Domestic violence
All people have the right to live safely, free from violence. However, this right is breached daily. One in three Australian women experience domestic violence at some stage during their lives since the age of 15, while one in five are sexually abused. Governments, business and non profit organisations, communities and individuals all have an obligation to work together to prevent and respond to violence against women.
Domestic violence affects the almost one in four children who have witnessed violence towards their mothers or stepmothers. The effects on children are widely under-estimated, yet can cause long term psychological, emotional, physcial and behavioural problems.
News
- Join The Benevolent Society's Speak Up For Kids campaign to help change the law to better protect children who live with domestic violence and whose parents are going through the Family Law Court to determine parenting arrangements. Read The Benevolent Society's submission in which we support amendments to the Family Law Act proposed in the Family Law Amendment (Family Violence) Bill 2011, but recommend some additional changes in order to better protect victims of family violence and their children.
- The Impact of Domestic Violence on Children: A Literature Review is a research report commissioned by The Benevolent Society and prepared by the Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse in August 2011. The review synthesises the most recent research findings on the impact of domestic violence on children, and summarises the research evidence on how best to support and work with children and families affected by domestic violence.
- No Way To Live research study was launched by NSW Minister for Women Jodi McKay in June 2010. In it women experiencing domestic violence speak in depth about the impact of the Family Law Act changes introduced in 2006. A research snapshot summarises the research, highlighting the inadequacies of the current system in protecting women and children from abuse and makes recommendations for changes to family law and to state funded services for women and children exposed to domestic violence.
Position statements and policy recommendations
- Moving Forward is a research study focusing on women’s journey away from domestic violence and, in their own words, ‘moving forward’ in their lives. Read the research snapshot and the policy recommendations that arose from this study.
- Issues Paper: Community safety and domestic violence. This issues paper explores the key challenges and potential solutions related to domestic violence.
- Read a summary of our policy recommendations about domestic violence (2009).
- Our response to the Discussion Paper on a NSW Domestic and Family Violence Strategic Framework.