What is Domestic & Family Violence?
1 in 3 Women + 1 in 13 Men...
have experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner since age 15.
1 in 3 Women
have experienced physical or sexual violence and/or emotional abuse by an intimate partner since age 15.
Women are more likely than men to
suffer physical harm, including injuries requiring medical treatment, absence from work and prolonged recovery.
be victims of domestic homicide.
fear men as a result of domestic violence.
use violence against their partner in self-defence or in response to a loss of control or dignity from ongoing violence or control by their partner.
98.3% of offenders of non-fatal strangulation between 2016-2018 were male offenders in QLD
Domestic and family violence is considered
a gendered crime.
It is mainly perpetrated against women and their children by men.
Women and children are disproportionately represented as being victims of domestic and family violence, and the violence they experience is usually much more severe compared to male victims of domestic violence.
It is also noted that people with disabilities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse and LGBTIQ+ populations experience domestic and family violence at much higher rates than the general population.
The domestic and family violence protection act (2012) defines domestic and family violence as:
Behaviour by a person towards another person, with whom the first person is in a relevant relationship, that—
- Is physically or sexually abusive; or
- Is emotionally or psychologically abusive; or
- Is economically abusive; or
- Is threatening; or
- Is coercive; or
- In any other way controls or dominates the second person and causes the second person to fear for the second person’s safety or well-being or that of someone else.
- Meaning of relevant relationship
A relevant relationship is—
- An intimate personal relationship; or
- A family relationship; or
- An informal care relationship.
CONTROL & FEAR
The
Cycle of Violence & Abuse
Explosion
PURSUITS & PROMISES
INCREASING TENSION
HOPE &
DENIAL
forms of domestic & family violence
physical
Physical abuse is when a person uses physical force against another. Physical abuse can include hitting, pushing, kicking, punching, scratching, strangling or choking, spitting or biting, using weapons, physical restraint, harm to children or pets, locking you outside or inside a house, depriving you of sleep or food and driving dangerously.
sexual
psychological
social
verbal
Sexual abuse is any unwanted or forced sexual activity from one person to another. Sexual abuse includes rape, unwanted touching, assaulting genitals, forced sex without protection leading to STI transmission or pregnancy, reproductive coercion or using sex to coerce compliance and unwanted exposure to pornography.
Emotional and psychological abuse has major impacts on people’s sense of self, safety, mental health and wellbeing. Emotional and psychological abuse can include constant put downs and verbal abuse, blaming you for everything going wrong, ‘gas lighting’, name calling, threats and intimidation, making you feel guilty or scared for not doing something they ask and socially isolating you from friends and family.
Social abuse includes controlling who you can and can’t see, who you can be friends with, stopping you from going to social events or gatherings, stopping you from participating in community and cultural events, controlling your social media and can lead to social isolation so you are reliant on your partner for all social supports.
Verbal abuse includes yelling and screaming in anger, threats to hurt or kill you or others, put downs and taunts, continual criticism, swearing, humiliation and name calling with the intent to emotionally abuse and manipulate you.
forms of domestic & family violence
financial
coercive control
spiritual + cultural
Financial abuse includes not allowing you to have your own bank account, taking control of finances, stealing from you, not letting you work, not letting you buy things for yourself, only giving you money if you do what they say, spending family income on drugs, alcohol and gambling, identity theft to open bank account or secure credit and refusing to work to contribute to household expenses.
Coercive control is a pattern of abusive behaviours that instil fear in victims so that perpetrators maintain control over them. Coercive control is maintained through the use of multiple types of abuses over time and can include threatening suicide or self-harm, threatening to hurt or kill you or others, stalking and monitoring, physical assaults, intimidation, verbal abuse and put downs, isolating you from friends and family and sexual violence or coercion.
Spiritual and cultural abuse is the misuse of spiritual or cultural beliefs to justify abuse and violence towards someone, or not allowing you to practice your chosen beliefs.
damage to property
Damage to property includes using physical strength, threats and intimidation to cause damage or threaten to cause damage to personal belongings and valuables and is a form of coercive control.
tech + digital
stalking
the use of technology to abuse, harass and intimidate. Tech abuse can include uploading personal photos or content or threatening to do so, tracking you through technology, controlling who you can be friends with on social media, hacking into your accounts and impersonating you or going through personal data, harassing you by messaging and calling excessively or withholding technology so that you can’t communicate with others.
Stalking is persistently pursuing someone against their will, and can be with or without the victim’s knowledge. Stalking can include following you, tracking you through technology and social media, sending multiple messages or calling excessively, monitoring your use of technology. Stalking creates fear and can make a victim believe they are in danger.