Close Gaps

OUR ACTIONS - CLOSE GAPS

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Let's close the gaps that are exploited by people who choose to use violence and abuse.

Content: Using the wellbeing areas from ‘My Safety Kit’, this document reveals lived experience insights shared through the Voices of Insight about the gaps that the perpetrators used to extend and conceal the use of violence and abuse. These gaps need closing.

Note: The ways in which violence is perpetrated can be changing, and the examples are not exhaustive or representative of all people or all gaps that might be weaponised now and in the future.

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01 Close Gaps (Cover Tile) We need to close the gaps that are exploited by people who choose to use violence and abuse.
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The person using violence and abuse is ‘in control’ not ‘out of control’. ‘When violence and abuse is being perpetrated, power, safety and resources are not equally shared. The power to make decisions, to access options and to be protected and live in safety. The safety to be, to participate, to live and lead your life, and to care for others. Where we have what we need to enact decisions and live safely in community.’
‘The perpetrator uses control abuse and violence over and against the victim. The victim responds to and resists the violence and abuse used against them. The victim is also impacted (in seen and unseen ways) by the violence used against them - undermining their dignity, and impacting their safety, health, wellbeing, options, futures and more. The perpetrator anticipates the victim will resist their abuse and oppresses and overpowers the victim's resistance. They undermine and sabotage their options. Because of the control, abuse and violence perpetrated against them, the victim has reasons to fear that the perpetrator will extend and intensify the violence against them, and the people they care for and care about. The continuous effort and resourcefulness victim-survivors sustain in resisting and responding to the violence, and the immediate and enduring impacts of the violence, can cost them beyond measure.’ [Excerpt: Our Actions]
‘People perpetrating control, abuse and violence also notice our actions and inactions. They rely on us to do little or nothing about their choice to use violence and abuse. […] When we don’t close the gaps that are used by perpetrators to threaten, control and harm others, their actions are…unchallenged. We need to close the gaps that are exploited by people who choose to use violence and abuse.’ [Excerpt: Our Actions] Content: This document contains insights from the ‘Voices of Insight’. [www.insightexchange.net/voices-of-insight] The insights reveal gaps that the perpetrator uses to extend and conceal the use of violence and abuse against them. These gaps need closing. Note: The ways in which violence is perpetrated can be changing, and the examples are not exhaustive or representative of all people or all gaps that might be weaponised now and in the future.
Using the wellbeing areas from ‘My Safety Kit’, this document reveals gaps that perpetrators use to extend and conceal the use of violence and abuse against victim-survivors. [www.insightexchange.net/my-safety-kit] You can view the full lightbox by selecting ‘All’, or you can view the lightbox using the filters for each of the wellbeing areas. Rights, Responsibilities & Choices Material Basics & Economic Wellbeing Love & Connection Participation Learning Healthy (Mental and Physical ) Safety
“The person using abuse and violence violates my rights and restricts my choices. They limit my capacity to act on my own decisions.” (Excerpt: My Safety Kit) Support victim-survivors safety & dignity by closing these gaps that are used to that are used to extend and conceal the use of violence and abuse.
Perpetrators can gain parental access to children (they have harmed) when Family Courts operate under the presumption of equal shared parenting.
Perpetrators can continue to perpetrate violence and abuse when Family Courts do not enforce consequences when perpetrators violate court orders.
Perpetrators can intensify their violence when police fail to act when the perpetrator breaches the protection order.
Perpetrators are able to conceal their abuse when legal systems are overly reliant on police responses as ‘evidence’ of abuse.
Perpetrators can evade consequences when systems determine there is ‘not enough evidence’ to prosecute and make the victim-survivor responsible for the burden of evidence.
Perpetrators can evade charges and penalties when victim-survivors have inadequate legal representation and legal support.
Perpetrators on student visas can perpetrate domestic and family violence with limited penalties. The Immigration Department imposes a stricter penalty on the perpetrator for failing to renew a student visa in comparison with perpetrating violence.
Perpetrators of domestic and family violence can mislead victim-survivors to conclude they are trapped when visa arrangements for victim-survivors are not clearly communicated.
Perpetrators can continue to abuse adult and child victim-survivors when legal advice suggests that moving out of the ‘family home’ could negatively influence Family Court decisions.
Perpetrators can rely on the limited criteria under Victim Services schemes leaving victim-survivors of multiple and ongoing crimes without access to adequate payment and services.
Perpetrators of child sexual assault can avoid convictions and continue to perpetrate sexualised violence against children when legislation and courts endorse minimising language such as “carnal knowledge” and “maintaining a sexual relationship with a young person”.
Perpetrators can use systems abuse against victim-survivors when responders are not aware of systems abuse and have no mitigations in place.
Perpetrators can avoid legal consequences for their crimes when courts do not admit ‘non-legally obtained’ evidence of perpetrators violence and abuse (e.g. film and photographic evidence collected by the victim-survivor).
Perpetrators can continue harming their child/children when Family Courts issue parenting orders for the perpetrator to have unsupervised time with the child/children they have harmed.
Perpetrators can avoid being arrested and charged for their crimes when Police do not investigate, take statements from witnesses, or check for the presence of weapons.
Perpetrators can continue abusing victim-survivors when legal professionals disbelieve the victim-survivor’s account.
Perpetrators can profit when domestic violence is not recognised or taken into account during all aspects of divorce settlements.
Perpetrators can rely on Lawyers who deter victim-survivors from ‘leaving’ the perpetrator (advising likelihood of victim-survivors losing in property settlement matters).
Perpetrators can maintain control over child and adult victim-survivors when the idea of the presumption of equal shared parenting in Family Courts persists despite law reform.
Perpetrators can avoid consequences when Judges/Magistrates do not understand domestic and family violence and accuse the victim-survivor of wasting court time and resources.
Perpetrators can manipulate child protection workers when they are not aware of systems abuse as a tactic of abuse, coercion and control.
Perpetrators can weaponise the child protection system against victim-survivors when child protection workers are not aware of perpetrators’ systems abuse.
Perpetrators can continue abusing victim-survivors when the police do not apply for a protection order - leaving victim-survivors to navigate courts to obtain a protection order.
Perpetrators can continue to abuse and control child and adult victim-survivors through exploiting the costs, delays and evidence thresholds in the Family Court system.
Perpetrators can distract from their use of violence when Family Court responses make gendered assumptions about the victim-survivor being ‘a vindictive or vengeful woman’.
“The person abusing me tries to suppress my resistance by limiting or exploiting my access to material basics, such as food, housing, clothing, and money, as well as assets and economic opportunities including study or employment.” (Excerpt: My Safety Kit) Support victim-survivors safety & dignity by closing these gaps that are used to that are used to extend and conceal the use of violence and abuse.
Perpetrators can avoid financial responsibility when real estate providers ascribe the damage and debt on property against the victim-survivor not the perpetrator.
Perpetrators can extend their economic abuse through misuse of joint bank account/s.
Perpetrators can manipulate banking and financial products so that the victim-survivor is required to pay-off the perpetrator’s loans.
Perpetrators can increase their control over victim-survivors when workplaces treat victim-survivors as ‘the problem’ by terminating or reducing their hours at work.
Perpetrators are unchallenged in their sustained refusal to pay child support (economic abuse) when laws and child support agencies don’t design and implement consequences.
Perpetrators can evade financial responsibilities to the victim-survivor and child/children by committing tax fraud (disguising their true income and assets).
Perpetrators can benefit financially when charities pressure the victim-survivor to leave the perpetrator and consequently surrender all their property assets.
Perpetrators can dominate court cases when victim-survivors are forced to self-represent in court due to prohibitive legal fees and as an enduring consequence of the perpetrator’s economic abuse.
Perpetrators can make property damage difficult for victim-survivors to prove.
Perpetrators can extend economic abuse, when responders do not take seriously victim-survivors’ accounts of financial loss and debt caused by the perpetrator.
Perpetrators can extend their control and abuse when no adequate alternative housing options are available for victim-survivors.
Perpetrators can steal assets and wealth when banks do not provide discreet safeguards for victim-survivors who are coerced into signing loans by perpetrators.
Perpetrators can avoid responsibility for economic abuse when responders incorrectly categorise the relationship (e.g., as de facto/married) without clarifying with the victim-survivor.
Perpetrators can continue economic abuse when responders wrongly categorise the perpetrator’s abuse as a “property settlement issue”.
Perpetrators can minimise their taxable income to exploit legal aid grants for Family Court proceedings.
Perpetrators weaponise prohibitive legal costs in family law to drive up the victim’s debt.
Perpetrators can extend economic abuse by exploiting the tax system to avoid paying child support.
Perpetrators utlise design gaps in financial products and services to coerce victim-survivors into unwanted loans.
Perpetrators can maintain control over victim-survivors when there is a lack of affordable housing options and dignified well-paid work available for victim-survivors.
Perpetrators can continue to control and abuse when responders advise victim-survivors to simply move out without considering the lack of available housing options.
Perpetrators can continue to profit from economically abusing a victim-survivor when the housing costs and utilities are in the victim-survivor’s name.
Perpetrators can continue to economically abuse victim-survivors when they refuse to contribute to childcare costs.
Perpetrators can economically abuse victim-survivors through imposing bank card limits.
Perpetrators can continue to use economic abuse by coercing victim-survivors through costly mediation processes.
Perpetrators can economically abuse victim-survivors (e.g., coercing victim-survivors to pay all the household utility bills) when companies have no safeguards to respond to this form of abuse.
Perpetrators can continue economic abuse when child support services enable perpetrators to continuously avoid paying school fees and child support.
Perpetrators can extend their coercion and control when there are a lack of economic supports and options for new migrants.
Perpetrators of abuse are able to exploit and rely on the inadequate responses of compensation schemes that fail to support victim-survivors in reclaiming assets and finances stolen by the perpetrator.
Perpetrators can continue economically abusing victim-survivors when credit card companies discourage victim-survivors from cancelling joint credit cards with the perpetrator.
Real estate agents can jeopardise the safety, wellbeing and dignity of child and adult victim-survivors when they discriminate against single mothers.
Perpetrators can continue economically abusing victim-survivors when gambling businesses/Apps enable perpetrators to coerce victim-survivors into depositing sums of money.
Perpetrators can continue economically abusing victim-survivors when gambling businesses/Apps do not financially compensate victim-survivors.
Perpetrators can sabotage victim-survivors access to financial support payments making false and misleading claims against the victim-survivor.
Perpetrators can avoid consequences for economic abuse when there are no mechanisms built into banking products (e.g., accounts in the victim-survivor’s name) to help victim-survivors prove economic abuse.
Perpetrators can avoid consequences for economic abuse and systems abuse when the financial regulator allows perpetrators to avoid repaying the victim-survivor.
Perpetrators can sabotage child and adult victim-survivors’ current and future wellbeing when the perpetrators refusal to pay child support is not understood as an ongoing form of economic abuse.
Centrelink can compromise the health, dignity and wellbeing of adult and child victim-survivors of economic abuse and domestic violence through inadequate income support payments.
Perpetrators can continue to abuse victim-survivors when economic abuse is not recognised, and victim-survivors have limited options.
Perpetrators can avoid paying debts when banks make victim-survivors responsible for paying off the debt caused by the perpetrator.
Perpetrators can continue economic abuse when the gambling industry does not impose gambling limits or measures to stop perpetrators from gambling the victim-survivors money and resources.
Perpetrators can mask their gambling/economic abuse when banks allow perpetrators to refinance the mortgage without consulting with potential victim-survivors.
Perpetrators can weaponise the child protection system against adult victim-survivors by forcing the adult victim-survivor into poverty through economic abuse which could influence child removal decisions.
Without adequate legal limitations in place, perpetrators of economic abuse can coerce the victim-survivor to use their superannuation to purchase property which the perpetrator intends to coercively acquire.
Perpetrators can avoid consequences for economic abuse and tax evasion when tax systems allow perpetrators to list victim-survivors as company directors.
Perpetrators can avoid child support payment responsibilities when child support workers avoid setting expectations for the perpetrator to fulfil.
Perpetrators can extend their economic abuse when utilities companies do not understand domestic and family violence and pressure victim-survivors to pay for debts accrued by the perpetrator.
Perpetrators rely on utility companies having inflexible rules regarding utility bills, making it difficult for victim-survivors to negotiate bills accrued in their name by a perpetrator.
Perpetrators can undermine victim-survivors’ economic security through administrative delays in income support payments from Welfare support services (e.g., Centrelink).
Perpetrators can steal victim-survivors’ superannuation when the tax department has limited safe-guards to protect and recover stolen superannuation.
Perpetrators committing homicide can exploit life insurance of victim-survivors when life insurance companies do not have any understanding of domestic and family violence.
Perpetrators can extend their abuse by changing the banking details on the victim-survivor’s healthcare card to steal the victim-survivor’s medical rebates.
Perpetrators rely on gaps in banking rules to extend their economic abuse e.g., refusing to make repayments on loans (resulting in property and vehicle repossession) limiting victim-survivors’ liberty.
Perpetrators rely on Debt collectors who do not take economic abuse into consideration, pressuring victim-survivors to repay debts accrued by the perpetrator.
Perpetrators can sustain their use of abuse post separation when Housing providers do not take seriously the safety concerns of victim-survivors.
Perpetrators can coerce victim-survivors to take out loans in their name when banks and solicitors do not have any responses to prevent or stop this form of economic abuse.
Perpetrators can continue economic abuse when accountants coerce victim-survivors into paying the perpetrators fines in order to keep their mortgage and ‘financial stability’.
“My family relationships, friends and connections with community, spiritual connection and connections to land may be under threat. The person using the abuse may isolate me from people I love. They may manipulate others against me and undermine my relationships including my parenting. They may threaten or abuse my children, friends or family, pets, property, and things that are important to me, to control me. They may try to use my beliefs and spirituality to control and isolate me.” (Excerpt: My Safety Kit) Support victim-survivors safety & dignity by closing these gaps that are used to that are used to extend and conceal the use of violence and abuse.
Perpetrators gain parental access to children (they have harmed) when the Family Law system can exclude children’s preferences and experiences.
Perpetrators can be granted parental access to children (they have harmed) when Family Courts discredit and disbelieve the victim-survivors’ account of violence and abuse.
Perpetrators can avoid responsibility for their violence and abuse when faith groups put pressure on victim-survivors to “forgive” the perpetrator.
Perpetrators can extend their control and abuse when responders pressure victim-survivors to attend couples counselling with the perpetrator.
Perpetrators can maintain their control over children and young people, and make allegations about the victim-survivor parent, when police do not identify and respond to the perpetrator’s coercion of (and threats against) the children.
Perpetrators rely on Family Courts not taking seriously the perpetrator’s abusive undermining of the relationship between the child and victim-survivor parent.
Perpetrators are able to conceal their coercion and control when child protection responses do not take seriously the perpetrator’s abusive undermining of the relationship between the child and victim-survivor parent.
Perpetrators can make use of harmful rulings/parental orders in Family Courts that assumes children are safe with both parents.
Perpetrators rely on social responses that are judgmental - increasing the barriers victims face in seeking support.
Perpetrators can hide behind social assumptions that perpetrators of violence and abuse are easily identifiable and only act in certain ways.
Perpetrators can gain long-term access to a targeted person they victimise when family and friends pressure and coerce the targeted person into marrying the perpetrator.
Perpetrators of domestic and family violence can exploit victim-survivors’ economic resources by using the social pressure for adult-children to care for elderly parents.
Perpetrators can continue abusing victim-survivors when family and friends pressure the victim-survivor to conform to social expectations related to staying in a marriage.
Perpetrators can continue to abuse victim-survivors when members of the perpetrator’s faith community do nothing to stop the perpetrator and nothing to support the victim-survivor.
Perpetrators can rely on social attitudes and responses that view leaving and divorcing as a “failure” because “marriage is for life”, making it difficult for victim-survivors to reach out for support.
Perpetrators can sustain how they stalk victim-survivors in their workplace when colleagues who know about the perpetrator stalking behaviours do not inform the victim-survivor.
Perpetrators can gain access to victim-survivors through the institution of marriage when social attitudes put pressure on victim-survivors of sexualised violence to marry the perpetrator.
“My opportunity to participate, be heard and be involved in the community and in my family may be limited.” (Excerpt: My Safety Kit) Support victim-survivors safety & dignity by closing these gaps that are used to that are used to extend and conceal the use of violence and abuse.
Perpetrators can continue stalking and abusing victim-survivors at work when workplace responses to domestic and family violence are lacking or ineffective.
Perpetrators can further isolate victim-survivors when workplaces support a perpetrator’s assertion that the victim’s ‘place’ is in the home/not at work.
Perpetrators can undermine children’s schooling and coerce children to stay at home when schools enable/support perpetrators to do ‘home schooling’.
Perpetrators can use the threat of what the victim-survivors workplace response will be if the victim-survivor discloses the violence and abuse to their employer (e.g. loss of income, career progression, reduced hours or terminated employment).
Perpetrators can exploit the lack of safety mechanisms in public places (e.g., lighting, community-based patrols/security) to abuse children and adults without consequence.
Perpetrators can continue to use violence and abuse when responders decide to respond “neutrally” or “impartially” to both victim-survivor and perpetrator.
Perpetrators can continue to stalk and abuse victim-survivors in the workplace when managers ignore or dismiss the victim-survivors’ reasons to fear the perpetrators violence, especially when the perpetrator is also a colleague.
Perpetrators can gain further control over victim-survivors when workplaces threaten victim-survivors to leave the perpetrator or risk their employment.
“Because I am forced to deal constantly with violence and abuse, and possibly with unhelpful and harmful responses from others, I may experience fatigue and isolation. Sometimes my efforts to develop and excel at study/work/business are exploited to fund the debts and expenses that are used against me. Sometimes I cannot help but miss or avoid activities that I want to learn and develop in because of the violence.” (Excerpt: My Safety Kit) Support victim-survivors safety & dignity by closing these gaps that are used to that are used to extend and conceal the use of violence and abuse.
Perpetrators of child sexual abuse can continue their abuse when school counsellors & psychologists, and school teachers do not create spaces and ways for children to share about domestic, family and sexual violence.
Perpetrators can undermine children’s trust and dignity when schools do not respond to domestic and family violence.
Perpetrators can choose to sexually assault children and young people who are on their way to school when there is a lack of safe and reliable transportation options to and from school.
Perpetrators can continue to sexually assault children and young people when there is no response from schoolteachers when a child and young person is repeatedly late or absent from school.
Perpetrators can maintain their status as parents/carers when parenting books/literature don’t challenge and take a stance against the abuse and harm.
Perpetrators can maintain their status as parents/carers when parenting books/literature don’t challenge and take a stance against the abuse and harm.
“Because of the violence and coercion used against me, I may be physically injured, hurt or unwell. My body may suffer in ways I cannot always show or explain. My mind is forced to anticipate and plan for how I am being treated and for what might happen next. I may experience distress in response to the abuse, because I am not ok with it, and I can’t stop what's being done to me and to others.” (Excerpt: My Safety Kit) Support victim-survivors safety & dignity by closing these gaps that are used to that are used to extend and conceal the use of violence and abuse.
Perpetrators can manipulate Family Court decisions by making false allegations about the victim-survivor’s mental-health, drug and alcohol use.
Perpetrators can avoid responsibility when psychiatrists choose not to respond to the perpetrator's violence and abuse.
Perpetrators can avoid responsibility when psychiatrists only prescribe victim-survivors with medication and do not incorporate any other responses to domestic and family violence.
Perpetrators can continue abusing victim-survivors when responders focus exclusively on the perpetrator’s ‘mental illness’ and not on the perpetration of domestic and family violence.
Perpetrators can evade consequences for using violence when mental health units/hospitals rely on victim-survivors to be carers for the perpetrator instead of hospitals.
Perpetrators can continue to abuse children when doctors identify distress and injuries in children caused by violence but do nothing else in response.
Perpetrators are able to sabotage counselling supports for the victim-survivor by exploiting relationship counsellors’ limited understanding of violence and abuse.
Perpetrators can avoid consequences for violence when hospital staff do not ask any questions about domestic, family and sexualised violence.
Perpetrators can rely on victim-survivors being pathologised and wrongly medicated when medical professionals do not respond to the violence and abuse being perpetrated against the victim.
Perpetrators can rely on Doctors not asking victim-survivors any questions about current or previous experiences of domestic and family violence.
Perpetrators of reproductive coercion and abuse, rely on health professionals not discussing contraception options with victim-survivors.
Perpetrators of violence and abuse can rely on religious doctrine and social attitudes on abortion to constrain victim-survivors’ access to reproductive healthcare and can continue to conceal the reproductive indignity and violence against victims.
Perpetrators can continue to conceal abuse when Obstetrics Nurses & Health Care Workers choose not to ask victim-survivors about past or current experiences of domestic, family and sexualised violence.
Perpetrators can continue abuse when doctors and other health workers choose not to ask victim-survivors about experiences of domestic, family and sexualised violence while treating injuries sustained by the perpetrator.
Perpetrators can manipulate Mental Health Workers who do not understand how to respond to perpetrators of domestic and family violence and prevent their systems abuse.
Perpetrators can rely on counsellors and therapists undermining victim-survivors when they devalue the victim-survivor’s resistance and responses to the perpetrator’s violence and abuse.
Perpetrators can sustain and intensify their threats and abuse when doctors ignore victim-survivors’ disclosures that injuries and medical concerns were caused by violence and abuse.
Perpetrators rely on health screeners only focusing on victim-survivors experiences and ignore what the abuser is saying and doing as a whole pattern of behaviour.
Perpetrators can continue to isolate victim-survivors when responders use simplistic counselling frameworks which do not account for the perpetrator’s pattern of coercive and controlling behaviours, and the victim’s ongoing resistance and responses to abuse.
Perpetrator behaviours can remain unchallenged in therapy groups when the focus is on “anger management” and not stopping abuses of power, violence and abuse.
Perpetrators can continue to abuse victim-survivors when Employee Assistance Programs suggest victim-survivors rely only on ‘wellbeing exercises’ to survive the perpetrator’s violence and abuse.
Perpetrators can manipulate doctors and health workers into pathologising and dismissing the victim-survivor’s account of violence and abuse.
“I am not ok with what is going on. And I experience distress, danger, enduring costs, painful loss and more. I am resisting and responding to the abuse used against me. I didn’t attract it, I don’t accept it, but I can’t stop it. The indignity and violence I experience undermines my safety and wellbeing and the people I care about.” (Excerpt: My Safety Kit) Support victim-survivors safety & dignity by closing these gaps that are used to that are used to extend and conceal the use of violence and abuse.
Perpetrators can gain access to children (they have harmed) when Family Courts do not take into consideration perpetrators’ criminal record and history of child abuse.
Perpetrators can continue to use sexualised violence against children and perpetrate domestic and family violence when child protection staff do not provide multiple, safe opportunities for victims-survivors to disclose.
Perpetrators can extend their violence and abuse when police ignore or dismiss the actions of the perpetrator.
Perpetrators can continue to abuse victim-survivors when tech companies do not provide necessary safeguards to prevent technology from being weaponised to facilitate stalking and harassment.
Perpetrators can increase power and control over victim-survivors when police do not support the application for a protection order.
Perpetrators can continue their violence and abuse when victim-survivors have to apply for temporary protection orders as an individual without legal or police support.
Perpetrators can intensify and extend their violence when responders dismiss survivor’s risk-analysis about the perpetrator’s use of violence against them and others.
Perpetrators can conceal their threats to harm or kill in symbols and codes only discernable by survivors and responders can endanger victim-survivors by minimising, dismissing and excusing the perpetrators coded threats.
Perpetrators can evade responsibilities for crimes when police refuse to take/record the victim-survivor’s statement.
Perpetrators can inflict further violence and cause injuries and death when Police are delayed in responding/attending.
Perpetrators can intensify their violence against victim-survivors when responders disclose to the perpetrator that victim-survivor has reported them to police.
Perpetrators can extend their violence and abuse when neighbours/community members dismiss domestic violence as a ‘private matter’.
Perpetrators can intentionally push the limits of inadequate protection orders (without technically breaching) to intimidate and harass victim-survivors.
Perpetrators can easily return to the victim-survivor’s residence after being detained for committing domestic violence then released without further action being taken.
Perpetrators can return to the victim-survivor’s residence when police arrest and release the perpetrator the next day without ensuring that the perpetrator has alternate accommodation.
Perpetrators can easily find out that a victim-survivor is staying in a refuge/crisis accommodation service when only one option is available in regional and remote areas.
Police can minimise the perpetrators actions when they do not understand victim-survivors’ efforts to increase their safety by seeming to ‘protect’ the perpetrator.
Perpetrators can continue to use violence, abuse and control when psychologists, counsellors and therapists mutualise the violence (i.e., the victim-survivor and the perpetrator are wrongly held equally responsible for the violence and abuse).
Victim-survivors can endure lengthy waiting periods in the proximity of a perpetrator when police require victim-survivors to wait until a police officer is able to attend.
Perpetrators of child sexual assault can avoid consequences for their crimes and can continue to entrap and assault other children and young people when police choose to ignore the victim-survivor’s account and dismiss forensic evidence.
Perpetrators of violence who are mothers can continue abusing child and adult victim-survivors when there is limited understanding about and lack of public acknowledgement that mothers can also be perpetrators of domestic, family and sexualised violence.
Perpetrators of non-contact sexualised violence and child predatory entrapment (grooming) can continue to abuse child victim-survivors when there is limited social/public acknowledgement of this form of abuse.
Perpetrators can continue to assault victim-survivors when police do not listen to survivor’s preference to have the perpetrator arrested and removed from the home.
Perpetrators in organised crime groups can continue perpetrating sexualised violence when police do not prioritise the victim-survivor’s safety.
Perpetrators in organised crime groups can continue perpetrating sexualised violence when responders do not listen to victim-survivors’ reasons to fear further violence/retaliation from the organised crime group after making a report.
Perpetrators can rely on Criminal court proceedings being lengthy and costly to victim-survivors and may not result in a conviction for the perpetrator.
Perpetrators can continue to assault a child/children in the family home when neighbours and responders choose to ignore the child’s screams and other responses to violence.
Perpetrators can coerce child victim-survivors into raising siblings and caring for adult perpetrators when social responders do not close off opportunities for perpetrators to exploit children.
Perpetrators can continue to sexually assault children and young people and avoid consequences for their crimes when there is an absence of social responses and police responses to child sexual assault.
Perpetrators can manipulate support services against victim-survivors when staff believe the perpetrators false and misleading claims about the victim-survivor.
Perpetrators can continue abusing children, young people and adults in contexts where there is an unofficial “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
Perpetrators can sustain and intensify their threats and abuse when responders ignore the victim-survivors’ descriptions of the perpetrator’s access to weaponry and their intensifying violence.
Perpetrators can exploit and weaponise lack of police response against the victim-survivor – “you can call the cops again but what are they going to do to help you?”.
Perpetrators can sustain crimes of sexualised violence and avoid consequences when Police blame victim-survivors for the assault/s or deter reporting of crimes.
Perpetrators can rely on Criminal courts compromising victim-survivors’ safety in the circumstance where they have to self-represent in court and be cross-examined by the perpetrator(s).
Perpetrators can rely on drug and alcohol helplines being unprepared to ask about and respond to their perpetration of domestic, family and sexualised violence.
Perpetrators can undermine victim-survivors using the silencing and stigmatising social myths about who is (and who is not) a victim-survivor of violence and abuse.
Myths about identifying the ‘signs’ of a perpetrator’s abuse as the ultimate protection from violence and abuse, can be misleading and utilised by perpetrators to conceal their actions.
Perpetrators of coercive control and economic abuse rely on social perceptions that domestic and family violence includes only physical forms of assault.
Perpetrators can rely on social responses that minimise the perpetrators violence and abuse as “not that bad” and further isolate the victim-survivor.
Perpetrators can continue to use abuse and violence when responders minimise and excuse the perpetrators behaviour as non-abusive.
Perpetrators can continue and intensify their use of violence and abuse when Police take weeks to apply for a protection order and do not communicate with the victim-survivor about the delays.
Perpetrators can continue their abuse and avoid consequences when police require that the victim-survivor prove with evidence the perpetrator’s violence.
Perpetrators can rely on poor social, service and system responses that promote ‘leaving’ but increase the victims risks of becoming homeless.
Perpetrators can cause further harm to child and adult victim-survivors when services delay assisting victim-survivors by months or years.
Perpetrators can locate victim-survivors when companies (e.g., phone/internet, electricity), share details about the victim-survivors’ new residential address.
Perpetrators can install electronic surveillance devices into vehicles and stalk victim-survivors when there is low understanding of technology facilitated abuse/stalking.
Perpetrators can continue and intensify their abuse when real estate agents do not believe or respond to victim-survivors who say the perpetrator is using technology facilitated abuse in the rental property.
Perpetrators can avoid charges for technology facilitated abuse and stalking when responders do not listen to or take seriously the victim-survivors concerns.
Perpetrators of coercive control and technology facilitated abuse can continue their abuse and avoid consequences for their crimes when police officers say they can only respond to physical assaults.
Perpetrators rely on inadequate responses to victim-survivors based on comparisons about the severity of the violence, e.g., ‘You’re not black and blue, you seem fine, we see far worse’.
Perpetrators can manipulate removalists (unaware of perpetrator behaviours) to gain information about and access to the victim-survivor’s new residence.
Perpetrators can continue to intensify their violence against victim-survivors when Police only focus on property damage and not on the perpetrators violence and threats to kill the victim-survivor.
Perpetrators can avoid consequences for crimes such as stalking, breaking and entering into the victim-survivors property when Police minimise and excuse the perpetrators violence and blame the victim-survivor as having mental health issues.
Perpetrators can intensify their violence and abuse against victim-survivors when Police choose to not arrest or charge the perpetrator.
Perpetrators rely on how ‘high-risk’ responses can underestimate and overlook non-physical forms of violence such as emotional abuse and coercive control.
Perpetrators can rely on the limited support available for victim-survivors in public holiday periods, intensifying their use of violence and abuse against victim-survivors without detection or responses.
Perpetrators rely on inadequate protection provisions for victim-survivors. Police making suggestions; “You just need to get a dog”, “Have you thought of locking your doors”, “Haven’t you got some family member who can come and stay?”
Perpetrators can hack into victim-survivors home security system, phone and home computer when technology developers do not incorporate safety features.
Perpetrators rely on systems privileging ‘rational’ and ‘coherent’ descriptions and pathologising any distress expressed by victims.
More materials
I am I can www.insightexchange.net/i-am-i-can Dad – Your choice hurts me www.insightexchange.net/dad An introduction to economic abuse www.insightexchange.net/my-economic-safety
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