We all have the right to live in a community that is free from fear, but every year the lives of thousands of Australians are shattered by domestic violence. It occurs when one partner attempts physically or psychologically to dominate and control the other.
Domestic violence takes a number of forms.
The most commonly acknowledged forms are physical and sexual violence, threats and intimidation, emotional and social abuse and economic deprivation. Many forms of domestic violence are against the law. For many indigenous people the term family violence is preferred as it encompasses all forms of violence in intimate, family and other relationships of mutual obligation and support. In 1996 the Australian Bureau of Statistics surveyed 6,300 Australian women for the Women's Safety Survey.