Victorian Community Council Against Violence What is Family Violence?

Family violence is coercive and controlling behaviour by a family member that causes physical, sexual and/or emotional damage to others in the family, including causing them to live in fear and threatening to harm people, pets or property. Family violence is most commonly perpetrated by one partner towards another (when it is sometimes called 'domestic violence ' or 'intimate partner abuse') and/or by an adult towards a child or children. Other forms include elder abuse or sibling abuse. Whether the violence is physical, sexual or emotional, it may have long term detrimental effects. Working with families experiencing family violence in addition to a mental health issue can be difficult for clinicians. This guide has been developed to provide clinicians with information to assist them to identify and respond to family violence. Clinicians may see all members of families and family violence may affect all members of families. It is important to know what the effects of family violence might be. While some men experience violent relationships, women and children are most likely to be the victims of family violence and this guide focuses on responding to these groups. The guide also provides information about responding appropriately to men who are those most likely to perpetrate family violence. identifying responding and to family violence: a guide for mental health clinician