FAMILY VIOLENCE 

What is Family Violence?

Family violence includes:

• any type of physical violence, such as slapping or punching
• forcing you to do sexual things, even if you are married
• making threats or calling you names
• preventing you from having access to money without your permission

It is also against the law for children to be hit, see or hear violence in the home.

Family violence is a crime

It is against the law to be hurt by any member of your family, including your husband, children and in-laws.

Statistics about Family Violence

• Family violence include physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual and financial abuse
• Groups at greater risk of family violence include all the following:
  • Younger women
  • Women with disabilities
  • Indigenous women
• The estimated economic cost of family violence to the Australian economy is $13.6 billion
• The economic cost of family violence to the Victorian economy is $3.4 billion
• The greatest cause of death, disability and illness for Victorian women aged 15-44 years of age is family violence
• One woman dies each week in Australia as a result of family violence
• 1 in 3 women will experience physical violence in their lifetime
• Sexist jokes which demean and degrade women are not okay, even if they get a laugh

Source - Information Source A Right to Respect - Victoria's Plan to Prevent Violence against Women 2010 - 2012 (Vic Govt 2009)

National Survey on Community attitudes to Violence Against Women 2009 - changing cultures, changing attitudes.

Preventing violence against women (Vic Health 2009)

Family Violence in the City of Ballarat

Family Violence Prevention has been identified as one of six priority areas in Council's Community Safety Action Plan 2008 - 2013. Ballarat has higher rates of reported family violence compared with the Grampians region and 49.9% more than Victoria (refer to table below)

Data Source - Victoria Police Crime Statistics.

Data on offences recorded have been accessed for 2009-10, 2007-08, 2007-08 from Family Violence by PSA 2006-07.

 Since the introduction of the Victoria Police Code of Practice for the Investigation of Family Violence in 2004, which mandated that police respond to reports of family violence incidents, reporting of family violence incidents have increased.