Family & Domestic Violence
Family and domestic violence (FDV) is the intentional and systematic use of violence and abuse to control, coerce or create fear. It can include many forms including physical, sexual, emotional, social, verbal, spiritual, economic and technical abuse.
What is Family and Domestic Violence?
The term family and domestic violence most commonly refers to violence and abuse against an intimate partner (including same-sex relationships and ex-partners) but can also occur between siblings, from adolescents to parents, or from family carers to a relative. It can include the abuse of children and young people, older people, people with a disability, and other family members.
Family violence is the preferred term for violence between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other ethnically diverse communities, as it covers the extended family and kinship/community relationships in which violence and coercion may occur. However, this term’s use should not obscure the fact that women and children bear the brunt of a family violence.