Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Dr Naomi Pfitzner is Deputy Director of the Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre and a Senior Lecturer in Criminology at Monash University. Naomi is also an Associate Investigator on an ARC Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women awarded in 2023.
Naomi has extensive research experience in gender-based violence prevention and response. She conducts research in the area of gender-based violence, gender, family studies, social policy and law. Her work has a key focus on the primary prevention of gender-based violence, respectful relationships education and gender equality. Naomi is currently leading a national project funded by ANROWS to pilot and evaluate a professional learning program for secondary school teachers to address the influence of the Manosphere in classrooms.
Dr Pfitzner is nationally and internationally recognised for her work on domestic and family violence, help seeking behaviours and service innovation during COVID-19. Her work in this area has been cited by the Washington-based Centre for Global Development. Dr Pfitzner has advised several Australian parliamentary inquiries on COVID-19 response and recovery plans for domestic and family violence. Her research is cited multiple times in the recently released report from the Inquiry into Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs.
Naomi has also worked on the Victorian family violence reforms including conducting commissioned evaluations of the Victoria Police Family Violence Body Worn Camera Trial, the Fast-Tracking Initiative in the Magistrates' Court of Victoria, the Victoria Police Specialist Investigators Support Unit, the Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme and the Enhanced Pathways to Family Violence Work Project.
Other projects have included working with clients, practitioners and stakeholders in the family violence, community services, health, education and justice sectors. She has been a part of several systems and practice evaluations of work aimed at reducing family violence and promoting gender equality at both a state and federal level. Naomi has conducted contracted research and evaluation for Commonwealth Attorney-Generals' Department, Our Watch, the Victorian Council of Social Services, the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria, Victoria Police Family Violence Command, the Family Law Council and Family Safety Victoria. The findings of her research have been published in leading international journals and presented at national and international conferences on criminology, family studies and family violence.
Dr Pfitzner completed her PhD at Melbourne University in 2016 following which she was appointed as a postdoctoral researcher with the Gendered Violence and Abuse Research Alliance (GeVARA) at RMIT University. Before she was appointed a Lecturer in Criminology, she was a postdoctoral research fellow with the Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre at Monash University.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Research area keywords
- Domestic violence
- Families
- Social Policy
- family violence
- Prevention
- gendered violence
- Family studies
- respectful relationships
- primary prevention of family violence
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Independent Evaluation of the Supporting Recovery Pilot (SRP)
Berger, E. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Cowlishaw, S. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Harris, B. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Pfitzner, N. (Chief Investigator (CI)), McGaw, V. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Blewitt, C. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Le, L. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Tan, A. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Sanjakdar, F. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Lambert, K. (Chief Investigator (CI)), McGowan, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Elvins, C. (Project Manager)
3/02/25 → 30/09/26
Project: Research
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Elder abuse and cognitive impairment
Burns, K. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Warren, N. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Harris, B. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Pfitzner, N. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Banks, C. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Benier, K. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Moir , E. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Stevens , C. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Lim, Y. Y. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Avella Archila, A. (Project Manager)
15/01/25 → 1/06/26
Project: Research
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Supporting secondary school teachers to address online spaces as pathways to gender-based violence for boys and men: teacher professional development to tackle the influence of the 'manosphere'
Pfitzner, N. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), McCook, S. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Wescott, S. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Roberts, S. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Phelan, A. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Clark , O. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Hewson-Munro, S. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Hendriks, J. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Cavalin, R. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Hendriks, J. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Harris, B. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Contos, C. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Atkin, J. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Eap, K. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Trevaskis, L. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Willmett , S. (Associate Investigator (AI)) & Fahour, H. (Associate Investigator (AI))
29/07/24 → 31/08/26
Project: Research
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Research on elder abuse in regional, rural and remote communities
Harris, B. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Pfitzner, N. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Burns, K. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Benier, K. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Warren, N. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Gear , C. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Stevens , C. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Cations , M. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Moir , E. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Parkinson, A. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Adams, K. (Chief Investigator (CI))
Attorney-General's Department (Australia)
6/06/24 → 30/06/25
Project: Research
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Victims’ views on sentencing of domestic violence offences
McGowan, J. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Harris, B. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Pfitzner, N. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Meyer, S. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Vasil, S. (Chief Investigator (CI))
9/01/24 → 26/06/25
Project: Research
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Queering police legitimacy theories: (dis)trust, context, and visibility
Scott, B., Pfitzner, N. & Fitz-Gibbon, K., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Policing and Society. 16 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access -
Disconnected & Insecure: The Intersection Between Experiences of Long COVID and Intimate Partner Violence
Fitz-Gibbon, K., McGowan, J., Pfitzner, N. & Scott, B., 2024, Melbourne Vic Australia: Monash University. 44 p.Research output: Book/Report › Other Report › Research
Open AccessFile -
Body-worn cameras: an effective or cosmetic policing response to domestic and family violence?
Pfitzner, N., Walklate, S. & McCulloch, J., Nov 2023, In: Criminology and Criminal Justice. 23, 5, p. 812-828 17 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
4 Citations (Scopus) -
Domestic and family violence leave across Australian workplaces: examining victim-survivor experiences of workplace supports and the importance of cultural change
Fitz-Gibbon, K., Pfitzner, N. & McNicol, E., Jun 2023, In: Journal of Criminology. 56, 2-3, p. 294-312 19 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open AccessFile3 Citations (Scopus) -
LGBTQ+ domestic and family violence victim-survivors’ experiences of remote court hearings during the COVID-19 pandemic: the gendered dimensions of safety, independence and visibility
Reeves, E., Iliadis, M. & Pfitzner, N., 2023, (Accepted/In press) In: Criminology & Criminal Justice. 18 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access4 Citations (Scopus)
Prizes
Activities
- 1 Public event
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Early Years Gender Equity Poster Launch
Naomi Pfitzner (Contributor)
5 Dec 2019Activity: Community Talks, Presentations, Exhibitions and Events › Public event
Press/Media
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Victorian students will get ‘anti-Tate’ lessons – but much more is needed to tackle gendered violence in schools
Wescott, S., Roberts, S., Pfitzner, N., McCook, S. & Phelan, A.
17/10/24
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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The Research Files Episode 94: Toxic masculinity in schools
22/08/24
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Profile/Interview
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The riots aren’t just a ‘far-right’ problem – they’re a ‘man’ problem
Wescott, S., Roberts, S., Pfitzner, N., Phelan, A. & McCook, S.
6/08/24
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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Unpaid leave and toxic cultures: new research shows workplaces must do better on family violence
Naomi Pfitzner, Kate Fitz-Gibbon & Emma McNicol
10/12/21
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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‘If you call 000 … I will send you back to your country’: how COVID-19 has trapped temporary visa holders
Pfitzner, N. & Segrave, M.
24/10/20
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature