What is Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month?
Domestic and Family Violence Prevention month raises community awareness of domestic and family violence. It is a month that focus’ on sending a clear message that domestic and family violence is unacceptable. The theme for this year’s Domestic urge everyone to recognise the signs of domestic violence, to reach out and speak up.
The Impact of Domestic and Family Violence
The statistics are horrific.
- 1 woman per week is murdered by a current or former partner.
- Australian police deal with domestic violence every 2 minutes.
- 15 people were killed were killed in 2019 alone as a result of domestic and family violence.
- 1 in 4 women have experienced emotional abuse since the age of 15.
- 1 in 6 women experience violence before the age of 15.
- 1 in 5 women have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15.
- 85% of women have been sexually harassed.
- Around 40% of women continue to experience violence from their partner while being temporarily separated.
- 1 in 3 young people don’t think controlling someone is a form of violence.
- 9 out of 10 women with a disability have been sexually harassed.
- Domestic violence is the leading cause of homelessness for women and their children.
Impact on Children
In addition to the impact the violence has on the individual women, there is also a large impact on children where there is violence in a domestic or family setting. Even if the children are not the direct victim of the violence, they can still demonstrate behaviours such as the below:
- Blaming themselves for the violence.
- Sleep difficulties.
- Regression to earlier development stage.
- Developmental delay.
- Becoming fearful, aggressive, destructive.
- Withdrawing.
- Becoming a victim of perpetrator of bullying.
- Cruelty to animals.
For these reasons, we need to take massive action against domestic and family violence. It is only something we will be able to combat together. Teaching our children and demonstrating zero tolerance are the only way we will be able to eradicate domestic and family violence from out communities. Let us use this month of prevention as it was intended, to educate, to encourage and to eradicate domestic and family violence. Over the next few weeks, we will be providing you with further information around this incredibly important issue.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic or family violence, there are a range of supports you are able to access which are able to be found on the White Ribbon Australia National support page. Local support can also be found here.
The Psych Professionals work to support our clients to develop the skills and strategies to live the life they deserve. We have clinicians who work with all ages who support in areas from anxiety, depression and trauma, to chronic pain, work issues and behaviour problems. If you want to know more about how we can help you, contact us and one of our friendly Client Relationships Team will get back to you.