ABOUT VIOLENCE AND ABUSE
WHAT IS DOMESTIC AND FAMILY VIOLENCE?
National, state and territory definitions of domestic and family violence and criminal codes vary, however violence and abuse is never acceptable in any community, family, institution, place or context.
Domestic and family violence refers to behaviour that occurs in: a current or former intimate partner relationship, a domestic or family relationship, or in an extended family or kinship group. It can be perpetrated by a partner, spouse, family member, carer, house mate, boyfriend or girlfriend.
Domestic and family violence is behaviour in one of these relationships which is threatening, abusive, violent, coercive or controlling; causing a person to live in fear and to be made to do things against their will.
Domestic, family and sexualised violence can happen to anyone. It is in every community and can take many forms.
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Some of the behaviours that may represent domestic and family violence include…
Emotional or psychological abuse such as verbal abuse, threats of violence, isolation, and undermining the victim’s sense of reality. (Explore more insights in Fear)
Physical violence such as physical assault, non-fatal strangulation, and damage or harm to person, pets and property. (Explore more insights in Strangulation)
Sexualised violence such as sexualised assault and other abusive or coercive behaviour of a sexualised nature. (Explore more insights in My Dignity Set)
Reproductive coercion or abuse. When a person is stopped from making their own choices about reproduction. (Explore more insights in Reproductive Dignity)
Economic abuse such as denying a person reasonable financial autonomy or financial support - or accruing debt in their name. (Explore more insights on My economic safety)
Stalking and intimidation such as surveillance and harassment.
Technology facilitated abuse whereby a perpetrator uses electronic devices and online services to monitor, control, threaten, harass or abuse a person.
Spiritual or religious abuse in which spiritual or religious beliefs are used to scare, hurt or control a person.
Systems abuse is closely related to economic abuse. It involves using services and systems to harm and control victims. (Explore more insights in Being Safety & Dad your choice hurts me)
Domestic and family violence is often a pattern of controlling or coercive behaviour. But whenever people are subjected to abuse, coercive control, and violence, they resist.
By understanding a victim’s resistance to violence, we better identify the deliberateness and intensity of the violence used against them. We see that just because they couldn’t stop the violence, doesn’t mean they ‘let it happen’.
References in PDF (above)
- Coates, L., & Wade, A. (2007). Language and Violence; Analysis of Four Discursive Operations. Journal of Family Violence, 22 (7), 511-522..
- Wade, A. (1997). Small acts of living: Everyday resistance to violence and other forms of oppression. Journal of Contemporary Family Therapy, Vol 19, pp. 23–40.
- Wade, A. (2000). Resistance to interpersonal violence: Implications for the practice of therapy. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC.
THE CHOICE TO USE VIOLENCE
‘I am. I can' was created to invite reflection about the use of violence (in any form) being a ‘choice’. We can each choose non-violence in all relationships.
View/share/embed the ‘I am. I can' animation (4mins). Click on any tile below to open excerpts from 'I am I can' in a lightbox.
