Coercive control: the silent abuse harming children nationwide Barnardos Australia is warning that children across rural and regional Australia are becoming the hidden victims of coercive control — a form of domestic violence that uses intimidation, surveillance and financial restriction rather than physical assault. Although often invisible...
New research shows how domestic violence harms young people’s schooling, report Steven Roberts, Kate Fitz-Gibbon and Rebecca Stewart Every school around Australia is almost certain to have students who are victim-survivors of family and domestic violence. Taiki Ishikawa/ Unsplash, CC BY The 2023 Australian Child Maltreatment Study found...
The shocking 2020 murders of Hannah Clarke and her three children—Trey, Laianah, and Aaliyah—left us searching for answers. Tragically, domestic violence (DV) continues to claim lives and traumatise families. Despite growing awareness and public discussion, the numbers tell a grim story: violence isn’t slowing down. Here...
Support must respond to identity-based distress and foster belonging. Report by Oliver Eastwood A child’s life is turned upside down when one of their parents is murdered by the other parent or their partner. They suddenly lose not only the victim – usually their mother – but...
After a parent is killed due to domestic violence, writes Hannah Morrice, children aren’t given enough opportunity to express their opinions on decisions that directly affect their lives In Australia, children’s rights – as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child...
Why we need to focus more on the needs of children in domestic and family violence responses, writes Silke Meyer In 2015, domestic and family violence (DFV) was declared a "national emergency" in Australia, with its impact on women and children costing the country an estimated A$22...
We’re all feeling the collective grief and trauma of violence against women – but this is the progress we have made so far, report Anastasia Powell and Asher Flynn It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the...
CONTENT WARNING: Physical violence, graphic violence; violence against women and children. Monash academic Steven Roberts’ life is littered with experiences of family violence, witnessed growing up, and perpetrated against him. By talking about it, he’s hoping to draw attention to the need for men to speak...
The media reporting of domestic violence is important and needs to be responsible if it is to avoid fuelling or excusing violence, write Kristin Diemer and Cathy Humphreys The shocking murders (19 February 2020) of Hannah Clarke and her three children, Trey, Laianah, and Aaliyah, by...
With so much data released about family, domestic and sexual violence, it can be difficult to see how it all fits together, writes researcher Daryl Higgins The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has attempted to do this with a new website that tells the...
