Home Research programs Elder abuse research Abuse and mistreatment of older LGBTIQA+ people 

Participant Information Sheet – LGBTIQA+ Community Focus Groups

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. Ask questions about anything that you do not understand or want to know more about. You will receive a copy of this information sheet to keep.  

Register to participate 

If you would like to participate, complete the form below and a researcher from AIFS will contact you to confirm attendance. 

Register to participate

What is the research about?

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 LGBTIQIA+ groups by examining the form that this abuse and mistreatment takes, its impact and what effective service responses look like from the perspectives of people in LGBTIQA+ groups. 

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

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

Who is involved in the project?

This research is being conducted by the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) and our research partner Queerspace, a division of Drummond Street services.  

Why have I been invited to participate?  

You have been invited to participate in this focus group discussion because we would like to learn more about the understanding of people in LGBTIQA+ groups about elder abuse, their experiences of it, their help seeking and prevention behaviours, and what, improvements can be made in relation to interventions, services, training and supports.  

Participating in this research may benefit you and other people in LGBTIQA+ groups. The sharing of your knowledge, views and experiences may be empowering through contributing to potential change, improvements of services delivery and policy development. Your individual participation in this focus group is essential for gathering diverse perspectives, experiences, and insights.  

Participation is completely voluntary, and you can leave the focus group at any time.  

You can also withdraw from the research up to 7 days after the focus group. If you do decide to leave the project after the focus group, please let us know by emailing [email protected]

What will the researchers do and when?

Researchers will be arranging a series of focus groups where we talk with a small group of LGBTIQA+ older people to obtain their views on the abuse or mistreatment of LGBTIQA+ older people and the help seeking and prevention behaviours by LGBTIQA people.  

Each focus group will include between 5-10 participants. Focus groups will involve responding to a range of questions to gain a deeper understanding from different perspectives about complex victim-perpetrator dynamics and, their experiences of seeking and/or receiving support help, and what strategies could help prevent further abuse of LGBTIQA+ older people.

The focus groups will be conducted online using Microsoft Teams from September 2024. Focus group will take approximately 90 minutes, depending on the number of people participating.  

Your privacy and confidentiality 

We take your privacy and personal security very seriously. Your personal information will be handled with the strictest confidence in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988, the Australian Privacy Principles and AIFS Privacy Policy AIFS' privacy policy | Australian Institute of Family Studies.

Your information will be used to inform a final research report. You will be provided with a shorter summary of the research results. Please let us know if you do not wish to receive the summary.  

You can choose not to answer a question, to not participate in discussion, or to stop participating at any time during the focus group. Once the focus group discussion has been transcribed, the transcript will be verified and key identifying information (such as your name, or specific suburb/city/town name) will be removed if provided in the discussion. You can withdraw from the research project during the focus group or up to 7 days after the focus group. If you withdraw from the project during the focus group or up to 7 days after, we will work with you to identify what you said in the focus group and remove that information from the transcript of recording made of the discussion. This will mean that the information you provided will not be used in the analysis.  

Our project report will only include the de-identified/anonymised interview data. Any information that you provide will be treated confidentially within the limits of the law. The anonymised data collected for this project will be retained by AIFS indefinitely in accordance with AIFS policy and record management obligations. The data may be used for future research to contribute to policy development.

It is important that you know there is a limit to confidentiality. For example, if you tell us about any unreported current illegal activity, unreported abuse, or disclose something that makes us concerned for your safety or the safety of another person, then we may be obliged to pass this information onto the relevant authorities. If this is necessary, you will be informed before the notification is made.

In addition, participants in focus groups will be asked to respect each other 's privacy, and not reveal personal identifying detail on other participants outside the interview setting.   

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 talk about the experiences of abuse and mistreatment.  Should you become upset during or after the focus group, please let the AIFS team know, and we will put you in touch with relevant support services. We have also listed our contact details, and the contact details for some support services at the end of this sheet.  

Culturally restricted information

The AIFS research team does not intend to collect Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander culturally restricted information. If we do discuss any culturally sensitive information during this focus group, please let the AIFS research team know if you would like this to be deleted from the recording and excluded from the transcript.   

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

Share