Rule of Thumb

This podcast has so many things that you can do, that will make a difference for women. Through real stories and practical strategies, this podcast reveals what family violence, family law, and sexual harassment look like from the inside—so you can spot the signs, find the right words, and understand the systems behind them.  Over three seasons, you’ll hear from people who’ve lived through it and...

In the final episode of our third season, we talk about all the ways that our gender impacts the way we’re treated at work. Penny tries to work out whether a person’s gender changes the way we feel about the way they behave and if it influences the way we react. We’ll hear how we can impact change from both top-down and bottom-up?    ___________ SHOW NOTES USEFUL LINKS: Fact sheet on sexual harass...

In this BONUS episode, we talk about the real risk of defamation and what we need to consider before we speak up about experiences of sexual harassment or sexual assault. Penny gets help to unpack the law of defamation and discovers it’s a fine balance between encouraging people to speak up about their experiences while also keeping them safe.  You’ll get some tips on how to speak up safely and so...

In episode four we move from reactive processes to prevention as we prepare to have the necessary awkward conversations that come with calling-out bad behaviour.  We’ll hear real examples of what can happen when we call out disrespectful behaviour and get some practical tips for doing it well. Plus, we learn how to be good listeners to make sure we can have disclosure conversations that are useful...

We know sexual harassment is common, yet most of us will never hear about the consequences for people or organisations who have done the wrong thing. In episode three Penny finds out what the real costs are for people or organisations who are caught. You’ll hear about the personal, professional, emotional, and financial implications while learning the legal options for those wanting to take action...

Even though the law clearly states that sexual harassment is illegal, many barriers stop people from reporting it. In episode two Penny Terry gets real examples of the historical baggage that comes with reporting sexual harassment and gets some practical tips for creating policies and processes that work. ____________ SHOW NOTES USEFUL LINKS: Fact sheet on sexual harassment at work – Women’s Legal...

Do you know what is or isn’t sexual harassment?  In our first episode of season three, expect to hear many different examples as we start to understand the law and why sometimes sexual harassment might not ‘feel’ illegal.  Penny talks with women who’ve experienced sexual harassment, with lawyers and with advocates as she attempts to understand the grey areas, the tips, and the ‘subjective test’. _...

Could you confidently say what sort of behaviour is or isn’t sexual harassment? Is it touching? Innuendo? Banter? What about an email?  Plus, would you do anything about it? Yeah, it’s tricky. That’s why Rule of Thumb is coming back for Season Three – so we can all better understand the law, the stories, the impacts, the consequences, the systems, and the solutions. Penny Terry brings you stories...

We think that we’d notice if there was physical violence in a relationship and say something don’t we? In the final episodes of Season 2 of Rule of Thumb we learn that there is lot about the physical abuse that we might not see. Most people have long understood that physical violence is never ok, and have perhaps thought family violence was only about physical abuse. Yet, many people still won’t n...

To be ‘followed’ means many things in 2021 that means you need to look much further than over your shoulder. In episode seven of Rule of Thumb we learn about the multiple way in which someone experiencing family violence can be monitored and tracked by their abusive partner and the multiple ways that will impact their lives. We’ll learn that some things are easy to miss unless we know where to loo...

There are all sorts of ways to create fear. In this episode we’ll hear about some of the common ways people are controlled by fear in abusive relationships; those that have physical signs, such as damaging someone’s property, and those that don’t like threats. You’ll hear women, lawyers and counsellors describe some of those thing that we perhaps already think of when we think of family violence,...

Could someone control what you believe? In this episode you’ll hear that degrading or trying to control a person’s cultural practices and spiritual beliefs is not uncommon in family violence situations. We start to realise how many different ways this type of abuse can happen daily, the impact it can have on the lives of others and why it might be easy to miss or tricky to ask questions about as a...

This episode is especially tough to listen to. At the beginning you might start to think about ‘consent’ in a different way and reflect on the types of conversations you have about sex with different people in your life, from partners to friends. You’ll then hear what it’s like to experience a long-term sexually abusive relationship. It’s hard to listen to. You’ll hear how sex can be used as a for...

It might feel like there is a fine line between the way many couples split the financial responsibilities in relationships and financial abuse. In this episode, we’ll come to understand that financial abuse is about intent and it is illegal. In episode three we’ll learn how to recognise if someone is being taken advantage of, or controlled financially and what being financially vulnerable looks li...

Most abusive relationships don’t start out that way but are a product of subtle changes over time that can leave women isolated, controlled, confused and frightened. In episode two you’ll come understand and recognise those subtle changes as women, men and experts relay their own experiences of coercive control and emotional abuse. You’ll get some words you can use to take bystander action and you...

Most of us would hate to think that we allow family violence to happen, but most of us do. There are well documented reasons why we become bystanders and in our first episode of Season Two you’ll get the opportunity to hear how it happens and what you can do to go beyond a bystander and take real practical action that will help. In this episode Penny Terry speaks with women who have experienced fa...

If you feel helpless when you hear the statistics about intimate partner violence or aren't confident you'd recognise or know how to support someone experiencing family violence then get ready for Season Two of Rule of Thumb. Our second season is like a practical guide of things to notice, say and do every day that WILL reduce the prevalence of family violence. Over eight episodes you'll learn abo...

We established early on in this series that often women find themselves more financially vulnerable when they separate. This may affect their access to justice. In our final episode of season one of Rule of Thumb we start to think about real-life money situations; where the power over the finances sits in relationships and the impact that can have when women are looking for legal representation an...

Most of this series had been uncomfortable and in an episode about parenting matters, including if there is family violence, you can expect the level of discomfort to go up. In episode Five of Rule of Thumb you’ll learn what the court is trying to work out in parenting matters and what you can expect about the process. Take a deep breath and listen in as we find out what ‘equal shared parental res...

Who gets what when you split? Are you even in a relationship that the law cares about? You might be surprised. Relationships and how they are defined by the law can get complicated and untangling these complications may end up defining your life. In our fourth Episode of Rule of Thumb it’s impossible to not consider your own situation, relationships and what you ‘contribute’ to the household. We s...

Have you heard the term ‘legalise’? Yep, there is whole language that lawyers have spent years learning. Honestly, host Penny Terry thought an episode about the legal jargon could be a bit boring, but it turns out translating legal jargon lends itself to some really fascinating and massively useful conversations. In our third episode of Rule of Thumb you won’t just learn what words like ‘interim o...

Chances are you won’t have considered exactly HOW disputes are resolved through the legal system, well, unless you’ve had to. In our second episode of Rule of Thumb we hear women and lawyers talk about the different meetings, conversations, mediations, court dates and ‘jobs’ that need to happen in order to get an outcome. And importantly we get an understanding of all the other things that are hap...

While this might seem like the first step, often women have tried plenty of other things before they consider getting professional legal help. In our first episode of Rule of Thumb we hear stories from women, lawyers and counsellors who explain why it can be difficult for women to get the legal support they need, the practicalities of making that first call, and the key information you’re likely t...

Get ready for a six-episode podcast that may make you uncomfortable but will definitely prepare you to get the best from the legal system we've got. NOTE: This podcast discusses family violence which may be triggering for some listeners. It also contains legal information which is not intended as legal advice. Scroll down for useful contact details for individual legal advice and family violence s...