What is domestic and family violence?
Domestic and family violence (DFV) or abuse is when one person uses violent and/or coercive control tactics to exercise power and control over another person in an intimate or family relationship. Statistics show domestic violence is most often perpetrated by men against women. However, anyone can be a victim or perpetrator of domestic violence.
Domestic and family violence occurs in a repeated pattern over a period of time and is not limited to physical violence. It includes coercive control behaviours used to have a hold over someone and hurt their self-worth and their sense of freedom and independence.
Types of abuse may include:
- Physical abuse
- Verbal abuse
- Fear tactics
- Threats and intimidation
- Emotional abuse
- Gaslighting (behaviours that make an abused person question their own judgement)
- Psychological abuse
- Harm to pets and animals
- Technological abuse
- Stalking, monitoring, surveillance
- Social abuse and isolation
- Financial and economic abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Reproductive coercion (controlling the abused person’s rights to have or not have children)
- Spiritual abuse
- Control of daily life
- Systems abuse
- Use of children
- Post-separation abuse
Every state and territory in Australia has legislation making domestic and family violence unlawful. Read the Queensland Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act here
