Introduction

Contributed by Camille Inifer and Shayla Strapps and current to 1 September 2005

Family and domestic violence is about abuse by a partner or family member of another through power and control. The forms of abuse may present as emotional, physical, sexual and/or psychological. Such abuse is called an act of family and domestic abuse.

While physical abuse is more evident (with the obvious bruises, cuts, broken limbs and so on), other forms of abuse are also considered to be family and domestic violence. These include:

• Social abuse such as isolating the victim, controlling the victim’s contact with extended family, stalking;
• Economic abuse such as controlling a person’s finances to a point where the victim has to ask for basic provisions;
• Emotional and psychological abuse such as constant humiliation, degradation, threats, blackmail, not allowing the victim to rest, harming pets and constant surveillance;
• Sexual abuse such as rape, unwanted touching, performing sexual acts against the victim’s will;
• Spiritual abuse such as preventing religious observance or denying access to ceremonies, land or family, forcing victims to do things against their beliefs, denigrating their cultural background, or using religious teachings or cultural tradition as a reason for violence.

Assault or threatened assault are offences under the WA Criminal Code and are no different in the eyes of the law whether they take place within the family home or beyond in the broader community. Under the Code, assault may be actual or threatened harm.

Research shows that it is predominantly women and children who are the victims of family and domestic violence.