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Domestic Violence Support

What is domestic and family violence?

Domestic violence can happen to anyone.

Domestic and family violence is a crime. Nobody deserves violence. It’s when there is violent, abusive or bullying behaviour or actions towards a partner or former partner to scare or control them.

It can happen at home or outside the home. It causes fear and harm to the body, mind and spirit.

Domestic and family violence can happen to anyone – in all communities, in all cultures, to young and old, to wealthy and poor, in any profession and level of education.

Domestic and family violence can include different types of control and abuse.

What does domestic and family violence look like?

A person does not need to be married for it to be considered ‘domestic and family violence’. It can be perpetrated by a partner, family member, carer, boyfriend or girlfriend. A person does not need to experience all of these types of abuse for it to be considered domestic or family violence.

Verbal

This can include, but is not limited to:

  1. Swearing and continual humiliation, either in private or in public
  2. Attacks following clear themes that focus on intelligence, sexuality, body image and capacity as a parent and spouse.

Psychological

This can include, but is not limited to:

  1. Driving dangerously
  2. Destruction of property
  3. Abuse of pets in front of family members
  4. Making threats regarding custody of any children
  5. Asserting that the police and justice system will not assist, support or believe the victim
  6. Threatening to ‘out’ the person.

Emotional

This can include, but is not limited to:

  1. Blaming the victim for all problems in the relationship
  2. Constantly comparing the victim with others to undermine self-esteem and self-worth
  3. Sporadic sulking
  4. Withdrawing all interest and engagement (for example weeks of silence)
  5. Emotional blackmail and suicidal threats.

 

Social

This can include, but is not limited to:

  1. Systematic isolation from family and friends through techniques such as ongoing rudeness to family and friends to alienate them instigating and controlling the move to a location where the victim has no established social circle or employment opportunities
  2. Restricting use of the car or telephone
  3. Forbidding or physically preventing the victim from going out and meeting people.

Financial

This can include, but is not limited to complete control of all money, through:

  1. Forbidding access to bank accounts
  2. Providing only an inadequate ‘allowance’
  3. Not allowing the victim to seek or hold employment
  4. Coercing to sign documents or make false declarations
  5. Using all wages earned by the victim for household expenses
  6. Controlling the victim’s pension
  7. Denying that the victim has an entitlement to joint property.

Physical

This can include, but is not limited to:

  1. Direct assault on the body (strangulation or choking, shaking, eye injuries, biting, slapping, pushing, spitting, punching, or kicking)
  2. Use of weapons including objects
  3. Assault of children
  4. Locking the victim in or out of the house
  5. Forcing the victim to take drugs, withholding medication, food or medical care
  6. Sleep deprivation

Sexual

This can include, but is not limited to:

  1. Any form of pressured/unwanted sex or sexual degradation by an intimate partner or ex- partner, such as sexual activity without consent
  2. Causing pain during sex
  3. Assaulting genitals
  4. Coercive sex without protection against pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease
  5. Making the victim perform sexual acts unwillingly (including taking or distributing explicit photos without their consent)
  6. Criticising or using sexually degrading insults

Harassment and stalking

This can include, but is not limited to:

  1. Following and watching
  2. Telephone and online harassment
  3. Tracking with Global Positioning Systems (GPS)
  4. Being intimidating

What about children?

Domestic and family violence can impact a child’s relationships, physical health, and social and emotional wellbeing. Children don’t need to directly witness violence or abuse to be affected by it. At Liberty we explore with you how the child might be impacted by family violence.

Children’s mental health and wellbeing can be affected in many different ways. We understand the importance of supporting and improving children’s mental and physical health, resilience and wellbeing. We are here to offer guidance around providing resources, referrals and support to families.

Kids Club Program

At Kids Club, children have the opportunity to talk about their feelings while taking part in fun activities. Kids Club is a great way to meet new friends and identify safety networks.  Throughout the program, children build self-esteem and learn more about themselves by becoming aware of their strengths and skills.

Find out more

Signs you could be in an abusive relationship

Our relationships and families should provide us with the things we all need, including love, care and support within a safe environment. Sometimes, however, this is not always the case.

Does your partner, boyfriend, girlfriend, parent, carer or family member:

  1. Make you feel uncomfortable or afraid?
  2. Often put you down, humiliate you, or make you feel worthless?
  3. Constantly check up on what you are doing or where you are going?
  4. Try to stop you from seeing your own friends or family?
  5. Make you feel afraid to disagree or say ‘no’ to them?
  6. Constantly accuse you of flirting with others when this isn’t true?
  7. Tell you how the household finances should be spent.
  8. Stop you having any money for yourself?

Does your partner, boyfriend, girlfriend, parent, carer or family member make you feel:

  1. Fearful or scared?
  2. Anxious?
  3. Sick?
  4. Numb?
  5. Like you have no confidence?
  6. Are you having trouble sleeping because of these feelings?
  7. Do you have physical symptoms, such as tense muscles or racing heart beat because of these feelings?
  8. Do you have trouble concentrating because of these feelings?

If you have answer ‘yes’ to any of the below, then there are signs that you are not being treated right, or that you are being abused. If you don’t feel safe, respected and cared for, then something isn’t right.

Access services safely and with confidence

When you are ready, contact us and we will guide you through our support services.  Liberty offers women a safe, supportive and nurturing space to explore your next steps – whatever they may be. Through our team’s shared wisdom and professional support we help you access the services you need, safely and with confidence.

You can contact Liberty on 02 6583 2155  during the hours of 8:30am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday or request a call back by completing our contact form.

Get in touch

Do you need to talk to someone now?

Out of hours support is available:
NSW Domestic Violence Line – 1800 65 64 63
1800 RESPECT – 1800 737 732

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