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Our goal
We want a community in which everyone is able to live in safety and security, free from violence.
- Family and domestic violence and abuse (FDV) is a major health and wellbeing issue. It affects people from all backgrounds, but particularly women and children
- One woman a week is murdered by her current or former partner
- 1 in 5 women have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15
- 1 in 4 women have experienced emotional abuse by a current or former partner
- 1 in 16 men have experienced physical or sexual abuse by a current or previous partner
- (FDV) takes many forms, including physical, sexual, financial, emotional, psychological and image-based abuse. A key characteristic of FDV is the use of violence or other forms of coercion to control someone with whom the perpetrator has an intimate or family relationship.
Existing social norms
Community attitudes and beliefs, such as rigid gender stereotypes, condoning of violence, and allegiance to cultures of masculinity which emphasise aggression and dominance can negatively influence the prevalence of FDV, as well as the nature of the response to those affected by it.
Young people and children who have grown up in households affected by FDV can normalise the violence and find it difficult to recognise unhealthy or unsafe behaviours as they enter new relationships.
Imperfect laws and processes
Non-physical abuse, such as coercive control is a particularly insidious form of FDV that is often unrecognised by victim survivors and first responders. It is underreported, and its seriousness is often underestimated. Despite its damaging impact, coercive control is not a criminal offence in its own right, and it is difficult to prove and to prosecute.
Insufficient focus on perpetrator accountability
Victim survivors of family and domestic violence are often (implicitly or explicitly) criticised for putting themselves into unsafe situations, blamed for not leaving an abusive partner, and allowing children to be exposed to FDV. The system requires victim survivors to repeatedly relive their trauma by repeatedly sharing their stories. In contrast, the role of the perpetrator is ignored. There is comparatively little discussion about what perpetrators should do to stop using violence, and there is limited funding for perpetrator behaviour change programs.
Delays in mental health supports
Experiences of violence, abuse or neglect are key drivers for homelessness, substance abuse and complex mental health challenges. Currently, there is an average gap of six years between children’s exposure to FDV becoming known to police and health services and children receiving appropriate assessments, support and therapy. The reasons for this are complex, and include cost and accessibility issues, insufficient funding, and funding structures which limit the types, extent and circumstances in which support may be offered to a child.
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Governments, schools and organisations must invest in preventative community education which encourages healthy and respectful relationships. Topics, and age appropriate/culturally appropriate resources, should link to gender equity, conflict resolution, and alternatives to violence.
- State Government, courts and organisations must:
- increase training to those within the justice system to improve understanding of the impact of FDV, and in particular to help them develop skills to identify and effectively respond to the often hidden aspects of FDV, such as financial and emotional abuse or coercive control.
- work together to shift the current incident-based response to FDV, which addresses specific incidents in isolation, to a broader case management approach. This would allow perpetrator mapping, data collection and information sharing needed to identify persistent offenders.
- State Government must:
- criminalise coercive control. It is essential that extensive prior consultation is undertaken with vulnerable groups, and most notably Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, to ensure that the legislation is shaped in a way that does not further existing disadvantage.
- increase pastoral care funding for school, in particular to better support students impacted by FDV.
- State and Federal Governments must:
- invest in research to identify the most effective intervention strategies for FDV offenders and increase funding, referrals and access to psychoeducational programs and wraparound services for people who use violence, including for those who engage in non-physical abuse.
- Increase access to integrated, trauma-informed support services for families and children exposed to violence, as well as for people who use violence.
Anglicare WA supports 32,000 people each year with strengthening family relationships and provides services to more than 3,000 people who have been affected by violence. These services include, but are not limited to:
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Refuge in Albany
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Counselling services
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Outreach services
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Advocacy support services
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Coordinated response service in the Kimberley
Some ways we have been advocating for systemic change include:
- Participating in the annual 16 Days in WA – Stop Violence Against Women campaign.
- Delivering healthy relationship presentations, online and in person, through the It Only Takes One schools education program.
- Sharing our experience and recommendations in response to the Department of Justice Legislative Responses to Coercive Control in WA discussion paper.
These works by Anglicare WA are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Learn more about our other Advocacy Priorities
• Creating Economic Justice and Fairness
• Ensuring Everyone Has a Home
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Recognition and Justice
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