Domestic & family violence in Australia
Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) is a long-standing and severe problem within Australia. Indeed, those who work to reduce DFV have labelled it a “crisis” and an “entrenched epidemic.” Below are some statistics* that outline the severity of the issues. Try not to let the numbers wash over you. Sit with the reality of what the statistics mean:
1 in 4 women have experienced physical, sexual or emotional abuse from a partner since they were 15
On average, one woman is killed by her current or former partner every 9 days in Australia
13 women or children were hospitalized each day (on average) as a result of DFV
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander women are 31 times more likely to be hospitalised due to DFV
Younger women (18-34) were 2.7 times more likely than older women to have experienced DFV in the last 12 months
42% of those accessing homelessness services have experienced DFV
1 in 4 children are exposed to DFV
And these are just reported rates of DFV. Keep in mind that many instances of DFV are not reported to the police, and so the prevalence of DFV is higher than what the statistics indicate.
But what even is DFV? Considering its prevalence and severity, we would do well to have a thorough understanding of what it looks like. Such an understanding will enable us to identify if we ourselves our experiencing DFV, or if someone we care about is a victim of DFV. It’s important to know, for example, that DFV can involve so much more than physical violence.
A future blog post will explore what can be involved in a DFV relationship. These are things that we look for here at Robertson & Ling when we are providing counselling or relationship therapy to individuals and couples.
If you require urgent assistance for a DFV situation, please phone the police on 000. For non-urgent DFV matters, please contact the Family Violence Response and Referral Line on 1800 633 937.
You are welcome to a free, 30 minute phone consultation to discuss your suitability for counselling at Robertson & Ling. To view any other services that Robertson & Ling offer, such as marriage or couples counselling, please visit our services page. Alternatively, if you would like to book an appointment with a Robertson & Ling counsellor, you can do so here.
* Taken form the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Personal Safety Survey, 2017 and 2021-22.