Family Violence in Australia: Signs, Statistics, and Legal Support

It’s a Saturday night, and you are having family time with your spouse and children. You turn on the news, and a news story comes up:

“Father of two murders his wife and children.”

Some reported he was a respectable businessman, and some said he was a nice guy. Nobody saw it coming.

Gold Coast mother, Teresa Bradford – yet another victim of domestic violence.

You turned the news off, but it did not change the fact that, in Australia, every week, a woman loses her life to domestic abuse.

The idea of home and family brings a feeling of security and safety to the individuals living there. Each culture has its sayings and songs about the importance of home and the comfort and security to be found there. Yet, for many people in Australia, home is a place of suffering. This is particularly true for women.

What is family violence?

Family violence refers to the abusive and violent behavior of a family member (intimate partner, parents, caregiver, guardian, or child) towards another member of the family to control, humiliate, threaten, or scare them, making them feel unsafe. Domestic Violence is a broad term covering a range of patterns of behavior. It includes (but not limited to)

Psychological abuse
Emotional Abuse
Sexual Abuse
Spiritual abuse
Gaslighting
Physical abuse

Most people look for the physical signs of abuse. However, in most cases, the cornerstone for domestic violence is power and control, and it’s very difficult to recover from this type of abuse. Domestic and family violence abusers, generally, don’t leave physical marks, and hence it’s not easy to recognize the abuse if you aren’t well aware of it. If you are unsure about your situation, don’t hesitate to reach out to family law experts who can help you identify the signs of domestic abuse and provide the support you need.

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If you or someone you know is experiencing any of these warning signs, it’s time to reach out for help.

Your family member:

Threatens you that they will hurt you or your loved ones, including pets
Threatens you with self-injury
Gaslights you
Socially isolates you and makes you abandon your friends and other family members or restricts you to home
Doesn’t provide you with essential financial support if they are legally bound for it
Controls your life choices
Makes you question your memory and mental health
Enforces their decisions on you in different matters eg, having or terminating a baby
Makes you take drugs you aren’t prescribed by a doctor
Touches you improperly
Have sex with you without your consent
Enforces their religious beliefs on you
Monitors your social accounts and interactions with other people without your permission.
Hits, kicks, punches, or threatens you with a pointed object
Denies you liberty and autonomy
Have coercive control over your life

These are some of the examples of the ways in which a family member can abuse you.

The effects of domestic violence on victims range from physical injuries to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, social isolation, financial dependence, and even death in extreme cases. On average, one woman a week is murdered by her current or former partner. And the impacts are generally long-lasting and don’t end with abuse.

“I’ll never be completely healed; it’s something you live with but doesn’t dominate your life anymore.”

Gypsy

In the case of children, whether they witness it or experience it, it can severely impact their psychological and emotional growth and increase the risks of behavioral problems, e.g., anxiety, depression, academic problems, etc.

Statistics on Domestic Violence

1 in 4 women and 1 in 14 men have experienced violence by an intimate partner since the age of 15. These statistics have increased as compared to the previous report of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2018, reporting domestic violence victims 1in 6 women and 1 in 16 men.
According to the Miles and Bricknell 2024 Report, 84 (female 46, male 38) out of 220 were domestic abuse victims, out of which:

- 38 were killed by an intimate partner
- 16 were killed by a parent
- 16 killed by a child
- 4 killed by a sibling
- 10 killed by a family member other than a child, parent, or sibling

The most common forms of abuse (in cases where male abusers killed the female) were:

- emotional and psychological abuse (82%)
- physical abuse (80%)
- social abuse (63%)
- financial abuse (27%)
- sexual abuse (16%) (ADFVDRN and ANROWS 2022)

It’s important to note that victims often experience multiple forms of abuse simultaneously. While physical and emotional abuse are prevalent, many survivors also endure financial, social, and sexual abuse. This overlap means that the sum of abuse types exceeds 100%.

Australian laws against family violence:

The alarming rise in the cases of domestic and family violence has led to the changes in the family law act 1975, resulting in harsher penalties for the abusers by the government of Australia.

Offenders now face increased jail terms, with the possibility of life imprisonment according to the gravity of the crime committed. Not only this, there are more compensations available for the victims now, e.g., paid domestic violence leave, “leaving violence payment” program etc. These legislative changes reflect the increasing societal awareness of the devastating consequences of domestic violence and a determination to create a safer environment for all.

Apply for AVO:
If you are feeling unsafe and threatened and want protection from the abuser then you can apply for an AVO. If you have already applied for it and want to update or vary an AVO, you can directly book a free consultation with our AVO lawyer to help you explore your options. If you have received the AVO and want to revoke it, we are offering you complimentary consultations because we know the potential consequences of AVO on your family and professional life.

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FAQs

How do you prevent domestic violence?

Firstly, create a safety plan: inform trusted friends and family members, pack essential documents, medications, look out for shelters for emergency evacuation.

Secondly, document the abuse by recording incidents, evidence, calls, voicemails, and photographs in case of injuries.

Lastly, seek legal support.

What to do if someone threatens you in Australia?

You can apply for a restraining order, also known as a family violence protection order, if it involves family members or a personal safety order for non-family members. Alternatively, you can contact the police or call 000 for emergency assistance.

Am I in an abusive relationship?

If your answer is yes to most of the questions below, then you are, in fact, in an abusive relationship and need urgent help,

Do you ever feel uncomfortable or afraid around your partner?
Does your partner check up on you constantly or insist on knowing where you are all the time?
Has your partner ever insisted on reading your text messages, emails, or social media?
Does your partner lose his or her temper often?
Are you afraid to disagree with your partner?
Has your partner ever put you down or insulted you in front of others?
Has your partner ever controlled how much money you have and/or how you spend it?
Does your partner act overly jealous or accuse you of cheating often?
Have you stopped seeing friends or family to avoid upsetting your partner?
Has your partner ever locked you in the house?
Has your partner ever blamed you for the way he or she acts?
Has your partner ever made you feel uncertain or made you doubt your memory of events?
When your partner is angry, does he or she throw or break things to scare you?
Have you ever been frightened that your partner might threaten the safety of you or your children?
Has your partner ever threatened to hurt you or your children?
Has your partner ever hurt you or your children?
Has your partner ever forced you to have sex with them?