domestic violence

Australia's #1 for Law
Join 150,000 Australians every month. Ask a question, respond to a question and better understand the law today!
FREE - Join Now
Domestic violence (also named domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse in a domestic setting, such as in marriage or cohabitation. Domestic violence is often used as a synonym for intimate partner violence, which is committed by a spouse or partner in an intimate relationship against the other spouse or partner, and can take place in heterosexual or same-sex relationships, or between former spouses or partners. In its broadest sense, domestic violence also involves violence against children, parents, or the elderly. It takes a number of forms, including physical, verbal, emotional, economic, religious, reproductive, and sexual abuse, which can range from subtle, coercive forms to marital r**e and to violent physical abuse such as choking, beating, female genital mutilation, and acid throwing that results in disfigurement or death. Domestic murders include stoning, bride burning, honor killings, and dowry deaths (which sometimes involve non-cohabitating family members).
Globally, the victims of domestic violence are overwhelmingly women, and women tend to experience more severe forms of violence. They are also likelier than men to use intimate partner violence in self-defense. In some countries, domestic violence is often seen as justified, particularly in cases of actual or suspected infidelity on the part of the woman, and is legally permitted. Research has established that there exists a direct and significant correlation between a country's level of gender equality and rates of domestic violence, where countries with less gender equality experience higher rates of domestic violence. Domestic violence is among the most underreported crimes worldwide for both men and women. Due to social stigmas regarding male victimization, men who are victims of domestic violence face an increased likelihood of being overlooked by healthcare providers.Domestic violence often occurs when the abuser believes that abuse is an entitlement, acceptable, justified, or unlikely to be reported. It may produce an intergenerational cycle of abuse in children and other family members, who may feel that such violence is acceptable or condoned. Many people do not recognize themselves as abusers or victims because they may consider their experiences as family conflicts that got out of control. Awareness, perception, definition and documentation of domestic violence differs widely from country to country. Domestic violence often happens in the context of forced or child marriage.In abusive relationships, there may be a cycle of abuse during which tensions rise and an act of violence is committed, followed by a period of reconciliation and calm. Victims of domestic violence may be trapped in domestic violent situations through isolation, power and control, traumatic bonding to the abuser, cultural acceptance, lack of financial resources, fear, shame, or to protect children. As a result of abuse, victims may experience physical disabilities, dysregulated aggression, chronic health problems, mental illness, limited finances, and a poor ability to create healthy relationships. Victims may experience severe psychological disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder. Children who live in a household with violence often show psychological problems from an early age, such as avoidance, hypervigilance to threats, and dysregulated aggression which may contribute to vicarious traumatization.

View More On Wikipedia.org
  1. B

    NSW Domestic Abuse Situ

    Hello. I have been in an abusive/coercive relationship for 6 years. Recent events have actually woken me up from the slumber I was in but I’ve faced challenges. To cut a long story short, my wife grabbed a knife over a week ago and tried to kill herself and then tried to frame me for murder by...
  2. S

    Compensation due to harm from Domestic violence

    I am wishing to pursue a civil claim against ex spouse due to the harm the domestic violence he perpetrated has caused. It created financial loss and led to my daughter leaving my care due to the state I was in. Does this come under personal injury? Also to DIY, what forms would I need to use to...
  3. B

    NSW ADVO and Resident Return Visa

    Does an old Apprehended Domestic Violence Order need to be declared in Resident Return Visa applications, and does it impact citizenship application?
  4. W

    Terminating fathers rights

    I’ll try and make this as detailed yet obscure as possible (for my own safety). I have multiple children, all under the age of 5. Their biological father has not been in their lives at all for the last two years, and for some time before that was only sporadically around (domestic and family...
  5. B

    VIC Court Outcomes - IVO & Breeches

    Hello, I have an IVO placed on my ex partner. He has breeched this multiple times. 2 cases show up on EFAS, one I know about. The other, involves the same officer who supported my IVO application but I’ve not been aware of this new court matter & additional date. Hypothetically let’s say both...
  6. B

    VIC Multiple IVO Applications (Pest)

    My ex partner has applied for 2 IVO’s in the space of 5 years. The first he didn’t turn up to, thrown out. The second I am currently contesting. I feel he is using the system to further perpetrate family violence toward me. 1. If we presume that this current application is “thrown out” can I...
  7. DerekPi

    QLD Stopping Malicious/Fabricated Domestic Violence

    I have a protection order against my ex-wife due to years of verbal and physical abuse, which she has breached and been charged multiple times already. Within a week of being served with the protection order, she filed an application of domestic violence against me that she claimed occurred at a...
  8. E

    Pinop - did i cause the ABH?

    Hi there, my ex partner has now breached an AVO for the third time. we continued the relationship with the final AVO still in place and were seeing each other for three months. An incident occured two days ago on 11-10-21 where the police came and charged him with ABH and another breach. I now...
  9. Chisti

    NSW New visa/PR with CRO on Domestic Violence

    I hope my query relates to a lot of Immigrant couple who got affected with COVID. Sincere gratitude for your responses. Background After long months of trial I have been found guilty of common assault without bodily harm to my wife (DVO). However due to trivial nature of offense(a slap) and my...
  10. K

    VIC DV charges - Advice please?

    I'm hoping someone can gives us a little advice. Full Disclosure - Asking for a friend currently on remand for this incident. My friend had his property destroyed, held against his will at knife point and stabbed but he has been charged and remanded because he defended himself. On again/off...