New research commissioned by Respect Victoria and conducted by Our Watch supports those working in primary prevention to understand, monitor and respond to backlash and resistance in organisations.
The research looks specifically at the types of resistance and backlash that occurs in organisations and institutions when carrying out work that aims to prevent family violence and violence against women in all its forms.
Researchers uncovered five key insights about organisational resistance and backlash:
· Resistance and backlash can appear in a range of ways, and is best viewed as existing on a continuum
· Masculinities and male privilege can shape resistance and backlash in organisations, and this can place pressure on people to conform to or support attitudes that resist change
· Resistance to primary prevention can be an expression of individual circumstances
· Effectively monitoring resistance and backlash requires a reflective approach
· Monitoring resistance and backlash should complement efforts to design and implement primary prevention programs.
A tool has also been developed to sit alongside the report, to support individuals and organisations to identify and address backlash and resistance within an organisational setting.
Find the full report and framework.