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Participant Information Sheet – LGBTIQA+ Community Online Survey

An overview of the research

This Participant Information Sheet tells you about this research project focusing on older people in Australia. Knowing what is involved in the research will help you decide if you want to take part. 

The Australian Government, Attorney-General’s Department (AGD) has commissioned and funded the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) to undertake targeted research on the abuse and mistreatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, and/or asexual (LGBTIQA+) older people. AIFS has partnered with Queerspace, a division of Drummond Street services, to undertake this project.

Please read this information carefully and then click on the link below to start the survey.

Invitation to participate

All adults aged 18 years or older who identify as an LGBTIQA+ person are eligible to participate.

Take the survey 

If you would like to participate, please open the online survey by clicking this link:

Start the survey

The survey will close in December 2024. 

About this survey

This research will examine the abuse and mistreatment of older people in LGBTIQA+ groups. It will help improve understanding of the experiences of abuse and mistreatment among older people in LGBTIQA+ groups by examining the form that this abuse and mistreatment takes, its impact and what effective service responses look like from the perspective of people in LGBTIQA+ groups. 

We will also be undertaking focus group discussions with LGBTIQA+ older people as part of the research program. The other parts of the research include interviews with LGBTIQA+ older people who have experienced abuse or mistreatment. 

The research project aims to inform future policy development, research priorities and service delivery models.

How to participate 

If you would like to participate, please open the link on the next page of this document.  Completing the survey questions will take approximately 30 minutes.  

As a thank you for participating in this research, we invite you to enter a random draw for one of five $100 grocery vouchers. Details on how to enter are given at the end of the survey.

Most questions in this survey will ask you to select a response from the options provided. There are a small number of questions that allow you to provide a comment.   We need many responses to capture a wide range of experiences.  You can choose not to answer particular questions and skip to the next question or section.

You can also use the 'Go back' button if you wish to change any of your answers.

Your privacy and confidentiality 

We take your privacy and personal security seriously and safeguards are in place to protect it.  

Data collected in this research will be held securely in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and AIFS’ privacy policy . 

Participation in this survey is confidential and completely voluntary. 

Your decision to participate is confidential and you are free to stop the survey at any time, to not answer any questions and to delete your answers prior to submitting your responses. 

You may cease participation at any time, up until the submission of your responses. As surveys are to be completed by participants without the provision of any personal identifiers, it will not be possible for the research team to identify specific survey records for deletion at the request of a participant once they have been submitted.

You are asked to participate anonymously. No identifying data is requested in this survey and participants are asked NOT to include any identifiable information in their survey responses. Any identifiable information will be deleted from the survey responses so that it is deidentified and anonymised. If you choose to enter a random draw for a grocery voucher, any contact information collected for this purpose will be stored on an AIFS password-protected Cloud service in a database separate to the survey data, and the link between your survey data and any contact details that you provide for the purposes of entering the random draw will be destroyed within 72 hours of your completion of the survey.

Data storage and security

Data collected in this project will be securely stored on the AIFS Cloud services and retained indefinitely as anonymized data at AIFS in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). Access to collected data will only be permitted for authorised researchers and required AIFS staff. The information you provide will not be used in any way that may identify you. You may access our privacy policy at  AIFS privacy policy.

If you choose to provide your contact details to the research team at the end of the survey to enter the random draw for the grocery voucher, you will automatically be given a copy of the final report if it is published and made publicly available by the Attorney-General’s Department. You will also get a short summary of the research results in these circumstances.

What are the potential risks?

It can be upsetting to answer questions about elder abuse and mistreatment. We have listed the contact details for some supports at the end of this sheet. Contact details for support services are also provided at the start and end of the survey.

Contacts

The research is being managed by the Institute’s Family Law, Family Violence and Elder Abuse Research Team. The AIFS Human Research Ethics Committee has reviewed this research. Concerns and complaints relating to the project ethics may be directed to the AIFS Ethics Committee Secretariat 

If you are not satisfied with our handling of your problem or complaint, you can make a complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

If you would like any more information, please call the Australian Institute of Family Studies on 1800 720 142 or email us.

About the Australian Institute of Family Studies 

The Australian Institute of Family Studies is based in Melbourne. It is an independent statutory agency, established by the Commonwealth Government in 1980 and aims to help in the development of better policies for the future of Australian families.

More detailed information can be obtained from our website: www.aifs.gov.au.

Getting help

Call 000 if you are worried about your safety, or the safety of another person.

We are unable to provide advice or to assist with specific concerns in relation to individual matters. These contacts may be able to provide support:

  • Contact QLife (1800 184 527) – an anonymous and free LGBTIQ+ peer support and referral service on from 3pm to midnight every day on 1800 184 527 or via webchat at www.qlife.org.au 
  • 1800 ELDERHelp (1800 353 374) (national free call phone number that automatically redirects callers seeking information and advice on elder abuse with existing phone line service in their jurisdiction)
  • 1800 Respect (1800 737 732) provides support to people impacted by sexual assault, domestic violence, family violence, or abuse. You may call any time - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is also a chat online available at any time too.  
  • Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636) provides support, information and referrals to anyone experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety, or who is experiencing a difficult time. You may call any time 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is online chat between 3pm and 12midnight (AEST), 7 days a week.  
  • Lifeline (13 11 14) provides crisis support and suicide prevention services to anyone experiencing a personal crisis. You can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 at any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is also an online Crisis Support Chat between 7 pm and 12 midnight (AEDT), 7 days a week.
  • Call 13YARN (13 92 76) to speak with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporter, available 24 hours, 7 days a week. 
  • Black Rainbow is a national volunteer Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBQTIA+ SB social service focusing on health and wellbeing of LGBQTIA+ SB community. Email: [email protected] or Facebook: www.facebook.com/BlackRainbowAustralia/
  • Rainbow Door is a free specialist LGBTIQA+ helpline providing information, support, and referral to all LGBTIQA+ Victorians, their friends and family. 
    Call: 1800 729 367
    Email: [email protected] 
    SMS: 0480 017 246

State-based organisations

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