Family Violence Act 2018, s 9(3), 10(2), 82
Just one incident can amount to family violence – for example, a single physical or sexual assault.
On the other hand, a number of smaller incidents, including some that may seem minor or trivial when looked at one by one, can also add up to family violence.
The family violence laws explicitly recognise that family violence can take the form of a pattern of behaviour, made up of a number of different acts of physical, sexual or psychological abuse – sometimes relatively small things. The laws protect against this behaviour when, taken together, it causes you harm (including psychological harm) or it’s all about controlling you or about forcing or pressuring you to do, or not do, certain things (“coercive” behaviour). This might be done to, for example, cut you off and isolate you from your family and friends.
Note: The kinds of violence and abuse described above amount to “family” violence only if they take place between people who are, or were, in a “family relationship”, as that term is defined in the Family Violence Act.