Overview

Domestic and family violence (DFV) is internationally recognised as a fundamental violation of human rights. While DFV can affect anyone, it is a distinctly gendered problem that disproportionately affects women and their children.

On average in Australia, one woman is murdered every week by a current or former partner, with women making up the overwhelming proportion of people killed by a partner (Bricknell, 2021). At least one quarter of Australian women have experienced violence from an intimate partner or family member, compared with one in every eight men, and the same research has found that 18% of women and 11% of men surveyed experienced abuse in childhood (ABS, 2023). Similarly, women are around six times more likely to be hospitalised as a result of violence perpetrated by a partner than men are. Indigenous, migrant, and pregnant women are at particularly high risk of hospitalisation due to DFV.

It is important to recognise, however, that there are many barriers to identifying DFV in research studies, so many studies potentially underestimate the rate of DFV. The Australian Child Maltreatment Study (2023), for example, found that around 30% of Australian adults experienced physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, or a combination of these, as children. Almost 40% were exposed to DFV, and one in twelve was neglected. Women reported experiencing sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect in childhood at higher rates than men, while rates of physical abuse and exposure to DFV were similar.

The impacts of DFV are profound and have long term implications. It is a leading cause of trauma and child protection related concerns and interventions, as well as homelessness for women and their children. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is also a leading contributor to the burden of disease experienced by women, negatively impacting both mental and physical health, as well as problems during pregnancy with associated neonatal health concerns. Childhood abuse multiplies the risk of common mental health problems, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and substance use disorders.

DFV in the family harms children in similar ways, regardless of whether they are the direct targets of abuse. There is a useful info-graphic summarising research into the effects of DFV here, produced by the Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety.

Governmental policies and frameworks

National priorities

In 2011, a national plan, endorsed by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), set a vision for an Australian community free from violence against women and children. The current National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032 describes steps to reduce violence by focusing on four domains: prevention, early intervention, response, and recovery and healing. The states and territories also have plans and frameworks for addressing domestic and family violence.

Queensland’s approach

Since the delivery of the Not Not, Not Ever Report in 2015, the Queensland government has developed plans for addressing DFV. The current Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Strategy – 2016-2026 outlines the state government’s strategy, with the same domains as the National Plan. The DFV Prevention Strategy – Corporate and Community Organisation Engagement Framework provides further details on the ways that corporations, businesses and community organisations can further efforts to reduce DFV and its consequences.

The second Queensland Women’s Strategy also responds to the fact that we have a long way to go in enabling the full participation of women in the social, economic, and cultural life of Queensland. Safety is identified as a priority area to be addressed in the strategy.

The Queensland Government has released its DFV Common Risk and Safety Framework (CRASF) – similar frameworks also exist in other states. It provides information, resources and tools for community and human services. These include routine DFV screening tools for all services and workers, risk assessment and safety planning resources for services funded to respond to DFV, and multiagency risk assessment and safety planning tools for interagency work to address high risk DFV.

Guidance for service providers

Services that are funded to respond to DFV are required to meet the Queensland Government’s DFV Services Practice Principles, Standards and Guidance. The document sets out the policy, legal and theoretical context for DFV work in addition to requirements regarding the nature of DFV service provision. While they were developed to guide practice by DFV services, they are applicable to other organisations where client concerns include DFV, including many community sector, health, education, and policing or legal sector organisations.

Workplace responses to domestic and family violence

Employers are becoming more aware of the likelihood that some of their employees are experiencing domestic and family violence, and efforts to increase supports to affected employees are increasing. For several years, employers have been instituting leave arrangements for workers requiring time away from work to address DFV-related needs.

Previously at an employer’s discretion, and often unpaid, employees are now entitled to 10 days paid DFV leave each year. The Queensland Government also provides awareness raising and support resources for employers as part of the DFV Prevention Strategy – Corporate and Community Organisation Engagement Framework and resources for encouraging a supportive workplace. Guides developed for organisations and employers include DFV Work Aware and its partners’ When DFV Comes to Work: Recognising and responding to DFV in your workplace, and the Services Union’s DFV Workplace Safety Planning Tools.

Increasingly, organisations are developing and implementing policies and procedures to guide responses to employees affected by DFV. QCOSS and DFV Work Aware partnered to deliver a workshop for leaders to explore good organisational policies relating to DFV, including responses both to victim-survivors of DFV and those who it. The workshop is freely available as a series of brief videos. QCOSS also provides the workshop slide deck and an adaptable policy template.

Male Champions of Change also provides guidance on responding to employees who perpetrate DFV.

Training in DFV responses at work is provided by Work Haven, No to Violence, and DFV Work Aware.

Responding to domestic and family violence risk

Organisations and workers are encouraged to become familiar with the relevant frameworks to guide their responses to particular instances of DFV risk, whether for employees or clients. In an emergency, call 000. Other services that provide information and support include 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732), which provides phone and online counselling and support for people affected by DFV and sexual violence, and DVConnect (1800 811 811), which provides telephone counselling and support, and access to refuges for women and children. There are also local DFV specialist services across the state. 1800 RESPECT and DVConnect can provide details for the nearest service.