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  • See Also
  • Services Australia
    https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/subjects/family-and-domestic-violence/what-family-and-domestic-violence
  • Services Australia

What is family or domestic violence?

Family and domestic violence is any behaviour that is violent, threatening, controlling, or intended to make you or your family feel scared or unsafe. There may be many reasons why it may be difficult to recognise the sign of domestic or family violence, towards yourself or others.

Family and domestic violence isn’t always physical. It can happen to anyone, at any time, no matter their age, gender or sexual orientation. It can happen anywhere, including at home or at work.

Types of relationships

Family and domestic violence can affect anyone in all types of relationships. It can occur in:

  • Past or current intimate relationships. This includes dating or living together, regardless of gender or sexuality.
  • Relationships involving carers of people with a disability or a medical condition.
  • Relationships with relatives and guardians.
  • Culturally recognised family groups.

Types of family and domestic violence

There are many different kinds of family and domestic violence, including, but not limited to:

  • Physical violence
  • Sexual assault
  • Verbal or emotional abuse
  • Controlling behaviour
  • Stalking
  • Technology-facilitated abuse
  • Financial abuse
  • Abuse of older of vulnerable people

What forms can family and domestic violence take?

It is never OK for someone in a relationship to:

  • Tell you they will hurt you, your children, your pets, or people you care about
  • Say they will hurt themselves if you try to leave
  • Cut you off from friends or family
  • Refuse to provide essential care and support for you if they are your parent, guardian, carer, or paid support person
  • Make looking after a baby hard by not letting you feed or settle your baby
  • Scare you by following you, harassing you, or refusing to leave you alone
  • Use the legal system to bully or intimidate you
  • Stop you from making decisions about whether or not to have a baby, or other reproductive issues
  • Stop you from having medicine you need or from seeing a doctor
  • Give you medicine you don't need or more medicine than you need
  • Take your money or use money to make your life hard
  • Touch you in ways or places you don’t want to be touched
  • Force you to have sex or do sexual things
  • Say and do things that make you feel scared or unsafe
  • Share private photos or videos of you online without your permission
  • Stop you from following your religion or cultural practices
  • Damage walls, parts of your home, or your things
  • Hit, kick, and do other things that hurt your body.

These are only some things that family and domestic violence may involve. There are many others. If anyone is making you feel scared, worried or unsafe, it is OK to ask for help.

Source: 1800 Respect

More information

Services Australia has family and domestic violence factsheets available in 28 languages (written and audio) on their website. These factsheets explain what domestic violence is, how to get support (including with interpreting services), how to find out more information, and also provides four different helplines.

We would like to acknowledge and pay respect to the Noongar people, the traditional custodians of the land upon which ECU's campuses stand and programs operate.

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