Are you affected by family violence?
Everyone has the right to feel safe and free from abuse and violence in their relationships.
We recognise the complexities of family violence, including living in fear and intimidation, and its impacts.
If you are affected by family violence (domestic violence) and feel unsafe right now, please call 000 (triple zero) immediately. If you require housing or other family violence support, please call Safe Steps (Victoria) 24/7 on 1800 015 188.
What is family violence?
Family violence (domestic violence) is not just physical assault. It also refers to a range of power and control behaviours which may include:
- direct or indirect threats
- fear and intimidation
- sexual assault
- emotional and psychological torment
- economic control
- property damage
- social isolation
- pet abuse and threats of harm
- monitoring and surveillance of movement and social life
- spiritual and religious abuse
- other behaviour which causes a person to live in fear.
Family violence affects people of every community, age, gender and sexual preference throughout Australia. While family violence can happen in many different family relationships, it is overwhelmingly women and children who are affected by violence, and men who use it.
It’s important to seek support and help for family violence, as it has significant psychological, emotional, and physical impacts on those who are directly affected by abuse and on those who witness the violence.
Find out how we can provide help if you are experiencing family violence and how our services can support you.
Counselling
Our counsellors are available to support people of all genders who are affected by family violence.
Family Safety Model
Our Family Safety Model is used in our men’s behaviour change and men’s case management programs for men who use family violence.
Knowing how important it is to provide integrated, cohesive family violence services, we have developed a Family Safety Model for working with our clients’ partners, former partners and children who are affected by family violence.
It is also embedded in our family dispute resolution (FDR) services at our Kew Centre and Melbourne Family Relationship Centres. This enables us to support families impacted by family violence and other complex issues, who would otherwise not be able to participate in FDR.
All men in these programs are allocated a specialist family safety practitioner.
This practitioner prioritises the safety of the partners, former partners, children and family members of these clients by providing key safety elements.
These include:
- safety, risk and needs assessment for all family members
- identification of when additional support is needed
- referrals to relevant Relationships Australia Victoria services
- referrals to other support services, including housing, mental health, drug and alcohol, cultural and legal support services.