Domestic and family violence
Domestic and family violence occurs across all socio-economic and demographic groups. While every experience of family, domestic or sexual violence is personal and different, it is most commonly perpetrated by men against women. Some groups, including children, are more vulnerable than others because they are at greater risk or because the impacts and outcomes of violence can be more serious or long-lasting (AIHW 2023b).
For children and young people, the effects of experiencing or being exposed to domestic and family violence can be traumatising, ongoing and long-lasting. Effects can impact every aspect of their lives, including physical and mental health, development, wellbeing, behaviours, relationships, feelings and emotions, education, learning, cognition and housing outcomes (1800RESPECT; AIHW 2023b; ANROWS 2018).
Our Watch (2021) emphasises gender equality and actions to address the drivers of gender-based violence, such as challenging the condoning of violence against women, promoting women’s independence and decision-making, challenging gender stereotypes and roles, strengthening positive, equal and respectful relationships and promoting and normalising gender equality in public and private life.
The Australian National plan to end violence against women and children 2022–2032 (Department of Social Services 2022) highlights the importance of respectful relationships and consent education in schools, preventing gender-based violence and addressing the safety and needs of children and young people.
Definitions
Family violence – is a broader term than domestic violence, as it refers not only to violence between intimate partners but also to violence between family members (Our Watch 2021).
Domestic and family violence can include physical, sexual, emotional, psychological and financial abuse, coercive control and stalking.
Coercive control – is when someone repeatedly dominates another person, typically through manipulation, intimidation and isolation. It is almost always an underlying factor of domestic and family violence.
Gaslighting – is a form of psychological manipulation where a person tries to make another person doubt their thoughts, feelings or memories.
Gender-based violence – refers to violence that is used against someone because of their gender. It describes violence rooted in gender-based power inequalities, rigid gender norms and gender-based discrimination.
Misogyny – is the hatred or contempt for women, often manifesting in discrimination, belittlement, prejudice and violence
Sexism – is a prejudice or bias against people based on their sex or gender, favouring one gender over another and perpetuating stereotypes, unequal treatment or limitations
Technology-facilitated abuse – refers to the use of digital technologies to harm, control, harass, monitor or abuse someone. It can happen as part of domestic, family and sexual violence.
Unhealthy masculinity – refers to the societal expectations, practices, attitudes and behaviours that dictate what men and boys should be and how they should act. Harmful masculine stereotypes, with narrow and unrealistic standards, reinforce these behaviours
Upstander – is someone who witnesses an unsafe situation and takes action to try and stop it safely.
Implementation
The KS:CPC addresses domestic and family violence through topics that focus on children’s and young people’s right to be safe, understanding respectful relationships, recognising unsafe situations and abuse, bystander and upstander behaviour and strategies for help-seeking and reporting.
Find opportunities to embed respectful relationship concepts across subjects and learning areas. For Australian educators, connections can be made between the KS:CPC, Early Years Learning Framework and the Australian Curriculum. Also refer to Australian Curriculum: Respectful relationships.
Resources
Break the cycle of domestic abuse (Government of South Australia)
Coercive control (eSafety Commissioner)
Domestic and family violence statistics (Mission Australia)
Domestic violence at home (Kids Helpline)
Family, domestic and sexual violence summary (AIHW)
Family violence myths and facts (Safe Steps)
Intimate partner violence (World Health Organisation)
Masculinities and health (VicHealth)
My friend is unsafe at home (Kids Helpline)
Myths and facts (Domestic Violence Prevention Centre)
National plan to end violence against women and children 2022–2032 (Commonwealth of Australia, Department of Social Services)
National principles to address coercive control in family and domestic violence (Commonwealth of Australia, Attorney-General’s Department).
Parents hurting each other (Kids Helpline)
Preventing and combating sexism (Council of Europe)
Quick facts about violence against women (Our Watch)
Spotting the warning signs of tech-based coercive control (eSafety Commissioner)
Staying safe in an abusive home (Kids Helpline)
Stop domestic violence against women (Council of Europe)
Stop it at the start – The hidden trends of disrespect: Teen boys (Australian Government)
Tech-based domestic and family violence (eSafety Commissioner)
Technology-facilitated abuse (Safe Steps)
The effects of domestic and family violence (NSW Government)
Toxic masculinity vs. healthy masculinity (Green Hill)
Understanding the concept of misogyny (Australia Counselling)
Unpacking the gendered drivers of violence against women (DVRCV)
What is gender-based violence? (European Commission)
What is sexism? (Medical News Today)
What to do if someone is hurting you (Kids Helpline)
Yarning about respect – Stop it at the start (Australian Government)
References
Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) (2018) Research summary: the impacts of domestic and family violence on children (2nd ed), Sydney: NSW
Department of Social Services (2022) National plan to end violence against women and children 2022–2032, Commonwealth of Australia
Our Watch (2021) Change the story: A shared framework for the primary prevention of violence against women in Australia (2nd ed), Melbourne: Australia
1800RESPECT: How domestic violence affects children, viewed October 2024, https://kscpc.sa.edu.au/e/10189