Whittlesea CALD Communities Family Violence Research Report 2012 | Page 19

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or who may speak English as a first or second language but have come from a predominantly nonEnglish speaking country or background.
It is also noted that ‘CALD’ is an extremely broad category and within this group there are a diverse
range of backgrounds and a diverse range of experiences between and even within cultural groups. It
is recognised that in formulating a model that addresses family violence in CALD communities,
recognition must be given to the fact that CALD communities are not homogenous but may share
common attributes and experiences that differentiate them from the mainstream.

Limitations
Scoping Exercise
The initial stage of the project was intended to be a scoping exercise with the purpose of identifying
key issues, barriers to service access and gaps in existing services as well as potential solutions to
increasing service access for CALD communities.

Limited Access to Statistical Data
Gaining access to accurate statistical data on the incidence and prevalence of family violence is
problematic. Estimates as gathered from sources such as police records, court data and national and
state crime surveys etc are generally acknowledged to provide only