Family Violence In Australia: Prevalence, Risk Factors & Prevention – A Welfare System Perspective

Family Violence in Australia

The report brings about the discussion on the welfare systems and choices in Australia and the related concepts. A social welfare system provides different facilities to the individuals, groups and the families in a particular region. The type and amount of the welfare available to the people and their families different from country to country or region to region. It has been found that the family violence is increasing at a higher rate, for indigenous Australians, than for the non-indigenous Australians. Family violence is when someone uses control or power on another person. In Australia, violence has been defined as per the Family Law Act 1975, stated that 1 out of every 3 women, and 1 in 5 men; thus it is prevalent in the country. The report will include one aspect of the welfare system in Australia, ‘Family violence in Australia’, and the reflection in the later part.

The term ‘family violence’ is referred to the violence between the family members, wherein the enforcer exerts influence using power and control on other person, making the person feel suppressed. The family violence is commonly found between in intimate (current or former), relationships, which is also known as domestic violence. Thus, family violence is broader term which includes the violence between partners, in same-sex relationships, against children, parents, or elderly (Pahl, 2016).

Violence is considered as one of the major health and welfare issues, which includes family violence, prevailing at higher rate in Australia. It occurs in every stage of life, i.e. affects an individual at all ages, in context to different socio-economic and demographic groups, mainly affecting women and children at their homes. Women including indigenous, young and the pregnant are found at a greater risk in context to the family violence. Mulayim, Jackson & Lai, (2016) was of the view that each culture has own sayings and values in the country, which defines about the welfare systems and the choices between people living in Australia. The research study has revealed the fact that women still face humiliation and pain at their homes. Violence against women by their male partners has been widespread in the country (Kutin, Russell & Reid, 2017).

The prevalence of the domestic violence in the country has been defined by the Annual Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Personal Safety Survey which was conducted in the year 2005. The survey provides information about the safety of people, especially women at their places. It also states about, the form or type, and the degree to which the violence against women has impacted their health and wellbeing in Australia. According to Doidge et al., (2017), it has been discussed that 2% of the women from the age of 15 years, and 1%men in Australia has been the victims of family violence at their homes. It was reported in the year 2016-17 about 72,000 women, 34,000 children, and 9000 men were found homelessness, and reason behind their situation was family/domestic violence experienced by them. Discussing about indigenous children, in Australia, they were discovered as to be 7 times, the subject of substantiated child abuse or neglect in their families. 

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Family Violence

In Australia, it has been analysed that there is no single reason behind the domestic/family violence; thus the major risk factors for the violence against women, by their partners mainly include perpetrators’ alcohol & drug use (Doidge et al., 2017). Certain other factors consist of the experiences of the victims, such as child abuse, pregnancy, and the separation have increased the possibility of the violence to manifold. At the most serious end, it has been analysed that the financial stress, personal stress and problems, and the lack of emotional support from their spouses and other  family members are some other factors, which strongly correlates with the increasing rate of violence against women in Australia (Lonne & Parton, 2014).

The family or domestic violence has been the leading concern for the Australian community, which is responsible for the hampering of the children, women, and men in the society. The Department of Human Services has stated that family or domestic violence is the conduct that is violent, and is intended to threaten, and exercise control and coercion which develops fear or trouble to the person in the family. According to Philips & Vandenbroek, (2014), the impact of the violence has been studied in relation to the specifically indigenous women in Australia. The major influence is on the mental health of the women, as it makes them feel suppressed, causing significant psychological symptoms, leading to disorders and depression.  Children and adolescents face emotional and social problems due to the violence/abuse behaviour by their elders in the family. Homelessness of the women has been recognised as the major impact on the women experiencing violence in Australia. Thus, there are social, economic, physical, emotional, and mental impacts of the violence on the people in Australian communities (Roberts, Chamberlain & Delfabbro, 2015). 

Prevention of Family Violence in Australia

To discuss and analyse the family, or domestic violence, including sexual violence in Australia, it has been found that certain policies are formulated to enhance the quality of life of people in the communities. The current Australian government program has taken certain initiatives to prevent the violence against people in the country. Violence including, family, domestic and sexual has been a matter of concern for the state and territory governments in Australia.  Ellsberg et al., (2015), has stated about the plan implemented to reduce and prevent violence in the country; it stated that the national plan which was released in the year 2011, focused at preventing the occurrence of violence against women and children in the country. Thus, the plan focused on two main types of violence, ensuring that children and women live safe in their communities. The emphasis is to derive six outcomes, which includes safety and security of communities, freedom from violence, respectful relationships, strengthening of indigenous people, and fulfilling services to meet the needs of these families, who has experienced violence (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2018).

According to the Welfare system in Australia, and plans formulated for prevention of violence, includes the strategies of prevention at three levels. These levels include primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. The first or Primary prevention discusses about the prevention of the violence before the occurrence (interventions in respect to the whole population or a particular group at risk) (DeGue et al., 2014). Individuals prevented against by changing their behaviours or increasing their skill-set to improve their life hampered due to violence, is termed as secondary prevention.  The third or tertiary prevention describes about the social support system in the country and the therapeutic interventions for the perpetrators. It has been found that there are several mediums or services in the country which provides protection or help to the victims of family/domestic violence such as 1800RESPECT, through which various counsellors provide counselling and help to such people in Australia. Women’s support line, and Mensline. Other includes Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria has developed a Smart Safe+ app an app that provide support & help to women to collect the evidence of the family violence in safer way. Australian Childhood foundation and WIRE (Women’s Information and Referral exchange), is another Victorian based services, helping women with number of different family violence related issues (Hermann, 2017). 

Impact of Domestic Violence on Women/Children in Australia

From the above discussion, I have learnt that the domestic or family violence has been the major cause behind the deteriorating health and quality of lives of people in Australian community. In my opinion, violence in Australia occurs due to the ineffective welfare system and inappropriate choices. The factors consist of varying distribution of the power and resources, between men and women representing the issue of gender inequality. Other factors include adherence to the static gender roles in the country, and the attitudes or behaviour of people leading them to exercise violence. There have been certain gaps in the provision of services for family or domestic violence in Australia, such as accessibility to the housing facility which is affordable, timely and which gives women security of tenure for women and children leaving domestic violence. One of the major gaps was better education, and the lack of awareness about the wide-spread violence in the country, and the lack of efficient policy for the women with high rates of domestic violence. Thus, I believe that individuals and families must be educated, towards giving respect and treating each member of the family equally. Self-control on the violent behaviours is one major change which can lead to prevention of family violence in the country.

Conclusion:

To conclude the above discussion, it has been analysed that the family/domestic violence in Australia has been steadily increasing at a higher rate. Australian’s welfare system provides set of supports, services and the payments is provided by the Australian government, in order to improve the wellbeing of people. The report has discussed well, the causes, risk factors, impacts and the influence on the women, and the children. Thus, wellbeing and standard of living is enhanced in the country as the social system has increased the capabilities and opportunities for the people living in the country, ensuring their economic and social stability.

References:

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.(2018). Family, domestic and sexual violence in Australia. Retrieved from: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/domestic-violence/family-domestic-sexual-violence-in-australia-2018/contents/summary

DeGue, S., Valle, L. A., Holt, M. K., Massetti, G. M., Matjasko, J. L. & Tharp, A. T. (2014). A systematic review of primary prevention strategies for sexual violence perpetration. Aggression and violent behaviour, 19(4), 346-362.

Doidge, J. C., Higgins, D. J., Delfabbro, P. & Segal, L. (2017). Risk factors for child maltreatment in an Australian population-based birth cohort. Child abuse & neglect, 64, 47-60.

Ellsberg, M., Arango, D. J., Morton, M., Gennari, F., Kiplesund, S., Contreras, M. & Watts, C. (2015). Prevention of violence against women and girls: what does the evidence say? The Lancet, 385(9977), 1555-1566.

Hermann, H. R. (2017). Dominance and Aggression in Humans and Other Animals: The Great Game of Life. United States: Academic Press.

Kutin, J., Russell, R. & Reid, M. (2017). Economic abuse between intimate partners in Australia: prevalence, health status, disability, and financial stress. Australian and New Zealand journal of public health, 41(3), 269-274.

Lonne, B. & Parton, N. (2014). Portrayals of child abuse scandals in the media in Australia and England: Impacts on practice, policy, and systems. Child abuse & neglect, 38(5), 822-836.

Mulayim, S., Jackson, M. & Lai, M. (2016). 10 Domestic violence in Australia. Domestic Violence in International Context, 27, 165.

Pahl, J. (2016). Private violence and public policy: The needs of battered women and the response of the public services. United Kingdom: Routledge.

Phillips, J. & Vandenbroek, P. (2014). Domestic, family, and sexual violence in Australia: an overview of the issues: Department of Parliamentary Services. Australia: Parliamentary Library.

Roberts, D., Chamberlain, P. & Delfabbro, P. (2015). Women’s experiences of the processes associated with the family court of Australia in the context of domestic violence: A thematic analysis. Psychiatry, psychology and law, 22(4), 599-615.