domestic violence essay australia

Why we need to stand against domestic violence

To commemorate White Ribbon Day, experts from the University reflect on why it is critical that we take a stand against domestic violence.

While the rate of domestic and family violence  changes over time , the impact on survivors remains devastating. Ahead of  White Ribbon Day , experts from the University of Sydney reflect on the effects of domestic violence and discuss why we need to take action. 

Violence as a human rights abuse

“Violence against women is one of the most prevalent manifestations of human rights abuse in Australia according to the Australian Human Rights Council, with one in four women having experienced domestic violence,"said  Dr Susan Heward-Belle  from the University’s Faculty of Education and Social Work.

"Death, disabilities, serious physical and psychological injuries and social disadvantage are often the results.

“The 2015-2017 NSW Domestic Violence Review Team Report (DVDRT) found that 204 people died from intimate partner violence over a 14-year period, with the vast majority of victims being women who were killed by current or former male partners.

“As expected, the DVDRT report contains recommendations aimed at legislators, policymakers, and practitioners but the report also highlights the crucial role that family and friends can play. This role includes supporting and believing survivors of domestic violence and holding those who perpetrate domestic violence to account. Preventing domestic violence is everybody’s business and that begins with becoming domestic violence informed.

“This includes the understanding that domestic violence is not a ‘lover’s spat’, or a mutual ‘quarrel’. Instead, it occurs when one person chooses to exert power over another through a pattern of coercive control, which is embedded within systems of inequality, the most substantial of which is gendered inequality."

Domestic violence and workplaces

Research Affiliate from the University’s Women and Work Research Group,  Ludo McFerran , highlights the importance of creating safe work environments that ensure support is available to those impacted by domestic violence.

“Most women who report domestic violence experiences are in paid employment. As a community, we need to reduce the impacts of domestic violence by supporting those affected to stay safe in their homes and in their jobs,” she said.  

“Domestic violence drives employees into casual and precarious work. A special duty of care needs to be extended to casual staff as a result.”

“The clear messages employers can give employees are that victims will be supported and their jobs are safe; that perpetrator behaviour will be managed and won’t be tolerated; and that co-workers need to respect confidentiality but also encourage disclosure to managers or HR.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing violence and need help or support, please  contact 1800 RESPECT  (1800 737 732).

Take the White Ribbon oath

Charlotte moore.

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• [email protected]

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The 2017 National Community Attitudes towards Violence against Women Survey (NCAS) found that although young people have a good overall understanding of domestic violence, particularly its physical forms, there were also some “areas of concern” within young people’s understandings. The NCAS raised concerns about young people’s understandings of:

• the non-physical forms of domestic violence, such as financial and technology-facilitated abuse
• the high prevalence of violence against women in the community
• the gendered nature of domestic violence.

To further explore these findings, the current study unpacked how young people define and make sense of domestic violence. In particular, the study examined how young people distinguish domestic violence from other unhealthy relationship behaviours, how common they perceive domestic violence to be and their understanding of the gendered nature of domestic violence.

The mixed-method study involved a short online survey and focus groups with young women (41) and men (39) aged 16 to 18 from across Australia from a range of backgrounds. Fourteen online focus groups, each with four to six participants, were conducted. Seven of the focus groups were with young men and seven were with young women.

The research found:

• While media representations formed a key reference point for young people’s understandings of domestic violence, the young people knew there was more to the story than these extreme and sensationalised representations of physical violence.
• The young people conceptualised domestic violence as having “explicit” forms of violence, such as physical violence, and also “subtle” forms, such as emotional abuse.
• The young people understood that domestic violence is a pattern of behaviour that can begin with toxic and unhealthy relationship behaviours that are controlling or manipulative, non-consensual and cause harm to the other person’s self-worth and mental health.
• The young people felt that the term “domestic violence and abuse” more accurately reflects the multiple and distinct forms of violence and abuse that can co-occur as a snowballing pattern of behaviour within intimate relationships.
• For the young people, the idea of consent went beyond sexual consent. Having independence, autonomy and the capacity to make one’s own decisions was seen as integral to a healthy relationship and most behaviours that encroach on a person’s freedom were seen as abusive and wrong.
• The young people rejected the idea that gender was a driver of domestic violence based on notions of “fairness” and treating all individuals the same. Nonetheless, they reflected on the way gendered “conditioning” by their parents, education and broader society shaped their own understandings and experiences.

This new research demonstrates that young people have a nuanced and sophisticated understanding of domestic violence and abuse, which should be used and built upon to inform relevant, consistent and effective education, policy and primary prevention initiatives aimed at preventing and reducing violence against women.

Publication details

This report addresses work covered in ANROWS’s National Community Attitudes towards Violence against Women Survey (NCAS) Research Program .

This work is part of the  ANROWS Research reports series . ANROWS Research reports (Horizons) are in-depth reports on empirical research produced under ANROWS’s research program.

DR ERIN CARLISLE Senior Research Officer (NCAS), ANROWS

DR CHRISTINE COUMARELOS Director, Research Program (NCAS), ANROWS

KATE MINTER Senior Research Officer (NCAS), ANROWS

DR BEN LOHMEYER  Lecturer in Social Work, Flinders University

ISBN: 978-1-922645-31-9 (paperback) ISBN: 978-1-922645-30-2 (PDF)

Suggested citation

Carlisle, E., Coumarelos, C., Minter, K., & Lohmeyer, B. (2022). “It depends on what the definition of domestic violence is”: How young Australians conceptualise domestic violence and abuse (Research report, 09/2022). ANROWS.

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This content contains information some readers may find distressing as it refers to information about family, domestic and sexual violence. If the information presented raises any issues for you, or someone you know, contact  1800RESPECT  on  1800 737 732 . See also  Find support  for a list of support services.

Family, domestic and sexual violence Home

Types of violence

Family and domestic violence

Topic last updated: 12 Apr 2024 | See what’s been updated

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Key findings.

Based on the 2021–22 Personal Safety Survey:

• over 1 in 4 (27% or 2.7 million) women have experienced FDV since the age of 15
• around 1 in 16 (6.2% or 611,000) women have experienced violence since the age of 15 from a father, son, brother or other male relative or in-law
• 12% (2.2 million) of people witnessed partner violence against their mothers when they were children .

Family and domestic violence (FDV) is a major national health and welfare issue that can have lifelong impacts for victim-survivors and perpetrators. It occurs across all ages and backgrounds, but mainly affects women and children.

This page presents data related to FDV as a whole, which comprises intimate partner violence and violence by other family members. Information specific to intimate partner violence (IPV) can be found in Intimate partner violence .

What is family and domestic violence?

‘Violence’ refers to behaviours that cause, or intend to cause, fear or harm. Violence can occur in the form of threat, assault, abuse, neglect or harassment and is often used by a person or people, to intimidate, harm or control others. Not all forms of violence are physical.

The term FDV describes violence that occurs in 2 types of relationships – intimate partner relationships and family relationships. In some contexts, it is appropriate to look at FDV combined – this provides a better sense of the violence that occurs overall within personal relationships. However, the risk factors, types of violence experienced and impacts can differ between IPV and family violence (Box 1).

Both IPV and family violence are forms of FDV that occur in the form of assault, threat, abuse, neglect or harassment. IPV and family violence can occur repeatedly, or as single incidents.

IPV describes violence that occurs between:

• partners who live together (or have lived together previously in a married or de facto relationship)
• boyfriends, girlfriends or dates (both current or previous).

IPV covers different levels of commitment and involvement. For example, boyfriends, girlfriends or dates can refer to those who have had one date only, regular dating with no sexual involvement, or a serious sexual or emotional relationship .

The term family violence describes violence that occurs within a domestic or familial context. Family members can be:

• partners who live together (or have lived together in a married or de facto relationship)
• parents (including step-parents)
• siblings (including step-siblings)
• other family members (including in-laws and extended family)
• kinship relationships.

Family members can also be carers, foster carers and co-residents (for example in group homes or boarding residences). Family violence is the preferred term for describing violence that occurs among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) people, noting the way that violence can occur across kinship relationships (for more information, see Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people ).

FDV can also occur in the context of coercive control, where a person uses patterns of abusive behaviour over time to exert power and dominance in everyday life, to create fear, control or manipulate others, and deny liberty and autonomy. For more information on this, see Coercive control .

How is FDV used in AIHW reporting?

In the AIHW’s reporting of Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Personal Safety Survey (PSS) data, the term family and domestic violence is used for simplicity when referring to violence between all family members and intimate partners. Referring to the 2021–22 PSS categories ‘family member’ and ‘intimate partner’ as the combined ‘family and domestic’ allows the AIHW’s reporting of violence to draw on the ABS’ definitions of relationships (Box 1), while using a term that is recognisable to the public.

Family members who are not partners are referred to as   ‘other family members’. In the PSS, ‘other family members’ are parents/step-parents, children/step-children, siblings/step-siblings, and other relatives or in-laws.

A more detailed look at violence in intimate relationships can be found in  Intimate partner violence .

What do we know?

Many factors can contribute to, and influence, the likelihood of a person experiencing family and domestic violence. These factors can be:

• individual level factors (personal history such as childhood abuse; alcohol or drug use; adherence to traditional gender roles; educational level)
• relationship level factors (interpersonal relationships with peers, intimate partners or family members such as social support networks; family conflict; or having violent peers)
• community level factors (experiences in schools, workplaces and neighbourhoods such as workplace polices on sexual harassment or accessibility of support services)
• societal level (structural and cultural influences such as government policies, religious or cultural beliefs, gender or other inequalities, or social and cultural norms) (Quadara and Wall 2012).

These factors, and their intersection with other forms of disadvantage and discrimination, are discussed in Factors associated with FDSV .

What data are available to report on family and domestic violence?

Data from national surveys can be used to show the prevalence of family and domestic violence in Australia.

• ABS Criminal Courts
• ABS Personal Safety Survey (PSS)
• ABS Recorded Crime – Victims
• ABS Recorded Crime – Offenders
• AIFS National Elder Abuse Prevalence Study

What do the data tell us?

Data from the 2021–22 PSS are available to report on FDV since the age of 15. In the PSS, violence refers to physical and/or sexual violence.

How common is family and domestic violence?

1 in 5 adults.

in 2021–22 had experienced family and domestic violence since the age of 15

Over 1 in 4 women

Based on the 2021–22 PSS, 1 in 5 (20%) adults have experienced FDV since the age of 15. FDV was more common among women than men:

• over 1 in 8 (12% or 1.1 million) men have experienced FDV since the age of 15 (Figure 1) (ABS 2023).

In the PSS, some information about the FDV experienced by children is collected by asking men and women about experiences of abuse before the age of 15. These data are one part of the picture and do not fully capture the prevalence of FDV among children. Data from other sources can be brought together to look at experiences of FDV among children and young people, these are discussed further in Children and young people .

Figure 1: Proportion of people aged 18 years and over who have experienced FDV since the age of 15, by sex and relationship to perpetrator, 2021–22

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• Components are not able to be added together to produce a total. Where a person has experienced violence by both an intimate and a family member, they are counted separately for each type they experienced but are counted only once in the aggregated Intimate partner or family member total.

For more information, see Data sources and technical notes.

Source: ABS PSS 2021-22 | Data source overview

Both women and men were more likely to have experienced FDV by an intimate partner than other family members:

• 23% (2.3 million) of women had experienced FDV by an intimate partner compared with 8.1% (806,000) who experienced FDV by other family members
• 7.3% (693,000) of men had experienced FDV by an intimate partner compared with 5.9% (561,000) who experienced FDV by other family members.

More detailed reporting on IPV, including data from the 2021–22 PSS about the types of violence experienced, is reported in Intimate partner violence .

How many children witness FDV?

of adults in 2021–22 had witnessed partner violence against their mothers when they were children

Exposing children to violence can be considered a form of FDV. There are many ways that children can be exposed to FDV, for example through seeing or hearing acts of violence or its effects, or by witnessing patterns of non-physical controlling behaviours. These experiences among children and young people are discussed in Children and young people .

The PSS asks respondents about whether they had witnessed violence towards their own parents when they were children. These data are collected from adults 18 years and over about the violence they witnessed before the age of 15.

According to the 2021–22 PSS, an estimated 2.6 million (13%) people aged 18 years and over witnessed partner violence towards a parent. More women than men had witnessed partner violence towards one of their parents – 16% of women compared with 11% of men (ABS 2023).

A higher proportion of people had witnessed partner violence against their mothers than their fathers – 12% (2.2 million) of people witnessed violence against their mothers, 4.3% (837,000) witnessed violence against their fathers (Figure 2) (ABS 2023).

Figure 2: Proportion of people who witnessed partner violence against their parents, women and men aged 18 years and over, 2021–22

• Components are not able to be added together to produce a total. Where a person has witnessed parental violence towards both their mother and their father, they are counted separately for each but are counted only once in the aggregated witnessed violence towards mother and/or father total.

Who uses FDV?

Data on the people who use FDV against others are limited, as most national reporting to date has focussed on victim-survivors and people who experience violence (Flood et al. 2023). For women, the 2021–22 PSS captured some detailed information about violence in family relationships, however these data are limited to:

• physical and/or sexual violence by male FDV perpetrators
• physical violence by female FDV perpetrators.

Table 1 shows the different types of FDV experienced by women by relationship to perpetrator, where the perpetrator was male.

• Includes previous cohabiting partners.
• Includes previous boyfriends or dates.

Source: ABS 2023.

These data show that since the age of 15:

• 6.2% (611,000) of women have experienced violence from a male family member who was not a partner (such as fathers, brothers and other relatives) 
• 3.3% (326,000) of women have experienced violence from a father
• 1.3% (126,000) of women have experienced violence from a brother (ABS 2023).

Data from the 2021–22 PSS also show that 1.9% (192,000) of women have experienced physical violence by a mother since the age of 15.

More information about perpetrators is discussed in Who uses violence? .

Children and young people who use FDSV

Adolescent family violence (AFV) refers to the use of violence by children and young people against family members, including physical, emotional, financial, and sexual abuse. It includes a range of behaviours used to control, coerce and threaten family members.

Although there are no nationally-representative data on the prevalence of adolescent family violence, existing research and administrative data suggest that adolescent males are more likely to use any AFV and more severe forms and that mothers are most frequently the victims (Box 2) (Fitz-Gibbon et al. 2018, 2022a; RCFV 2016). Existing research shows that young people who use AFV are more likely to have also experienced abuse and maltreatment themselves. AFV is generally more reactive and retaliatory and less frequently controlling and manipulative than intimate partner violence (Fitz-Gibbon et al. 2022a).

In 2022, Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) published findings from a national study of AFV . The aim of the study was to look at the nature of AFV, including the patterns in AFV use, and the support needs among young people (Fitz-Gibbon et al. 2022a).

The study involved an online survey of 5,000 people aged 16–20, completed during September and October 2021. The sample was not recruited to reflect the spread of young people in Australia. Due to the non-representative nature of the sample, findings cannot be generalised to the wider Australian population.

How many respondents reported using AFV?

Among the young people aged 16–20 who participated in the study, 1 in 5 (20%) reported that they had used a form of violence against a family member. Violence includes physical, emotional, psychological, verbal, financial and/or sexual abuse.

Among all surveyed young people:

• about 1 in 7 (15%) used verbal abuse
• 1 in 10 (10%) physical violence
• 1 in 20 (5%) emotional/psychological abuse.

Note that multiple forms could be recorded per person.

Patterns in AFV use

Among surveyed young people who were able to say when they started using AFV (600 people) the average age of onset was 11 years old, with 42% saying they started at 10 years old or younger.

Among surveyed young people who used AFV (1,006 people):

• about half (51%) used only non-physical forms of abuse
• under half (45%) used violence on at least a monthly basis, with verbal forms generally more frequent than physical forms
• about 2 in 3 (68%) used violence against siblings, half against their mother (51%) and over 1 in 3 (37%) against their father. Violence against step-parents and foster carers was less common (8%).

Most young people who used AFV reported using retaliatory violence after they experienced violence from siblings (93% or 280), their mothers (68% or 300) and their fathers (54% or 230). These differences in AFV may reflect differences in opportunity (as some family members are less present) or who is perceived as easier targets of aggression.

Effects of witnessing and experiencing violence

Young people who both witnessed violence between family members and experienced targeted abuse were 9.2 times as likely to use AFV than those who had not experienced child abuse (Fitz-Gibbon et al. 2022a).

Services and support needs for young people who use AFV

It was not common for young people to disclose their AFV, with at most 1 in 3 (34%) disclosing to a family member, 18% to a friend, 7% to a formal service and 1% to someone else in their community. Some young people reported that:

• they needed more support from family, school and formal services, a safe place and more education on abuse
• their disclosures of AFV were ignored and of not knowing what would or could have helped them (Fitz-Gibbon et al. 2022b).

For further insights about AFV, including information about how AFV differs across groups of young people, such as gender-diverse young people, young people with disability and First Nations young people, see the full report on the ANROWS website .

What are the responses to family and domestic violence?

People respond to family and domestic violence in many ways. Many people do not disclose their experiences, or when they do, they choose to disclose them to informal sources of support such as friends and family. There are number of reasons why people may choose not to or seek help from formal services. Some of the barriers are discussed in more detail in How do people respond to FDSV? .

What are some barriers to seeking help?

'Asking for help is hard enough but the constant re-telling of your story, and not being able to give a clear timeline due to trauma and post-traumatic stress is particularly challenging.' Kelly WEAVERs Expert by Experience

People who do seek help from formal services may access a range of different supports. These supports span across multiple sectors and have varying levels of involvement with victim-survivors and people who use violence. The support can also vary depending on the type of FDV experienced. For example, some services may provide support specifically for those who have experienced intimate partner violence or sexual violence.

Child protection services

In Australia, states and territories are responsible for providing child protection services to anyone aged under 18 who has been, or is at risk of being, abused, neglected or otherwise harmed, or whose parents are unable to provide adequate care and protection. Data are available to report on the number of people receiving child protection services who have had a substantiated case of abuse. These data can be used to show:

• the primary abuse types (physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse or neglect)
• characteristics of children with substantiated abuse or neglect
• changes over time.

Further information can be found in Child protection .

Health services

People who experience FDV may seek assistance from health services. Health services that respond to FDSV include:

• primary care, including general practitioners (GPs) and community health services
• mental health services
• ambulance or emergency services
• alcohol and other drug treatment services
• hospitals (admitted patient care; emergency care; and outpatient care).

While each health service response has an important and different role to play, national service-level data on responses to FDV are limited. Hospital records related to episodes of admitted care (hospitalisations) are the main nationally comparable data available, although some data related to FDSV responses in other health services are available in some states and territories.

Data from the AIHW National Hospital Morbidity Database are available to report on the number of people admitted to hospital for FDV-related assault injuries. These data are reported in Health services .

Police and legal responses

For an incident of FDV, victim-survivors, witnesses or other people may contact police. Incidents that are considered a criminal offence are recorded by police as crimes. Data from police are available to report on victims of FDV-related offences. These are discussed in more detail in FDV reported to police .

Legal responses to FDV can also involve civil and criminal proceedings in state and territory courts. Civil proceedings can result in domestic violence orders (DVOs) that aim to protect victim-survivors of FDV from future violence. Criminal proceedings can punish offenders for criminal conduct related FDV and sexual violence. There are also national legal responses to FDV. Australia’s federal family law courts have the power to make civil personal protection injunctions for the protection of a child or party to family law proceedings. FDV is considered as a priority in child-related proceedings and in financial proceedings. Further information about criminal and civil proceedings are discussed in more detail in Legal systems .

Specialist perpetrator interventions

Some responses to FDV are designed to work with perpetrators to hold them to account and support them to change their behaviour. The majority of perpetrator interventions fall into 2 categories: police and legal interventions, and behaviour change interventions.

National data on behaviour change interventions are limited. However, some data are available from the Men’s Referral Service, and a growing body of research is available to discuss what currently works to reduce and respond to violence. These are discussed in more detail in Specialist perpetrator interventions .

Specialist homelessness services

When FDV occurs within the home, it can create an unsafe and unstable environment, leading some individuals and families to leave for their safety. Specialist homelessness services (SHS) provide services to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Data from SHS are available to look at the number of clients of SHS who had experienced FDV, including data about client characteristics, service use patterns, and housing situations and outcomes. These are discussed in further detail in Housing .

Other responses

There are a range of other responses to FDV where some data or information are available:

• Financial support and workplace responses (these include crisis payments; workplace responses such as internal workplace investigations, or access to leave entitlements)
• Helplines and related support services (including information, referral, counselling and advocacy).

What are the impacts of family and domestic violence?

FDV can have long-lasting impacts on an individual’s physical and mental health as well as their economic and social wellbeing. In some cases, FDV can be fatal. Data are available across a number of areas to look at the longer-term impacts and outcomes of FDV on individuals and the community.

Economic and financial impacts

There are a number of direct and indirect economic and financial impacts of FDV. For example, people who experience FDV may incur the costs associated with separation such as moving and legal costs or healthcare costs for treatment and/or recovery from harm. The costs of FDV can also be indirect, or be seen longer-term, particularly when they limit a person’s education, and employment outcomes.

Some of the impacts of FDV can also be economy-wide, and these can be seen through impacts to the health system, community services, as well as through lost wages, lower productivity. Estimating the cost of violence to the economy can provide an overview of the scale of the problem and how wide-ranging it is. These are discussed in more detail in Economic and financial impacts .

Health impacts

The health outcomes of FDV can be serious and long-lasting. Some data are available to report on:

• the burden of disease due to IPV (refers to the quantified impact of living with and dying prematurely from a disease or injury)
• the relationship between violence and poor mental health outcomes
• the long-term impact of injuries related to FDV
• sexual and reproductive health outcomes
• FDV-related suicides.

These are discussed in more detail in Health outcomes .

Some family and domestic violence incidents are fatal. Domestic homicide is the term used to refer to the unlawful killing of a person in an incident involving the death of a family member or other person in a domestic relationship, including people who have a current or former intimate relationship.

Data from a number of sources are available to report on the number of domestic homicides. These are reported in Domestic homicide .

Intergenerational impacts

Children who experience or are exposed to FDV can experience adverse developmental outcomes, which are associated with an increased likelihood of violence perpetration. This process is sometimes referred to as intergenerational transmission of violence   (Eriksson and Mazerolle 2015; Fitz-Gibbon et al. 2022a; Meyer et al 2021; Tzoumakis et al. 2019;   Webster 2016).

Research suggests that addressing intergenerational violence and trauma requires early interventions to disrupt transmission and ongoing support for people impacted by violence and trauma (DSS 2022; Fitz-Gibbon et al. 2022a). Early detection and targeted interventions and responses that are tailored to the child or young person can also help to reduce the likelihood of AFV and harmful sexual behaviours continuing or escalating (DPMC 2021; El-Murr 2017; Fitz-Gibbon et al. 2022b; Paton and Bromfield 2022; RCIRCSA 2017).

Recent key findings from research on intergenerational transmission of violence among non-representative cohorts in Australia include:

• children had higher odds of emotional/behavioural difficulties at age four associated with maternal violence exposures (maternal childhood abuse or intimate partner violence) and poor maternal physical or mental health (Gartland et al. 2019)
• about 9 in 10 (89%) young people aged 16 to 20 who had used violence against a family member in their lifetime had witnessed FDV or been targeted by child abuse (Fitz-Gibbon et al. 2022a)
• children that were exposed to intimate partner violence directed at their mothers developed violent behaviours towards others and their mothers, with sons more likely to become violent, based on narrative interviews with mothers (Meyer et al. 2015).

A related process, intergenerational trauma, occurs when people who have experienced trauma (which can include violence and abuse) pass their trauma to further generations. This can be related to a lack of opportunity to heal and a lack of support for those who have experienced trauma. In Australia, intergenerational trauma particularly affects First Nations people (see Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people ), especially the children, grandchildren and future generations of the Stolen Generations (AIHW 2018; DSS 2022; Healing Foundation 2022).

Has it changed over time?

Typically, data on the 12-month prevalence of FDV can be used to see whether violence has changed over time. However, comparable national 12-month prevalence data about FDV combined are not available prior to 2021–22. Data on the 12-month prevalence of IPV are available, and changes over time are reported in Intimate partner violence .

According to the 2021–22 PSS:

• 1.9% of women aged 18 years and over experienced FDV in the 12 months prior to the survey
• 0.7% of men aged 18 years and over experienced FDV in the 12 months prior to the survey (this estimate has a relative standard error of 25–50% and should be used with caution) (ABS 2023).

Some data are available from other sources to look at changes in FDV-related service use over time. Changes in service use over time can be for a number of reasons, such as greater awareness, increased reporting, increase in actual prevalence, or a combination of these reasons.

Some time series data are available on:

• FDV-related offences recorded by police (see FDV reported to police )
• rates of domestic homicide (see Domestic homicide )
• rates of FDV-related assault injury hospitalisations (see Health services )
• rates of people seeking assistance from SHS due to FDV (see Housing ).

Is it the same for everyone?

While some data are available to show how the experiences of FDV can differ across population groups, comparable data on the prevalence of violence are limited.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

‘Family violence’ is the preferred term for violence within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) communities, as it covers the extended families, kinship networks and community relationships in which violence can occur (Cripps and Davis 2012).

The factors contributing to family violence, the actions taken when violence occurs and the longer-term impacts can be different for First Nations people compared with non-Indigenous people. Further, family violence among First Nations people should be understood in the context of intergenerational trauma and the ongoing impacts of colonisation.

The latest National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS, 2018–19) showed that 2 in 3 (67% or 20,800) First Nations people aged 15 and over who had experienced physical harm in the 12 months before the survey reported the perpetrator was a family member (a former or current intimate partner or other family member) (ABS 2019).

More information about family violence, including data from police, criminal courts and hospitals can be found in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people .

Children and young people

Children are victims of FDV in their own right, both when they experience violence directly, and when they are exposed to, or witness violence or abuse between others. It is difficult to obtain robust data on children’s experiences of FDV. Due to the sensitive nature of this subject, most large-scale population surveys focus on adults. However, estimates of adults from surveys are likely to underestimate the true extent of FDSV due to some people’s reluctance to disclose information and reliance on participant’s recollections of events, which may have changed over time.

The 2021 Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS) was a cross-sectional survey of people aged 16 and over about their experiences of child sexual abuse and child maltreatment from a parent or caregiver. It also assessed some other childhood adversities and associations with aspects of health and wellbeing later in life (Mathews et al 2023).

Findings from the ACMS, including data on physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect and exposure to domestic violence are discussed in more detail at Children and young people .

Older people

In Australia, ‘older people’ are generally defined as those aged 65 and over. However, First Nations people are often included among ‘older people’ from the age of 50 (Kaspiew et al. 2015).

Elder abuse is another term often used to describe violence experienced by older Australians when there is a relationship of trust between the older person and the perpetrator. Some forms of elder abuse can be perpetrated by family members, such as partners, children or other relatives.

The 2021 AIFS National Elder Abuse Prevalence Study collected information about elder abuse experienced by older people who live in the community. These data can be used to report on the prevalence of abuse, the type of abuse experience, and the relationship to the perpetrator of abuse. Findings from this study are discussed in more detail in Older people .

Other population groups

Comparable national data are not available to compare the prevalence of FDV among different population groups. However, data from other sources, can be used to illustrate some of the unique experiences of violence for:

• people with disability
• pregnant people
• mothers and their children
• young women
• people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
• LGBTIQA+ people
• veteran families .

Related material

What is fdsv, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, more information.

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Australian Perspectives on Domestic Violence

• First Online: 20 June 2017

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• Jane Wangmann 4  

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This chapter provides an overview of the historical and contemporary responses to domestic violence in Australia. The idea that domestic violence is a private matter largely prevailed until the 1970s, when feminist activism and governmental inquiries emphasised that it is a social problem mostly affecting women. Contemporary policy responses in Australia draw on a gendered analysis of domestic violence although some groups challenge that approach. The terms domestic and family violence are often used interchangeably in Australia, in part because many Indigenous communities prefer family violence as it encompasses Aboriginal kinship. The term family violence does not necessarily signal a gender-neutral approach. Legal responses to domestic violence include civil protection orders which were introduced in Australian States and Territories from the 1980s. Police have a central role in civil protection order systems which marks out Australian approaches as distinctive. The chapter examines the available evidence concerning the prevalence of domestic violence in Australia, and legal responses to domestic violence. It also discusses the experiences of marginalised women, particularly Indigenous women whose experience of family violence is mediated by the ongoing effects of colonisation and discrimination. The chapter looks beyond the traditional legal focus of civil and criminal law and includes information about other measures to respond to domestic violence, such as emergency accommodation, perpetrator programs and recently introduced multidisciplinary groups tasked with responding to high risk victims. It concludes by identifying areas that require greater attention in Australia.

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Stubbs, J., Wangmann, J. (2017). Australian Perspectives on Domestic Violence. In: Buzawa, E., Buzawa, C. (eds) Global Responses to Domestic Violence. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56721-1_9

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Key issues in domestic violence

Domestic violence refers to acts of violence that occur within intimate relationships and take place in domestic settings. It includes physical, sexual, emotional and psychological abuse. Family violence is a broader term that refers to violence between family members, as well as violence between intimate partners. This summary paper focuses on the issue of domestic violence.

Domestic violence incurs significant social, emotional and economic costs to victims, their families and the broader community (Laing & Bobic 2002). Findings from victimisation surveys suggest that women are more likely than men to become victims of domestic violence, but that domestic violence can occur in a range of different relationship types, circumstances and settings. Research suggests that some women may be more vulnerable to becoming victims and less capable of exiting violent relationships, depending on their age, living arrangements and English language abilities. A number of factors have also been identified as increasing the risk that an individual will become a perpetrator of domestic violence. Understanding the complex interaction of attitudes, motives and situational factors underlying offender behaviour is helpful in developing effective prevention strategies.

This summary paper provides a brief overview of this area of research. Key research findings on the nature, prevalence and impact of domestic violence are presented, along with an overview of risk factors associated with an increased likelihood of offending or victimisation. The implications of these research findings for policy and practice are also briefly outlined.

What is domestic violence?

Domestic violence is traditionally associated with cases of physical violence occurring within intimate relationships and in a domestic setting. It is most commonly perpetrated by a male against a female partner, but it also includes violence against men. Domestic violence occurs in both heterosexual and homosexual relationships and includes married, de facto and separated adolescents and adults (Flood & Fergus 2008). Domestic violence is also commonly referred to as relationship violence, intimate partner violence and gender-based violence. In Indigenous communities, 'family violence' is often the preferred term as it encapsulates the broader issue of violence within extended families (Stanley, Tomison & Pocock 2003).

Domestic violence is not limited to physical violence and involves a range of different forms of abuse. These are outlined in Table 1. Definitions of domestic violence commonly include reference to:

• the presence of abuse between intimate partners, including both current and former partners;
• different forms of abuse including physical and sexual violence, threats and intimidation, psychological and emotional abuse, and social and economic deprivation;
• the unequal distribution of power whereby one person has control over the other and uses domestic violence to dominate and maintain that level of control;
• infrequent and relatively minor incidents through to more frequent and severe incidents resulting in serious physical harm or death; and
• the impact of domestic violence in terms of causing fear as well as physical and psychological damage and interfering with the victim's quality of life (Laing & Bobic 2002).

While most people consider domestic violence to be comprised of physical and sexual assaults, there is evidence that fewer people regard social, psychological and financial abuse as constituting domestic violence (VicHealth 2009).

Source: Mouzos & Makkai 2004; National Council to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children (NCRVWC) 2009a; WA Department for Communities nd

Prevalence of domestic violence

The main source of information regarding the prevalence of domestic violence is victimisation surveys. According to the ABS (2006) Personal Safety Survey , approximately one in three Australian women have experienced physical violence during their lifetime, nearly one in five women have experienced some form of sexual violence and nearly one in five have experienced violence by a current or previous partner. Findings from the Personal Safety Survey also demonstrate that females are more likely than males to experience an act of physical or sexual violence (actual, attempted or threatened) at the hands of a current or former partner:

• 4.7 percent of females (363,000) were physically assaulted in the 12 months prior to the survey and of these women, 31 percent (73,800) were assaulted by their current or former partner.
• 10 percent of men (779,800) were physically assaulted in the 12 months prior to the survey, 4.4 percent (21,200) of whom were assaulted by their current or former partner.
• 2.1 percent of women (160,100) and 0.9 percent of men (68,100) aged 15 years and over have experienced violence from a current partner and 15 percent of women (1,135,500) and 4.9 percent of men (367,300) have experienced violence from a former partner.
• 1.6 percent of women (126,100) had experienced sexual violence in the 12 months prior to the survey and 21 percent of these women (21,500) identified a previous partner as the perpetrator.

Another Australian survey found that one-third of women who have a former or current intimate partner reported experiencing some form of physical, sexual or psychological violence (Mouzos & Makkai 2004). It was also found that the levels and severity of violence perpetrated by former partners were higher than that experienced from current partners (Mouzos & Makkai 2004). Women who experienced violence from former partners were more likely to report sustaining injuries and feeling as though their lives were at risk (Mouzos & Makkai 2004). Injuries from assault committed by a spouse have been found to be more severe than injuries resulting from non-spousal assault (Borooah & Mangan 2006). The period during a relationship breakdown and separation is a particularly risky time for domestic violence between ex-partners (Flood & Fergus 2008).

Victimisation surveys are an important source of information on the nature and extent of domestic violence because the rate of reporting for domestic violence incidents is low. Recent estimates suggest that only 14 to 36 percent of victims reported the most recent incident of domestic violence to police, although the rate of reporting has increased over the past decade (Marcus & Braaf 2007). One possible explanation for the low reporting rate is that victims of physical or sexual violence committed by current partners may be less likely to perceive the incident as a crime than if it were committed by a stranger (Mouzos & Makkai 2004). Other reasons include a belief that the incident is too minor to report, shame or embarrassment, a desire to deal with the issue by themselves, fear of the perpetrator or of the consequences of reporting the incident, cultural barriers, and concern about having to relive the event by re-telling the story to multiple parties (NCRVWC 2009a). While they more accurately estimate the prevalence of domestic violence, victimisation surveys may also underestimate the true extent of violence, particularly among certain vulnerable groups. Therefore, it is important that decisions regarding how best to prevent domestic violence and where to target resources are informed by multiple sources of information.

It is widely accepted that domestic violence is more commonly perpetrated by males and that women are more likely to suffer physical harm at the hands of their partner (Taft, Hegarty & Flood 2001; Tomison 2000). However, estimates of the distribution of violence vary. For example, according to the findings of the ABS (2006) Personal Safety Survey , 78 percent of persons who reported being a victim of physical violence at the hands of a partner in the previous 12 months were female. Similarly, research by Access Economics (2004) found that 87 percent of all victims of domestic violence are women and that 98 percent of all perpetrators are men.

In contrast, some research has found the rates of violence perpetrated by men and women against their partners to be of similar size (Headey, Scott & de Vaus 1999). That domestic violence is committed equally by males and females is a view shared by some sections of the community, particularly males. For example, one in five respondents to a recent national survey indicated that they believed that domestic violence is perpetrated equally by both men and women (VicHealth 2009).

Debate regarding the rates of violence against men committed by women in intimate relationships still exists, and there has been a growing body of research into the nature and prevalence of male victimisation and domestic violence in homosexual relationships. However the under-reporting of victimisation limits efforts to understand and prevent violence against men as well as those victims living in gay, lesbian and transgender relationships (Chan 2005; Nicholas 2005). Overall though, the consensus finding is that women comprise the majority of victims of domestic violence and they continue to be the focus of most research in the area.

Apart from differences in the prevalence of violence, there are differences in the nature of the violence perpetrated by males and females against their partners. Males are more likely to engage in different forms of violent behaviour against their partner (not limited to physical violence) and the violence is more severe and more likely to result in serious injury (Tomison 2000). James, Seddon & Brown (2002) examined the motivations of male perpetrators and concluded that domestic violence can be categorised as either:

• involving aggression, intimidation, verbal abuse and physical violence to assert domination and control over a partner; or
• an impulsive act committed in response to emotions of frustration and anger, with no real expectation of achieving a set objective.

However, women who are violent are more likely to be driven by frustration and anger rather than by a specific objective, and their violence is more likely to be committed in self defence, or in retaliation to provocation (James, Seddon & Brown 2002; Tomison 2000). Understanding the motivation of perpetrators of domestic violence is important in the development of effective interventions for working with different offenders to prevent future acts of violence.

The rest of this paper deals primarily with violence against women, committed by men, as this reflects the most common pattern of domestic violence, has been the primary focus of research, and is an issue that is receiving considerable attention among policy makers and practitioners nationally.

Impact of domestic violence

In 2002–03 in Australia, the total cost of domestic violence to victims, perpetrators, friends and families, communities, government and the private sector was estimated to be in excess of $8b (Access Economics 2004). In 2008–09, the total cost of all violence against women and their children (including non-domestic violence) was estimated to have cost the Australian economy $13.6b and, if no action were to be taken to address the problem, will cost $15.6b in 2021–22 (KPMG Management Consulting 2009). This includes costs associated with:

• pain, suffering and premature mortality (which accounts for almost half of all associated costs);
• provision of health services;
• the impact on employment and productivity;
• replacing damaged property, defaulting on personal debts and moving;
• exposure to domestic violence among children, child protection services;
• the response of the criminal justice system, support services and prevention programs; and
• victim compensation and financial support from a range of sources.

Domestic violence is associated with a range of health problems (Marcus & Braaf 2007) and is the single biggest health risk to Australian women aged 15 to 44 years (Access Economics 2004). In 2006–07, one in five homicides involved intimate partners and more than half of all female victims were killed by their intimate partner (Dearden & Jones 2008). Between 1989 and 1998, 57 percent of female deaths caused by violence were perpetrated by an intimate partner and women were five times more likely to be killed by their partners than men (NSW Office for Women's Policy 2008). Domestic violence has a significant impact on the general health and wellbeing of individuals by causing physical injury, anxiety, depression, impairing social skills and increasing the likelihood that they will engage in practices harmful to their health, such as self harm or substance abuse (NSW Office for Women's Policy 2008). Physical abuse also increases the risk of criminal offending and a significant proportion of women in prison have experienced some form of prior abuse, either as adults or children (NCRVWC 2009a).

Domestic violence is also the most common factor contributing to homelessness among women and their children. They may be forced from their homes in order to escape violence, disrupting social support networks as well as children's schooling and social networks (Marcus & Braaf 2007). Women who have lived with a violent partner are also more likely to experience financial difficulties or hardship as a result of the relationship (NCRVWC 2009a).

There is also an association between domestic violence and child maltreatment (child physical, sexual and emotional abuse) and neglect, which is related to a range of negative physical, psychological and emotional consequences, although further research is required to delineate the precise nature of the association (Tomison 2000). There is some evidence that observing significant others being maltreated (especially siblings and parents) by someone with whom a child identifies with closely (ie a parent), is a more significant factor in the intergenerational transmission of violence than the child actually being maltreated her/himself (Brown 1983, as cited in Hamilton 1989).

Research has identified that many victims perceive the emotional impacts of both physical and non-physical abuse—such as their degree of fear, their partner's intent to harm and their own self blame—as being more significant than any physical injuries incurred (Flood & Fergus 2008). The impact of violence can extend well beyond the period of abuse (VicHealth 2006). Relying on measures of the prevalence of violence, or methods that focus solely on recording instances of physical harm, their nature and severity, may therefore fail to reveal the full extent and consequences of the abuse (Flood & Fergus 2008).

Victims of domestic violence

The prevalence, severity and form of domestic violence, access to services and capacity to leave violent relationships differs within a community, with certain groups more vulnerable than others. Domestic violence is more prevalent within certain communities, such as in rural Australia and some Indigenous communities (Carrington & Phillips 2006). The severity of offences also appears to differ between socioeconomic, age and cultural groups (NCRVWC 2009b; WA Department for Communities 2006; WESNET 2000). Some women may be more vulnerable to becoming victims and less capable of exiting violent relationships based on certain factors such as age, location, ethnicity, Indigenous status and their English language abilities (KPMG Management Consulting 2009). These issues are described below.

Indigenous women

Indigenous women are over-represented as victims of domestic violence, with victimisation rates estimated to be much higher than those of non-Indigenous women (Indermaur 2001; Mouzos & Makkai 2004; NCRVWC 2009a). In 2002, 20 percent of Indigenous women reported that they had been a victim of physical violence in the previous 12 months, compared with seven percent of non-Indigenous women (Mouzos & Makkai 2004). Indigenous women are as much as 35 times as likely to sustain serious injury and require hospitalisation as a result of violence committed by a spouse or partner and are more likely to access emergency accommodation or refuge (Al-Yaman, Van Doeland & Wallis 2006). However, efforts to develop reliable estimates as to the extent of domestic violence in Indigenous communities have been limited by methodological issues (Mouzos & Makkai 2004; Schmider & Nancarrow 2007).

The likelihood that an Indigenous woman will be a victim of violence can be understood as resulting from a confluence of risk factors relating to alcohol and substance use, social stressors, living in a remote community, measures of individual, family and community functionality and the resources available to the person (Bryant & Willis 2008). Indigenous women are more likely to report being a victim of physical or threatened violence if they are young, have been removed from their natural family, have some form of disability, have experienced a higher number of recent stressors and have financial difficulties (Al-Yaman, Van Doeland & Wallis 2006).

A key issue preventing Indigenous women from accessing counselling, legal and medical support services is the closeness and breadth of kinship groups. This can impact on an individual's anonymity and their decision to disclose offences for fear of social and physical repercussions, alienation and upheaval within the community and the family (WA Office for Women's Policy 2005). In addition, many Indigenous communities are not adequately resourced to deal with domestic violence issues, resulting in a lack of support for victims (Memmott et al. 2001).

Women living in rural and remote areas

Research found that women living in remote and rural areas of Western Australia experience higher rates of reported violence than those living in metropolitan areas (WESNET 2000). For both Indigenous and non-Indigenous women in remote and rural areas, access to independent services can be limited due to their geographical isolation and the limited availability of resources in local areas (NSW Office for Women's Policy 2008). The remoteness of some areas attracts only few trained professionals which limits the availability of important services and inhibits service delivery. It also raises issues with respect to maintaining confidentiality and safety (NCRVWC 2009a). These factors compound the isolation victims already experience as part of the abuse.

Women from culturally and linguistically different backgrounds

Studies have produced mixed findings with respect to the nature and prevalence of physical and sexual violence against women from culturally and linguistically different (CALD) backgrounds. Some studies have found that women from non-English speaking backgrounds experience higher levels of violence (O'Donnell, Smith & Madison 2002), whereas others suggest the rate of physical violence is lower than, or similar to, the rate among those women from English speaking backgrounds (Bassuk, Dawson & Huntington 2006; Mouzos & Makkai 2004). Drawing conclusions regarding the precise nature and extent of domestic violence in these communities is therefore difficult. What is clear is that immigrant and refugee populations should not be treated as a single homogenous group.

Research has shown that women from CALD backgrounds are less likely to report domestic violence victimisation to police or to access mainstream services because of a perception that these services would not understand their particular situation and respond appropriately (WA Department for Communities 2006). Besides perceptions of being misunderstood, other factors may prevent victims from CALD backgrounds from accessing important services. The limited availability of culturally sensitive translator and interpreter support services can prevent victims with English as a second language from seeking help and removing themselves and their children from dangerous situations (Runner, Yoshihama & Novick 2009). Access to support services for refugees or newly emigrated persons can be further limited in instances where the victim is dependent on the perpetrator for residential or citizenship status (WCDFVS 2006). Insufficient knowledge of English is often used as a tool of power and control by perpetrators (NCRVWC 2009a). Recent research has indicated that the level of understanding and awareness of domestic violence in CALD communities has increased due to a combination of community education and generational change, but that further work is required (Marcus & Braaf 2007).

Pregnant women

The ABS (2006) Personal Safety Survey identified that women may be at increased risk of domestic violence during pregnancy. Almost 60 percent of women who had experienced violence perpetrated by a former partner were pregnant at some time during the relationship; of these, 36 percent experienced the abuse during their pregnancy and 17 percent experienced it for the first time when they were pregnant. In addition, the frequency and severity of violence has been found to be higher among pregnant women and the onset of pregnancy has been found to increase the rate of psychological abuse among those women who had previously reported being abused (Burch & Gallup 2004; Martin et al. 2004). The risk to pregnant women has found to be greatest among those women with lower levels of education, from disadvantaged communities and with unintended or unwanted pregnancies (Taft 2002). The consequences of abuse while a woman is pregnant can include stress, drug and alcohol use and physical injuries, which can further impact upon a woman's health during pregnancy, the birth outcome and the health of their baby (Taft 2002). There is also an increased risk in the period immediately after a baby is born, due to the additional stress that may be placed on a relationship and each partner's mental health, wellbeing and lifestyle (O'Reilly 2007).

Older women

Older women experience violence and abuse at a rate two and a half times higher than older males (Boldy et al. 2002). Between one-fifth and one-quarter of elderly abuse incidents are committed by the victim's spouse or partner (Boldy et al. 2002). Evidence suggests that the majority of older people who are victims of physical, sexual or financial abuse are long term victims of abuse, often perpetrated by a partner who is in a duty of care relationship with the victim (WESNET 2000). Decision-making disabilities and physical disabilities are common among those people who are a victim of abuse (Boldy et al. 2002; Peri et al. 2008). Supportive families and community connectedness have been identified as important protective factors that reduce the risk of violence against older women (Peri et al. 2008).

Women living with a disability

Women with a physical or intellectual disability are more likely than women without disability to experience intimate partner violence and the violence they experience is also likely to be more severe and extend for longer periods of time (NCRVWC 2009a). Research has shown that many women with physical disabilities who experience domestic violence do not seek help, have limited access to appropriate support and fewer opportunities to leave violent relationships (Milberger et al. 2003).

Dating and relationship violence

Adults are the traditional demographic group most commonly associated with domestic violence, however the prevalence of violence in adolescent relationships has received more attention in recent times. Dating and relationship violence is common in adolescent relationships and within school-age communities (Indermaur 2001). Younger women are more likely to experience physical and sexual violence than older women, controlling for other factors (Mouzos & Makkai 2004; Roman et al. 2007). Young people's vulnerability to intimate partner violence is increased by sexist and traditional gender role attitudes, peer culture, inexperience and attitudes supportive of violence that can be shaped by the media, pornography and early exposure to aggressive behaviour by parents or role models (Flood & Fergus 2008).

Young women are more likely than young males to be subjected to psychological, sexual and physical violence perpetrated by their boyfriends or friends. An Australian survey of 5,000 young people aged 12 to 20 years revealed that of the 70 percent of respondents who had had a boyfriend or girlfriend at some stage, one-third reported incidents in their intimate relationships that involved some form of physical violence (Indermaur 2001). The same study also reported that 42 percent of young women aged 19 to 20 years admitted to being the victim of some form of physical violence from a boyfriend at least once (Indermaur 2001). Research has also found that dating violence, including both psychological and physical violence, is common among adolescent girls with a history of child sexual abuse, and was related to the severity of the abuse they had suffered as a child (Cyr, McDuff & Wright 2006).

However, support services and long term solutions may be less readily available to young people who are victims of domestic violence. Leaving an abusive relationship can be more difficult for young people due to age-related eligibility criteria for public housing and difficulties associated with accessing private rental accommodation or unemployment benefits (WESNET 2000). As a result, younger victims may be left unassisted, forced into homelessness or elect to remain in abusive relationships.

Risk factors for domestic violence

There is no single cause or factor that leads to domestic violence. A number of risk factors have been identified as associated with perpetrators of domestic violence. These include age, low academic achievement, low income or exclusion from the labour market, social disadvantage and isolation and exposure to, or involvement in, aggressive or delinquent behaviour as an adolescent (Flood & Fergus 2008; NSW Office for Women's Policy 2008). Many of these same risk factors have been linked to an increased likelihood of aggressive behaviour and offending generally. Mouzos and Makkai (2004) found that, among those women who had experienced current intimate partner violence, the most commonly reported aspects of the male perpetrator's behaviour (and therefore risk factors for violence) were drinking habits, general levels of aggression and controlling behaviour. These issues are also common risk factors for violence in Indigenous relationships (Bryant & Willis 2008).

This section of the paper discusses the role of attitudes towards violence, situational factors, early exposure to domestic violence and the lack of access to support services in increasing the risk of domestic violence.

Attitudes toward violence

It is important that strategies are developed to continue to influence community attitudes towards violence against women. Research shows that men are more likely to engage in violence against women if they hold negative attitudes towards women and hold traditional gender role attitudes that legitimise violence as a method of resolving conflict or as a private matter (Flood & Pease 2006; NCRVWC 2009b). Violence-supporting attitudes are also more common among males who exhibit low levels of support for gender equality (VicHealth 2009). Similarly, women with traditional gender role attitudes are less likely to report violence.

The risk of violence varies across different communities. There is a greater risk of violence against women in communities where the following attitudes or norms exist:

• traditional 'macho' constructions of masculinity;
• notions that men are primary wage earners and the heads of the household whereas a woman's place is in the home;
• standards encouraging excessive consumption of alcohol; and
• standards that facilitate peer pressure to conform to these notions of masculinity (NCRVWC 2009b).

Negative attitudes towards women are different across cultural groups and are influenced by culturally-specific norms and social relationships. However they are:

• more commonly expressed among adolescent males than older males;
• stronger in particular masculine contexts, such as sporting subcultures, and are facilitated by group socialisation;
• influenced by exposure to pornography as well as television, music and film; and
• more likely among children who witness or are subjected to violence (Flood & Pease 2006).

Australian research suggests that while there have been improvements, attitudes condoning or trivialising violence against women persist (Taylor & Mouzos 2006). In addition, while the majority of people do not believe that physical violence against women is justified under any circumstances, around one in five respondents to a national survey were prepared to excuse physical and sexual violence where they believed that perpetrators had temporarily lost control or truly regretted what they had done (VicHealth 2009).

Situational factors

Various situational factors, while not direct causes, may increase the risk of domestic violence. Some of these factors include family or relationship problems, financial problems or unemployment and recent stressful events or circumstances, such as the death of a family member (Memmott et al. 2001).

Alcohol is a significant risk factor for domestic violence, with research suggesting that women whose partners frequently consume alcohol at excessive levels are more likely to experience violence (Marcus & Braaf 2007; Mouzos & Makkai 2004). The involvement of alcohol in domestic violence is an even bigger issue within Indigenous communities (Dearden & Payne 2009; Memmott et al. 2001). The risk of an Indigenous person becoming a victim of actual or threatened violence increases with high risk alcohol use and alcohol is the factor most strongly associated with the risk of victimisation among Indigenous people, controlling for other factors (Bryant & Willis 2008). Alcohol use is also prevalent among victims of domestic violence (Nicholas 2005; White & Chen 2002).

There is strong evidence of a relationship between heavy drinking and aggression (Wells & Graham 2003). However, not all people who consume alcohol become violent. One explanation for the role of alcohol in domestic violence is that the consumption of alcohol may facilitate an escalation of an incident from verbal to physical abuse because it lowers inhibitions and increases feelings of aggression (Nicholas 2005). There is also research that suggests that because of its impact on aggression the consumption of alcohol, either by the offender or victim, may increase the seriousness of a domestic violence incident, the severity of injuries and risk of death, with almost half of all intimate partner homicides found to be alcohol-related (Dearden & Payne 2009).

Research has attempted to link seasonal changes, calendar events and major sporting events to the rate of reported incidents of domestic violence (Braaf & Gilbert 2007). Australian research suggests that while there is some variation across states and territories:

• there is a higher number of reported incidents in December and January;
• there is a higher number of reported incidents on certain calendar events and holidays, including New Year's Day, the Christmas period and other public holidays, and Melbourne Cup Day; and
• some states experience higher rates of reported incidents coinciding with significant sporting events, but the findings are inconsistent and not as strong as those from international research (Braaf & Gilbert 2007).

Explanations of this relationship have focused on the increased contact between victims and perpetrators during holiday periods, increased issues associated with child contact arrangements for estranged families and increased consumption of alcohol.

Early exposure: Children and domestic violence

Research has found that, after controlling for other factors, there are higher rates of domestic violence in those households in which there are children present (Romans et al. 2007). According to the ABS (2006) Personal Safety Survey , 49 percent of men and women who reported experiencing violence by a current partner had children in their care at some time during the relationship and approximately 27 percent reported that these children had witnessed the violence. Sixty-one percent of victims of violence by a previous partner also reported having children in their care at some time during the relationship and 36 percent said that these children had witnessed the violence (ABS 2006).

These findings are concerning because exposure to domestic violence has been associated with a higher likelihood of the following problems among young people:

• issues related to cognitive, emotional and social functioning and development which can lead to behavioural and learning difficulties;
• an increase in the risk of mental health issues, including depression and anxiety disorders;
• issues related to education and employment prospects;
• more accepting of or willing to excuse the use of violence against women;
• involvement in violent relationships with peers and conflict with adults and other forms of authority;
• increased risk of becoming perpetrators or victims themselves; and
• a detrimental impact on their future parenting capacities (Flood & Fergus 2008; Tomison 2000; VicHealth 2006).

It has been recognised that exposing a child to domestic violence is a form of abuse in itself, regardless of whether the child is the target of such violence or not (Flood & Fergus 2008), and that such exposure is related to the intergenerational transmission of violence (Tomison 2000). Exposure to violence in the home can lead young people to develop inappropriate norms concerning violence and aggression, and to model the behaviour and attitudes to which they have been exposed, increasing the risk that an individual will enter into an abusive relationship in adulthood, either as the perpetrator or victim (Flood & Fergus 2008, Tomison 2000).

Experience of abuse during childhood also increases the likelihood of being assaulted or harmed as an adult. One study found that young people who had been exposed to violence in the home when they were growing up were twice as likely to have been forced to have sex and four times as likely to have admitted that they had forced a partner to have sex later in life (Indermaur 2001). According to the ABS (2006) Personal safety Survey , around one in 10 males and females reported having experienced physical abuse before the age of 15 years, while 12 percent of women and five percent of men reported having been sexually abused. This is an important finding, as research has shown that women who reported experiencing some form of physical or sexual abuse during childhood are one and a half times more likely to report experiencing some form of violence in adulthood (Mouzos & Makkai 2004).

Access to support networks and services

Problems accessing important support networks or services can also increase the risk that someone will become a victim of domestic violence, or continue to experience violence because they are unable to leave a violent relationship. Research suggests that more than four in five women who experience domestic violence do not contact a specialised support agency, but are more likely to contact family and friends (Marcus & Braaf 2007; Mouzos & Makkai 2004). Further, young women who are connected to school or peer networks and who have links with supportive adult family members or friends also experience lower rates of violence (NCRVWC 2009a); while there is also evidence that men with strong social networks are less likely to be perpetrators of domestic violence (NCRVWC 2009a). While these informal support networks are important they are not always able to meet the needs of victims or offenders, and there are a range of potential barriers that can prevent a victim from seeking help from service providers, including:

• a lack of available services;
• the cost or limited availability of transport;
• limited awareness of available services;
• a lack of culturally appropriate services;
• a perception that services will be unsympathetic or judgemental;
• shame or embarrassment;
• fear that they will not be believed;
• fear of the perpetrator and the potential for retribution; and
• a perception that services will not be able to offer assistance (Marcus & Braaf 2007; Taft 2002).

Strategies to overcome these barriers are necessary to ensure that victims, particularly those within the most vulnerable groups, are able to access support services to reduce the risk of violence. For example, women who receive shelter services have been shown to experience shorter periods of violence than women who experience violence but do not access support shelters (Panchanadeswaran & McCloskey 2007). Improving service provision and support for victims is an important factor in reducing the impact of geographic or social isolation (NCRVWC 2009a). Similarly important is the need for services that work with perpetrators to reduce the likelihood of reoffending, particularly voluntary programs.

Implications for policy and practice

Approaches to preventing domestic violence should be informed by research from both Australia and overseas, demonstrating the effectiveness of different strategies. There is a growing body of evidence that shows that a range of strategies, including social marketing and awareness campaigns, early childhood and family based prevention, school-based programs, community mobilisation, regulations on the portrayal of violence in the media, interventions to reduce the availability of alcohol and alcohol misuse, and criminal justice responses can be effective in preventing violence against women or repeat victimisation (NCRVWC 2009b). It is important, however, that in adapting programs from overseas or other Australian communities, consideration is given to relevant characteristics of the local context in which programs are to operate and whether the program needs to be modified accordingly (Laing 2002).

There are barriers that have impacted upon the implementation and effectiveness of strategies to prevent domestic violence. The National Council's Plan for Australia to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children (NCRVWC 2009b) highlights a number of areas that need to be addressed in future domestic violence initiatives:

• Overcoming barriers to effective implementation of collaborative strategies and monitoring the effectiveness of partnerships in reducing domestic violence.
• Addressing legislative barriers that inhibit efforts to support victims and manage offenders.
• Encouraging a greater level of investment in primary prevention, including social marketing strategies that promote cultural and behavioural change.
• Ensuring that there is adequate long term funding for domestic violence services, that services are accessible to victims and their children, and that service systems are sufficiently integrated to address the complex needs of victims.
• Improving the evidence base with respect to effective interventions to reduce domestic violence, particularly in relation to primary prevention, victim support services, perpetrator programs, criminal justice interventions and risk assessment and management.
• Improving the quality of evaluation and performance monitoring.

Taken as a whole, the research findings presented in this summary paper suggest that there are a number of specific areas that can be targeted to prevent domestic violence and reduce repeat victimisation:

• Coordination and collaboration across sectors and across all levels of government and non-government should be a fundamental principle underpinning any approach to the prevention of, and intervention with, domestic violence (NCRVWC 2009a). Tasmania's Safe at Home program is one example of an integrated whole of government approach that has been found to improve the response to violence against women (Success Works 2009).
• Improve coordination between domestic violence and child protection services to assist in preventing early exposure to domestic violence in intimate relationships (Humphreys 2007). Strategies must focus not only on the prevention of early exposure to domestic violence, but deal with any associated physical and sexual abuse, neglect and emotional abuse in a holistic manner (Tomison 2000). A holistic approach that deals with the effects of children's exposure to domestic violence and other maltreatment will help prevent the intergenerational transmission of violent attitudes and behaviours and/or subsequent victimisation.
• Increase the availability and awareness of services for victims and perpetrators, enhance referral mechanisms and improve collaboration between service providers to ensure that the complex needs of all parties can be met through an integrated service system. This includes (but should not be limited to) services such as advocacy, support, accommodation, skill development and counselling for both women and children who are exiting or attempting to exit violent relationships, as well as programs for perpetrators of domestic violence to reduce repeat victimisation (Humphreys 2007).
• Enhance linkages between criminal justice processes, support services and prevention programs. There has been considerable work undertaken to improve the legal response to domestic violence and an integrated response from criminal justice agencies (NCRVWC 2009b). This includes the introduction of pro-arrest police policies, specialist courts and support services for victims. It is important that a greater level of support is offered to women and their children throughout the legal process, and that barriers preventing access to justice, particularly for vulnerable women, are overcome (NCRVWC 2009b; Success Works 2009).
• Implement early intervention and education programs targeted at young people, including school-based programs that aim to shape appropriate attitudes towards women and violence, which have been identified as the most important strategies in breaking the cycle of violence (Indermaur 2001; National Crime Prevention 2001).
• A greater focus on secondary prevention programs that target families that have been identified as being at risk of domestic violence, which requires processes and risk assessment tools to identify early signs or risk factors for violence (Tomison 2000).
• It is particularly important that there are programs targeted towards and tailored to the needs of those women at an increased risk of domestic violence or who may be less likely to access support services, including Indigenous women, women from CALD backgrounds, pregnant women, younger women and women living in rural and remote communities.
• Strategies to address the disproportionate rate of intimate partner violence among Indigenous people should also take a holistic view and aim to address the range of societal, cultural, community, family and individual factors found to increase the risk of domestic violence for Indigenous women (Stanley, Tomison & Pocock 2003).
• Address alcohol and other substance use problems among both perpetrators and victims of domestic violence, including through the development of partnerships between treatment services and domestic violence programs (Nicholas 2005). Strategies to address the excessive consumption of alcohol in the wider community are also important.
• Continue efforts to improve community attitudes towards violence against women and address prevailing misconceptions regarding the prevalence, nature and acceptability of violence against women. This cannot be achieved through social marketing and communication alone and requires investment in other primary prevention programs, such as community development initiatives (VicHealth 2006; VicHealth 2009).
• Increase the involvement of men and boys in the development of programs designed to prevent violence against women by changing male attitudes and behaviours (Memmott et al. 2006; NCRVWC 2009b).

In order for these strategies to be effective, it is important that lessons from past programs are heeded and the implementation problems described above are addressed. In addition, further in-depth research should be undertaken into the nature and extent of domestic violence, particularly in vulnerable communities, and programs should be subject to ongoing monitoring and evaluation to determine what is effective and in what circumstances.

Acknowledgement

This summary paper was funded by the WA Office of Crime Prevention.

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• Hamilton LR 1989. Variables associated with child maltreatment and implications for prevention and treatment, in Pardeck JT (ed), Child abuse and neglect: Theory, research and practice . New York: Gordon and Breach Science Publishers: 31–56
• Headey B, Scott D & de Vaus D 1999. Domestic violence in Australia: Are women and men equally violent? Australian Social Monitor 2(3): 57–62
• Humphreys C 2007. Domestic violence and child protection: Challenging directions for practice . Issues paper no. 13. Sydney: Australian Domestic & Family Violence Clearinghouse. http://www.austdvclearinghouse.unsw.edu.au/PDF%20files/IssuesPaper_13.pdf
• Indermaur D 2001. Young Australians and domestic violence. Trends & Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice no. 195. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology.  https://www.aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/tandi195
• James K, Seddon B & Brown J 2002. ‘Using it' or ‘losing it': Men's constructions of their violence towards female partners . Sydney: Australian Domestic & Family Violence Clearing House. http://www.austdvclearinghouse.unsw.edu.au/PDF%20files/James_et_al_resea...
• KPMG Management Consulting 2009. The cost of violence against women and their children . Canberra: Australian Government. http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/women/pubs/violence/np_time_for_action/econ...
• Laing L 2002. Responding to men who perpetrate domestic violence: Controversies, interventions and challenges . Issues paper no. 7. Sydney: Australian Domestic & Family Violence Clearinghouse. http://www.austdvclearinghouse.unsw.edu.au/PDF%20files/Issues_paper_7.pdf
• Laing L & Bobic N 2002. Literature review: Economic costs of domestic violence . Sydney: Australian Domestic & Family Violence Clearing House. http://www.austdvclearinghouse.unsw.edu.au/PDF%20files/Economic_costs_of...
• Marcus G & Braaf R 2007. Domestic and family violence studies, surveys and statistics: Pointers to policy and practice . Sydney: Australian Domestic & Family Violence Clearinghouse. http://www.austdvclearinghouse.unsw.edu.au/PDF%20files/Stakeholderpaper_...
• Martin SL et al. 2004. Changes in intimate partner homicide during pregnancy. Journal of Family Violence 19(4): 201–210
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• Milberger SM et al. 2003. Violence against women with physical disabilities. Violence and Victims 18(5): 581–591
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153 Domestic Violence Topics & Essay Examples

A domestic violence essay can deal with society, gender, family, and youth. To help you decide which aspect to research, our team provided this list of 153 topics .

📑 Aspects to Cover in a Domestic Violence Essay

🏆 best domestic violence titles & essay examples, ⭐ interesting domestic violence topics for an essay, 🎓 good research topics about domestic violence, ❓ research questions on domestic violence.

Domestic violence is a significant problem and one of the acute topics of today’s society. It affects people of all genders and sexualities.

Domestic violence involves many types of abuse, including sexual and emotional one. Essays on domestic violence can enhance students’ awareness of the issue and its causes. Our tips will be useful for those wanting to write outstanding domestic violence essays.

Start with choosing a topic for your paper. Here are some examples of domestic violence essay titles:

• Causes of domestic violence and the ways to eliminate them
• The consequences of domestic violence
• The importance of public domestic violence speech
• Ways to reduce domestic violence
• The prevalence of domestic violence in the United States (or other countries)
• The link between domestic violence and mental health problems among children

Now that you have selected one of the titles for your essay, you can start working on the paper. We have prepared some tips on the aspects you should cover in your work:

• Start with researching the issue you have selected. Analyze its causes, consequences, and effects. Remember that you should include some of the findings in the paper using in-text citations.
• Develop a domestic violence essay outline. The structure of your paper will depend on the problem you have selected. In general, there should be an introductory and a concluding paragraph, as well as three (or more) body paragraphs. Hint: Keep in mind the purpose of your essay while developing its structure.
• Present your domestic violence essay thesis clearly. The last sentence of your introductory paragraph should be the thesis statement. Here are some examples of a thesis statement:

Domestic violence has a crucial impact on children’s mental health. / Domestic violence affects women more than men.

• Present a definition of domestic violence. What actions does the term involve? Include several possible perspectives on domestic violence.
• Discuss the victims of domestic violence and the impact it has on them too. Provide statistical data, if possible.
• Help your audience to understand the issue better by discussing the consequences of domestic violence, even if it is not the primary purpose of your paper. The essay should show why it is necessary to eliminate this problem.
• You can include some relevant quotes on domestic violence to make your arguments more persuasive. Remember to use citations from relevant sources only. Such sources include peer-reviewed articles and scholarly publications. If you are not sure whether you can use a piece of literature, consult your professor to avoid possible mistakes.
• Support your claims with evidence. Ask your professor in advance about the sources you can use in your paper. Avoid utilizing Wikipedia, as this website is not reliable.
• Stick to a formal language. Although you may want to criticize domestic violence, do not use offensive terms. Your paper should look professional.
• Pay attention to the type of paper you should write. If it is an argumentative essay, discuss opposing views on domestic violence and prove that they are unreliable.
• Remember that you should include a domestic violence essay conclusion in your paper too. This section of the paper should present your main ideas and findings. Remember not to present any new information or citations in the concluding paragraph.

There are some free samples we have prepared for you, too. Check them out!

• Domestic Violence and Conflict Theory in Society The Conflict Theory explains remarkable events in history and the changing patterns of race and gender relations and also emphasizes the struggles to explain the impact of technological development on society and the changes to […]
• Break the Silence: Domestic Violence Case The campaign in question aimed to instruct victims of domestic violence on how to cope with the problem and where to address to get assistance.
• Domestic Violence against Women Domestic violence against women refers to “any act of gender-based violence that results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual, and mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts as […]
• Supporting Female Victims of Domestic Violence and Abuse: NGO Establishment The presence of such a model continues to transform lives and make it easier for more women to support and provide basic education to their children.
• Domestic Violence and Honor Killing Analysis Justice and gender equality are important aspects of the totality of mankind that measure social and economic development in the world. The cultural justification is to maintain the dignity and seniority framework of the family.
• Domestic Violence: Reason, Forms and Measures The main aim of this paper is to determine the reason behind the rapid increase of domestic violence, forms of domestic violence and measures that should be taken to reduce its effects.
• Annotated Bibliography on Domestic Violence Against Women They evaluate 134 studies from various countries that provide enough evidence of the prevalence of domestic violence against women and the adverse effects the vice has had for a decade.
• Behind Closed Doors: Domestic Violence The term “domestic violence” is used to denote the physical or emotional abuse that occurs in the homes. Therefore, it has contributed to the spread of domestic violence in the country.
• Guilty until Proven Otherwise: Domestic Violence Cases The presumption of the guilt of a man in domestic violence cases is further proven by the decision of the court in which the man is required to post a bond despite the fact that […]
• Domestic Violence Ethical Dilemmas in Criminal Justice Various ethical issues such as the code of silence, the mental status of the offender, and limited evidence play a vital role in challenging the discretion of police officers in arresting the DV perpetrators.
• Ambivalence on Part of the Police in Response to Domestic Violence The police have been accused of ambivalence by their dismissive attitudes and through sexism and empathy towards perpetrators of violence against women.
• Domestic Violence: Qualitative & Quantitative Research This research seeks to determine the impacts of domestic violence orders in reducing the escalating cases of family brutality in most households. N1: There is a significant relationship between domestic violence orders and the occurrence […]
• What Causes Domestic Violence? Domestic abuse, which is also known as domestic violence, is a dominance of one family member over another or the other. As a result, the probability of them becoming abusers later in life is considerably […]
• National Coalition Against Domestic Violence In addition, NCADV hopes to make the public know that the symbol of the purple ribbon represents the mission of the organization, which is to bring peace to all American households.
• Effects of Domestic Violence on Children’s Social and Emotional Development In the case of wife-husband violence, always, one parent will be the offender and the other one the victim; in an ideal situation, a child needs the love of a both parents. When brought up […]
• The Impact of COVID-19 on Domestic Violence in the US Anurudran et al.argue that the new measures taken to fight COVID-19 infections heightened the risk of domestic abuse. The pandemic paradox: The consequences of COVID 19 on domestic violence.
• Domestic Violence Restraining Orders: Renewals and Legal Recourse Since upon the expiry of a restraining order, a victim can file a renewal petition the current task is to determine whether the original DVRO of our client has expired, the burden of obtaining a […]
• Sociological Imagination: Domestic Violence and Suicide Risk Hence, considering these facts, it is necessary to put the notion of suicide risk in perspective when related to the issue of domestic violence.
• Domestic Violence: The Impact of Law Enforcement Home Visits As the study concludes, despite the increase in general awareness concerning domestic violence cases, it is still a significant threat to the victims and their children.
• Domestic Violence Factors Among Police Officers The objective of this research is to establish the level of domestic violence among police officers and relative the behavior to stress, divorce, police subculture, and child mistreatment.
• Domestic Violence and Drug-Related Offenders in Australia The article is very informative since outlines a couple of the reasons behind the rampant increase in cases of negligence and lack of concern, especially from the government.
• Domestic Violence in Women’s Experiences Worldwide Despite the fact the author of the article discusses a controversial problem of domestic violence against women based on the data from recent researches and focusing on such causes for violence as the problematic economic […]
• Addressing Domestic Violence in the US: A Scientific Approach The implementation of sound research can help in addressing the problem and decreasing the incidence of domestic violence, which will contribute to the development of American society.
• Millennium Development Goals and Domestic Violence: A Bilateral Link As a result, a review of the potential of MDGs for resolving the issue needs to analyze the contribution of the goals to the resolution of the instances, consequences, and causes of DV.
• Domestic Violence and Family Dynamics: A Dual Perspective There are different types and causes of domestic violence, but the desire to take control over relationships is the most common cause.
• Reporting Decisions in Child Maltreatment: A Mixed Methodology Approach The present research aims to address both the general population and social workers to examine the overall attitudes to the reporting of child maltreatment.
• Domestic Violence in Australia: Budget Allocation and Victim Support On the other hand, the allocation of financial resources with the focus on awareness campaigns has also led to a lack of financial support for centres that provide the frontline services to victims of domestic […]
• Domestic and Family Violence: Case Studies and Impacts This paper highlights some of the recent cases of the violence, the forms of abuse involved, and their overall impacts on the victims.
• Legal Recourse for Victims of Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Victims of child abuse and domestic violence have the right to seek legal recourse in case of violation of their rights.
• The Impact of Domestic Violence Laws: Social Norms and Legal Consequences I also suppose that some of these people may start lifting their voices against the law, paying particular attention to the idea that it is theoretically allowable that the law can punish people for other […]
• Affordable, Effective Legal Assistance for Victims of Domestic Violence Legal assistance significantly increases the chances for domestic abuse victims to obtain restraining orders, divorce, and custody of their children. Helping victims of domestic violence with inexpensive legal aid is a critical step in assisting […]
• Domestic Violence: Far-Right Conspiracy Theory in Australia’s Culture Wars The phenomenon of violence is directly related to the violation of human rights and requires legal punishment for the perpetrators and support for the victims.
• Domestic Violence and Black Women’s Experiences Overall, the story’s exploration of the reality of life for an African American married woman in a patriarchal society, and the challenges faced by black women, is relevant to the broader reality of domestic violence […]
• Domestic Violence: Criminal Justice In addition, the usage of illegal substances such as bhang, cocaine, and other drugs contributes to the increasing DV in society.
• Witnessed Domestic Violence and Juvenile Detention Research The primary purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between witnessed domestic violence and juvenile detention. Research has pointed to a relationship between witnessed violence and juvenile delinquency, and this study holds that […]
• Domestic Violence Against Women in Melbourne Thus, it is possible to introduce the hypothesis that unemployment and related financial struggles determined by pandemic restrictions lead to increased rates of domestic violence against women in Melbourne.
• Domestic Violence and Its Main Signs In general, the providers should be able to identify the markers of abuse by paying closer attention to the people they serve, treat, teach, or work with.
• Intersectionality in Domestic Violence Another way an organization that serves racial minorities may address the unique needs of domestic violence victims is to offer additional educational and consultancy activities for women of color.
• Domestic Violence and Primordial Prevention In addition, the promotion of social norms against violence and increased penalties for domestic and sexual abuse need to be supported at the legislative level.
• Healthcare Testing of a Domestic Violence Victim Accordingly, the negative aspects of this exam include difficulties in identifying and predicting the further outcome of events and the course of side effects.
• Financial Insecurity: Impact on Domestic Violence Therefore, this problem is global and widespread, and it would be wrong to assume that spousal abuse only exists when couples are poor.
• Domestic Violence, Child Abuse, or Elder Abuse In every health facility, a nurse who notices the signs of abuse and domestic violence must report them to the relevant authorities.
• Educational Services for Children in Domestic Violence Shelters In order to meet the objectives of the research, Chanmugam et al.needed to reach out to the representatives of emergency domestic violence shelters located in the state of Texas well-aware of the shelters’ and schools’ […]
• The Domestic Violence Arrest Laws According to the National Institute of Justice, mandatory arrest laws are the most prevalent in US states, indicating a widespread agreement on their effectiveness.
• Environmental Scan for Hart City Domestic Violence Resource Center In particular, it identifies the target population, outlines the key resources, and provides an overview of data sources for assessing key factors and trends that may affect the Resource Center in the future.
• Domestic Violence Investigation Procedure If they claim guilty, the case is proceeded to the hearing to estimate the sentencing based on the defendant’s criminal record and the scope of assault. The issue of domestic abuse in households is terrifyingly […]
• Educational Group Session on Domestic Violence This will be the first counseling activity where the counselor assists the women to appreciate the concepts of domestic violence and the ways of identifying the various kinds of violence.
• Domestic Violence and COVID-19: Literature Review The “stay safe, stay at home” mantra used by the governments and public health organizations was the opposite of safety for the victims of domestic violence.
• Rachel Louise Snyder’s Research on Domestic Violence Language and framing play a significant role in manipulating people’s understanding of domestic violence and the nature of the problem. However, it is challenging to gather precise data on the affected people and keep track […]
• Alcoholism, Domestic Violence and Drug Abuse Kaur and Ajinkya researched to investigate the “psychological impact of adult alcoholism on spouses and children”. The work of Kaur and Ajinkya, reveals a link between chronic alcoholism and emotional problems on the spouse and […]
• Domestic Violence Counselling Program Evaluation The evaluation will be based upon the mission of the program and the objectives it states for the participants. The counselors arrange treatment for both sides of the conflict: the victims and offenders, and special […]
• The Roles of Domestic Violence Advocates Domestic conflict advocates assist victims in getting the help needed to cope and move forward. Moreover, these advocates help the survivors in communicating to employers, family members, and lawyers.
• Domestic Violence: How Is It Adressed? At this stage, when the family members of the battered women do this to them, it becomes the responsibility of the people to do something about this.
• Victimology and Domestic Violence In this situation there are many victims; Anne is a victim of domestic violence and the children are also victims of the same as well as the tragic death of their father.
• “The Minneapolis Domestic Violence Experiment” by Sherman and Berk The experiment conducted by the authors throws light on the three stages of the research circle. This is one of the arguments that can be advanced.
• An Investigation on Domestic Violence This particular experiment aimed to evaluate the nature of relationship and the magnitude of domestic violence meted on either of the partners.
• Educational Program on Domestic Violence The reason why I have chosen this as the topic for my educational program is that victims of domestic violence often feel that they do not have any rights and hence are compelled to live […]
• Family and Domestic Violence: Enhancing Protective Factors Current partner Previous partner Percentage of children When children are exposed to violence, they encounter numerous difficulties in their various levels of development.
• Parenting in Battered Women: The Effects of Domestic Violence In this study, ‘Parenting in Battered Women: The Effects of Domestic Violence on Women and their Children,’ Alytia A. It is commendable that at this stage in stating the problem the journalists seek to conclude […]
• Domestic Violence Types and Causes This is acknowledged by the law in most countries of the world as one of the most brutal symbols of inequality.
• Alcohol and Domestic Violence in Day-To-Day Social Life My paper will have a comprehensive literature review that will seek to analyze the above topic in order to assist the reader understand the alcohol contributions in the domestic and social violence in our society.
• Power and Control: Domestic Violence in America The abusive spouse wants to feel powerful and in control of the family so he, usually the abusive spouse is the man, beats his wife and children to assert his superiority.
• Domestic or Intimate Partner Violence Intervention Purpose of the study: The safety promoting behavior of the abused women is to be increased using a telephone intervention. They were allocated to either of the groups by virtue of the week of enrolment […]
• Federal and State Legislative Action on Domestic Violence In 2004, the state of New York decided to look into some of the ways of preventing this form of domestic violence by forming an Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence in 2005, employers […]
• Substance Abuse and Domestic Violence: Comprehensive Discussion Substance abuse refers to the misuse of a drug or any other chemical resulting in its dependence, leading to harmful mental and physical effects to the individual and the wellbeing of the society.
• Environmental Trends and Conditions: Domestic Violence in the Workplace Despite the fact that on average the literacy rate and the rate of civilization in the world have been increasing in the past few decades, the statistics for domestic violence have been increasing on an […]
• Domestic Violence in the Organizations Despite the fact that on average the literacy rate and the rate of civilization in the world has been increasing in the past few decades, the statistics for domestic violence have been increasing on an […]
• Facts About Domestic Violence All aspects of the society – which starts from the smallest unit, that is the family, to the church and even to the government sectors are all keen on finding solutions on how to eliminate, […]
• Domestic Violence in Marriage and Family While there are enormous reports of intimate partner homicides, murders, rapes, and assaults, it is important to note that victims of all this violence find it very difficult to explain the matter and incidents to […]
• Domestic Violence and Repeat Victimisation Theory Domestic violence is a crime which often happens because of a bad relationship between a man and woman and usually continues to be repeated until one of the parties leaves the relationship; hence victims of […]
• One-Group Posttest-Only Design in the Context of Domestic Violence Problem This application must unveil the risks and their solutions by researching the variables and the threats to the validity of the research.
• Help-Seeking Amongst Women Survivors of Domestic Violence First, the article explains the necessity of the research conduction, which includes the relevance of the abuse problem and the drawbacks of solving and studying it.
• Domestic Violence as a Social Issue It is one of the main factors which stimulate the study’s conduction, and among the rest, one can also mention the number of unexplored violence questions yet to be answered.
• Reflections on Domestic Violence in the Case of Dr. Mile Crawford Nevertheless, the only way out of this situation is to escape and seek help from the legal system. From a personal standpoint, to help her would be the right thing to do.
• Gender Studies: Combating Domestic Violence The purpose of this paper is to provide a detailed description of domestic violence, as well as the development of an action plan that can help in this situation.
• Domestic Violence Funding and Impact on Society The number of domestic violence cases in the US, both reported and unreported, is significant. The recent decision of Trump’s administration to reduce the expenses for domestic violence victims from $480,000,000 to $40,000,000 in the […]
• Campaign against Domestic Violence: Program Plan In addition, men who used to witness aggressive behavior at home or in the family as children, or learned about it from stories, are two times more disposed to practice violence against their partners than […]
• Domestic Violence and Bullying in Schools It also states the major variables related to bullying in schools. They will confirm that social-economic status, gender, and race can contribute to bullying in schools.
• Domestic Violence Within the US Military In most of the recorded domestic violence cases, females are mostly the victims of the dispute while the males are the aggressors of the violence.
• Family and Domestic Violence Legislation in the US In fact, this law is a landmark pointing to the recognition of the concept of domestic violence at the legal level and acknowledging that it is a key problem of the society.
• Domestic Violence and Social Interventions In conclusion, social learning theory supports the idea that children have a high likelihood of learning and simulating domestic violence through experiences at home.
• Domestic Violence and Child’s Brain Development The video “First Impressions: Exposure to Violence and a Child’s Developing Brain” answers some questions of the dependence of exposure to domestic violence and the development of brain structures of children. At the beginning of […]
• Local Domestic Violence Victim Resources in Kent The focus of this paper is to document the local domestic violence victim resources found within a community in Kent County, Delaware, and also to discuss the importance of these resources to the community.
• Domestic Violence Abuse: Laws in Maryland The Peace and Protective Orders-Burden of Proof regulation in Maryland and the Violence against Women Act are some of the laws that have been created to deal with domestic violence.
• Theories of Domestic Violence It is important to point out that women have received the short end of the stick in regards to domestic violence. A third reason why people commit domestic violence according to the Family Violence Theory […]
• Domestic Violence in Australia: Policy Issue In this paper, DV in Australia will be regarded as a problem that requires policy decision-making, and the related terminology and theory will be used to gain insights into the reasons for the persistence of […]
• Nondiscriminatory Education Against Domestic Violence The recent event that prompted the proposed advocacy is the criticism of a banner that depicts a man as the victim of abuse.
• Domestic Violence in International Criminal Justice The United Nations organization is deeply concerned with the high level of violence experienced by women in the family, the number of women killed, and the latency of sexual violence.
• Project Reset and the Domestic Violence Court The majority of the decisions in courts are aimed to mitigate the effects of the strict criminal justice system of the United States.
• Same-Sex Domestic Violence Problem Domestic violence in gay or lesbian relationships is a serious matter since the rates of domestic violence in such relationships are almost equivalent to domestic violence in heterosexual relationships. There are a number of misconceptions […]
• Domestic, Dating and Sexual Violence Dating violence is the sexual or physical violence in a relationship which includes verbal and emotional violence. The rate of sexual violence in other nations like Japan and Ethiopia, range from 15 to 71 percent.
• Anger Management Counseling and Treatment of Domestic Violence by the Capital Area Michigan Works These aspects include: the problem that the program intends to solve, the results produced by the program, the activities of the program, and the resources that are used to achieve the overall goal.
• Understanding Women’s Responses to Domestic Violence The author’s research orientation is a mix of interpretive, positivism and critical science – interpretive in informing social workers or practitioners on how to enhance their effectiveness as they deal with cases related to violence […]
• Poverty and Domestic Violence It is based on this that in the next section, I have utilized my educational experience in order to create a method to address the issue of domestic violence from the perspective of a social […]
• Teenage Dating and Domestic Violence That is why it is important to report about the violence to the police and support groups in order to be safe and start a new life.
• Evaluation of the Partnership Against Domestic Violence According to the official mission statement of the organization, PADV is aimed at improving the overall wellbeing of families all over the world and helping those that suffer from domestic violence The organization’s primary goal […]
• Cross-Cultural Aspects of Domestic Violence This is one of the limitations that should be taken account. This is one of the problems that should not be overlooked.
• Domestic Violence in the Lives of Women She gives particular focus on the social and traditional aspects of the community that heavily contribute to the eruption and sustenance of violence against women in households. In the part 1 of the book, Renzetti […]
• Financial Planning and Management for Domestic Violence Victims Acquisition of resources used in criminal justice require financial resources hence the need to manage the same so as to provide the best machines and equipments.
• Violence against Women: Domestic, National, and Global Rape as a weapon for the enemy Majority of cultures in war zones still accept and regard rape to be a weapon of war that an enemy should be punished with.
• Effects of Domestic Violence on Children Development In cases where children are exposed to such violence, then they become emotionally troubled: In the above, case them the dependent variable is children emotions while the independent variable is domestic violence: Emotions = f […]
• Evaluation of Anger Management Counseling and Treatment of Domestic Violence by the Capital Area Michigan Works These aspects include: the problem that the program intends to solve, the results produced by the program, the activities of the program, and the resources that are used to achieve the overall goal.
• Knowledge and Attitudes of Nurses Regarding Domestic Violence and Their Effect on the Identification of Battered Women In conducting this research, the authors sought the consent of the prospective participants where the purpose of the study was explained to participants and confidentiality of information to be collected was reassured.
• Domestic Violence Dangers Mount With Economic, Seasonal Pressures These variables are believed to be able to prompt the family to explore the experiences and meanings of stress and stress management.
• Impact of the Economic Status on Domestic Violence This article investigates the possible factors that may help in explaining the status of women who are homeless and their capacity to experience domestic violence.
• Dominance and “Power Plays” in Relationships to Assist Clients to Leave Domestic Violence According to psychologists, the problem of domestic violence is based on the fact that one partner needs to be in control of the other.
• Social Marketing Campaign on Domestic Violence In this marketing campaign strategy the focus would be centered on violence against women, as a form of domestic violence that is currently experience in many countries across the globe.
• Art Therapy With Women Who Have Suffered Domestic Violence One of the most significant benefits of art therapy is the fact the patients get to understand and interpret their own situations which puts them in a better position to creatively participate in own healing […]
• Collaborative Crisis Intervention at a Domestic Violence Shelter The first visit is meant to collect the information that the professional in domestic violence deem crucial concerning the precipitating incidence and history of violence.
• Domestic Violence Exposure in Colombian Adolescents In this topic, the authors intend to discover the extent of association of drug abuse to domestic violence exposure, violent and prosocial behavior among adolescents.
• Domestic Violence and Its Classification Sexual abuse is the other common form of maltreatment which is on the rise and refers to any circumstance in which force is utilized to get involvement in undesired intimate action. Emotional maltreatment entails inconsistent […]
• Domestic Violence and Social Initiatives in Solving the Problem The absence of the correct social programs at schools and the lack of desire of government and police to pay more attention to the prevention of the problem while it is not too late are […]
• Domestic Violence in the African American Community Previous research has suggested this due to the many causes and effects that are experienced by the members and especially the male members of the African American community.
• Domestic Violence: Predicting and Solutions There are several factors which predict the state of domestic violence in the future and this will help in preventing domestic violence.
• Domestic Violence: Signs of Abuse and Abusive Relationships The unprecedented rejuvenation of such a vile act, prompted the formation of factions within society, that are sensitive to the plight of women, and fight for the cognizance of their rights in society.
• Domestic Violence against South Asian Women Again, this strategy is premised on the idea that domestic violence can be explained by the financial dependence of women in these communities.
• The Effects of Domestic Violence According to statistics and research provided in the handout, women are at a higher risk of being victims of domestic violence.
• Effect of Domestic Violence on Children This is done with the aim of ensuring that the child is disciplined and is meant as a legitimate punishment. Most of our children have been neglected and this has contributed to the increase in […]
• Domestic Violence and Elderly Abuse- A Policy Statement Though this figure has been changing with the change in the method of survey that was conducted and the nature of samples that were taken during the research process, it is widely accepted fact that […]
• Domestic Violence as a Social and Public Health Problem The article, authored by Lisa Simpson Strange, discusses the extent of domestic violence especially in women and the dangers it exposes the victims to, insisting that severe actions should be taken against those who commit […]
• Community and Domestic Violence: Elder Abuse In addition, the fact the elderly people cannot defend themselves because of the physical frailty that they encounter, they will experience most of the elderly abuse.
• Community and Domestic Violence; Gang Violence Solitude, peer pressure, need to belong, esteem, and the excitement of the odds of arrest entice adolescents to join these youth gangs.
• Fighting Domestic Violence in Pocatello, Idaho Having realized the need to involve the family unit in dealing with this vice, Walmart has organized a sensitization program that will involve the education of whole family to increase awareness on the issue. The […]
• What Is the Purpose of Studying Domestic Violence?
• What Does Theory Explain Domestic Violence?
• What Is the Difference Between IPV and Domestic Violence?
• What Age Group Does Domestic Violence Affect Most?
• When Domestic Violence Becomes the Norm?
• How Are Domestic Violence Problems Solved in American and Other Cultures?
• What Are the 3 Phases in the Domestic Violence Cycle?
• How Can Domestic Violence Be Explained?
• How Many Deaths Are Caused by Domestic Violence?
• When Was Domestic Violence First Defined?
• How Is a Domestic Violence Prevention?
• How Race, Class, and Gender Influences Domestic Violence?
• Why Do Victims of Abuse Sometimes Stay Silent?
• How Does Domestic Violence Affect the Brain?
• Is Mental Illness Often Associated With Domestic Violence?
• How Does Domestic Violence Affect a Person Emotionally?
• How Does Domestic Violence Affect Children’s Cognitive Development?
• Why Should Employers Pay Attention to Domestic Violence?
• What Are the Causes of Domestic Violence?
• What Country Has the Highest Rate of Domestic Violence?
• How Does Domestic Violence Affect the Lives of Its Victims?
• What Are the Possible Causes and Signs of Domestic Violence?
• How Does Socioeconomic Status Affect Domestic Violence?
• How Does the Australian Criminal Justice System Respond to Domestic Violence?
• How Does Culture Affect Domestic Violence in the UK?
• What Is the Psychology of an Abuser?
• What Is Police Doing About Domestic Violence?
• How Does the Government Define Domestic Violence?
• What Profession Has the Highest Rate of Domestic Violence?
• What Percent of Domestic Violence Is Alcohol-Related?
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2024, February 26). 153 Domestic Violence Topics & Essay Examples. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/domestic-violence-essay-examples/

"153 Domestic Violence Topics & Essay Examples." IvyPanda , 26 Feb. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/topic/domestic-violence-essay-examples/.

IvyPanda . (2024) '153 Domestic Violence Topics & Essay Examples'. 26 February.

IvyPanda . 2024. "153 Domestic Violence Topics & Essay Examples." February 26, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/domestic-violence-essay-examples/.

1. IvyPanda . "153 Domestic Violence Topics & Essay Examples." February 26, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/domestic-violence-essay-examples/.

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IvyPanda . "153 Domestic Violence Topics & Essay Examples." February 26, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/domestic-violence-essay-examples/.

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Domestic Violence Against Women In Australia

• Category: Social Issues
• Topic: Domestic Violence , Violence Against Women

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