Domestic and Family Violence in Victoria: The Role of Gender and Power in Policy

<p dir="ltr">This thesis critically examines the Andrews Government's response to the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence. Using interpretive policy analysis, it explores the discursive politics of the 'problem' of family violence, examining the gap between the gendered rhetoric and material reform. Despite a world-leading $2.1 billion investment (2016 -2018), the government failed to fundamentally shift the policy landscape. The findings suggest that due to the pernicious influence of patriarchy and covert masculinism, family violence was residualised into a problem best managed through administrative and individual-level reform, rather than systemic change.</p>