Domestic, family and sexual violence can happen to anyone, regardless of the country they are from, religion, sexuality, gender, age, social background or culture.
There are different types of domestic, family and sexual violence and they are not always physical. Domestic, family and sexual violence are behaviours that aim to gain power and control over someone.
No matter what your relationship to someone is, domestic, family and sexual violence is never OK.
Domestic violence refers to violence within intimate partner relationships such as a spouse or date.
Family violence is much broader than domestic violence and refers to violence in a family or a family-like relationship.
Sexual violence is being forced, pressured or tricked into doing sexual acts when you do not want to. Sexual violence can occur in domestic or family settings but also with someone you do not know.
Domestic violence
Domestic violence is when an intimate partner hurts you with their actions or words. It could be a current or former partner or someone you date. This type of violence occurs within the home, in public or between two people who do not live together.
There are many forms of domestic violence including hurting you:
- Physically such as being shoved, hit, kicked, slapped, punched, pinched, grabbed, hair-pulled, bitten, spat on, strangled and threatening physical violence such as throwing objects or punching walls. This includes hurting you, your children or pets.
- Emotionally or verbally such as name-calling, put-downs or humiliating you, mind games or making you feel crazy (gaslighting) and making you feel bad about yourself and making you feel as though you are to blame.
- Economically such as hindering your ability to work, controlling your access to money or pursue further education.
- Spiritually such as stopping you from practicing your religion or beliefs.
- Socially such as making fun of you in public or on social media or threatening to disclose your sexual orientation.
- With technology such as using it to stalk or spy on you.
For more information on the different types of domestic violence, visit the Break the Cycle website.
Coercive control
Domestic violence includes coercive control which is when your current or former partner tries to make you do what they want such as:
- stopping you from seeing your friends and family
- controlling your money
- monitoring what you say or where you go
- stopping you from getting things you need.
For more information about what coercive control in a relationship looks like, visit the See the Signs website.
Family violence
Family violence is much broader than domestic violence and refers to when a person in a family or a family-like relationship hurts you with their words or actions.
Family violence includes:
- Elder abuse
- Adolescent violence against parents
- Children witnessing domestic violence
- Carer violence
- Violence involving extended family members in culturally diverse families
- Violence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kinship relationships.
Sexual violence
Sexual violence includes anything sexual that makes you feel scared or uncomfortable. It is being forced, pressured or tricked into doing sexual acts when you do not want to. It can be from someone close to you or someone you do not know.
No one has the right to make you do sexual acts that you do not want to do, even if you are married to them or in a relationship with them.
When sexual violence occurs in a domestic or family setting, it is also a form of domestic or family violence.
Sexual violence can be physical:
- unwanted touching or kissing
- making you have sex when you do not want to
- making you have unprotected sex.
Sexual violence can also be verbal or emotional:
- unwanted sexualised comments
- intrusive sexualised questions.
Sexual violence can be digital:
- sending unwanted nudes
- sharing or threatening to share intimate images or videos without your consent
- forcing you to watch pornography
- creating a deepfake video.
Finding help for domestic, family and sexual violence
If you or someone you know, is experiencing domestic, family or sexual violence, please contact 1800RESPECT for free, confidential information, counselling and support on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au.
For more support services, visit our Finding help page.