and quality of the parents’ relationship and how they parent together; and the family’s social, financial and practical resources and social networks.

Dads and kids program

RAV partners with primary schools, kindergartens and maternal and child health centres to run programs for fathers and children called Fathers Utilising Networks for Kids (FUN for Kids). These programs allow fathers to examine their parenting styles, establish networks, have more effective communication with their kids, share with other dads and have fun.

The Potter Foundation funded an independent evaluation of the program by the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS). The final report indicates some very positive outcomes for dads, partners, children and communities.

View the FUN for Kids Program Final Report.

RA National Surveys and Statistics

• Relationships Indicators survey 2008

• Relationship statistics

• Journal abstracts

• Reports and Submissions

Relationship indicators survey 2008

Every two to three years, Relationships Australia (National office) surveys the population to find out what are the main issues and concerns that Australians have in their relationships today.

The 2008 survey, undertaken in partnership with Credit Union Australia, was conducted by Woolcott Research and consisted of 1,200 telephone interviews with people aged 18 across Australia. The following issues emerged from the survey findings:

Relationships today

• Friendships in particular are highly important to people and are as sought after as short-term or long-term relationships.
• The proportion of people with a spouse, live in/de facto or non-live in partner has increased from 2006 to 2008.

Looking for a partner

• 26% of single men, compared with only 13% of single women, say they want a long term partner.

Challenges in finding a partner

• The three key challenges people face in finding a partner are that: there’s no-one suitable; how do you meet people?; and lack of time.
• Males were more likely to feel that finding someone compatible/on the same wavelength was a challenge.
• Females were approximately twice as likely as males to report the following challenges: finding appropriate places to meet people; people don’t want to commit/take responsibility/selfish; lack of good people to meet/you just can’t find them/gender ratio; lack of trust/people are suspicious/there’s a lot of fakes, weirdos and emotional baggage.

Relationship problems

• Stress, work pressures and lack of time to spend with their partner are the top three factors that could negatively impact upon partner relationships.

Causes of relationship breakdown

• The three main internal issues that people thought caused partner relationships to break down were: communication, commitment and expectations.

• Key external influences identified as contributing to relationship breakdowns were financial stress and work pressures.

Impact of technology on relationships

• Sixty-nine per cent of people said new communications technology has had a positive impact on their important relationships - only 9% felt the new technology has had a negative impact. Two in ten believed it had no impact on their important relationships.

Community involvement

• When asked if they have as much to do with members of the community around them as they would like to, 60% of people said that they did, and 40% said that they didn’t. The main barriers for community involvement were work and family commitments.

Increasing happiness and wellbeing

• A quarter of respondents believe that more money or better finances would better improve their happiness and wellbeing. Another quarter gave a response that is based on people, such as the happiness or wellbeing of loved ones, improving relationships, more time with family/partner, being closer to family, having children or finding a partner.

Work, income and relationships

• The experience of paid employment proves to be a negative force on relationships, regardless of income. Although the experience of unemployment impacts significantly on individual’s lives and creates strain within relationships, what comes through strongly in this data is that there are also issues for those currently in employment.

Survey findings

Relationships Indicators Survey - 2008 Executive Summary (pdf)
Relationships Indicators Survey - 2008 Report (pdf)

Please do not use this research without approval from Relationships Australia (National Office). For further information, please contact RA National.

Previous surveys

To access previous Relationship Indicators Surveys dating back to 1998, visit the RA national website.

Relationship statistics

RA National has produced a number of fact sheets called "The Rest". They are designed to provide a quick reference with up-to-date information on a range of relationships topics.

The Rest - Relationship Statistics

Journal abstracts

Relationships Australia National Office periodically compiles a selection of recent research abstracts (known as "Fab Abs") which may be of interest to professionals, students and clients. The full reference for each abstract is provided on the Fab Abs! sheet, so you can contact your library for a copy of the articles that you like.

Fab Abs - Journal Abstracts

Reports and Submissions

RA National has produced a number of reports and submissions related to its role in relationship support service, including Work and Family papers, Family Matters statements, etc. 

RA National Reports and Submissions