Family and Domestic Violence as a Gender-Based Issue in Australia

This report discusses the gender-based issue of domestic violence in Australia and frameworks for tackling such issue. It covers the risk factors, prevalence and impact of domestic violence on women, children and young people.

Subject SPS303 Family
and Domestic Violence

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
TASK ..............................................................................................................................................3
Why is family and domestic violence considered to be a gender-based issue in Australia?
What conceptual frameworks can be applied to confront (tackle) the challenges of domestic
and family violence?...................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
In Australia, Domestic violence is defined under the Family Law Act 1975. It is basically the
abuse that is faced by the family members in various forms which lead to physical and mental
harm. The physical violence that is done by a male partner and his family members on the
female partner which further means the harm caused by the husband or his relatives to the wife
of husband (Ghafournia, & Easteal, 2021). The relationship of family comes through blood,
marriage, milk and adoption relation which includes the relation among children, elders, cousin
and elder siblings. The violence is generally caused to the women of family which includes
crossing the dignity of women by harassing her in such a bad way that it causes physical, mental,
emotional and even economic harm or abuse. This report will cover the gender-based issue of
domestic violence in Australia and frameworks for tackling such issue. It will further cover the
risk factors, prevalence and impact of domestic violence on women, children and young people.
TASK
Why is family and domestic violence considered to be a gender-based issue in Australia? What
conceptual frameworks can be applied to confront (tackle) the challenges of domestic and
family violence?
The situation or the deteriorating condition of domestic violence in women is due to many
reasons which includes the misbehaviour caused to women in society by considering them low
and weak. The mentality of men by considering women as low and weak in their eyes leads to
abusing the women in their own household.
The abusive behaviour of Domestic violence through The Australian Public Health
Association can be categorised in the following abuses which are mentioned below:
 Physical abuse – The harm or injury caused to women through sexual assault, lack of
nutrition, sumptuous diet and unavailability of medical care to women, physically
disrupts their health and well being (McKibbin, & Humphreys, 2020). Beating and
torturing women through various ways which lowers their dignity and status in society
leads to their physical abuse. The harm or injury caused to property or animals by
murdering or disabling them also comes under physical abuse.

 Economic abuse – The unavailability of basic necessities by preventing them from
acquisition of any income or assets with unavailability of any financial support leads to
economic abuse.
 Social abuse – The control of social activity by isolating the women from any social
participation or being in any social gathering leads to social abuse (Warren, & Blundell,
2019). Depriving a women from liberty of participation in social circle and hindering her
independence also leads to the situation of social abuse.
The gender based issue in Australia is increasing due to the treatment of women in a such a
degraded way that it worsen their condition in the country. The activity of domestic violence has
been normalised in such a way that the women are not able to raise any objection or voice
against such inhuman treatment or behaviour done by the male member of the society. Women
are often kept in an illusion of bearing such treatment with the hope of condition getting better
for the sake of family and their children (Morgan, & Boxall,2020). This humiliating treatment
often causes stress, depression, anxiety and weakness in the physical and mental health of
women (Barker, Stewart, and Vigod, 2019).
The men in the society consider themselves as supreme and main owner of the house. They
consider and address women as dependent, weak and fragile object which should be groomed
and shaped according to their wants and desires. This has majorly caused the activity of domestic
violence to erupt on the women of society.
Children and young people become victim of domestic violence by experiencing abusive
behaviour in their homes. This is a very alarming issue as the activities held in childhood can
influence them in a very negative way which may spoil their future. Whenever the children or
young people witnesses the physical, emotional and sexual abuse in their homes then it can badly
damage and negatively impact their physical and mental health (McKibbin, and Humphreys,
2020).
Conceptual Framework that can be applied to tackle the challenge of domestic violence:
The cases of family and domestic violence are handled by state and territory laws with court
system through Family Law Act 1975. Domestic violence is being addressed in Australia by the
Council of Australian Governments which has introduced the Fourth Action Plan with the
aim of reducing crime or violence against women and children by implementing various
measures that may prevent domestic violence. According to Family Violence Capability

Framework, the Victorian government released the plan for ending family violence and to
increase the safety and well-being of Victorians. It includes the Victoria Police and courts which
provides services in relation to family violence, protection of child, well-being of mental health
and alcohol and drug services.
Some steps that can be taken to prevent the situation of domestic violence are mentioned below:
1. There must be regeneration of the social norm which may help in addressing the
depriving situation of abusive behaviour on women and children.
2. The problem of gender must be confronted by imposing gender equality in the society
with the aim to change the attitude of men towards women.
3. People must be educated about the consequences of abuse in a person's life. If the ill-
treatment of domestic is not controlled, then it may leave a huge mark and even spoil a
person's life.
4. The legal system of the country should be so effective that it imposes an impactful
response on the issues of women and child abuse (Nancarrow, 2019). The family laws
along with the measures of anti-discrimination should contribute for preventing and
detecting domestic violence and even harm caused to children.
5. A comprehensive public health approach is required to acknowledge effective responses
for solving the in-depth issue of domestic violence (Douglas, and Fitzgerald, 2018).
Gender inequality intersects with family and domestic violence by causing violence against
women due to the treatment given to women against men. This gender based discrimination has
caused major issues in the society by depriving the rights of women. The dignity and status of
women in society has saw a drastic change with rigidity in gender roles, that has worsen the
situation of women. The authority, power and hold of men in society is much higher than that of
a women. Men are considered as supreme leader of the society, ignoring the role and value of
women who have played a major role in creating the society. A research has shown that almost
90 percent of domestic violence cases are caused by men due to heterosexual relationship
between men and women. The activities of domestic violence has a negative impact on social,
economic and cultural inequalities among the genders (Fiebert, 2018).
Relevant risks factors pertaining to Domestic violence:

 Depression and suicide attempts – The rate of depression has majorly increased among
women which has also increased suicide attempts pertaining to depriving condition of
women in society (Cheng, and Jaffe, 2021).
 Aggressive or delinquent behaviour as a youth – The change in the behaviour of
children due to fear imbibed in them through the inhuman treatment of violence has
developed anxiety among the children (Piper, & Stevenson, 2019). This anxiety has
affected the children in such a way that it has caused them to react aggressively and
violently.
 Emotional dependence and insecurity – The activity of Domestic violence has majorly
disrupted the mental health of women and children (Sadler, & Mongoo, 2021). This has
further led to the situation of insecurity and emotional dependence due to treating them in
an undignified and inhuman way.
 Antisocial personality traits and conduct problems – The inability to socialise or
participate in social gathering has developed the traits of antisocial personality among
women and children. This has also prevented them to show their social attributes or
behaviour for welfare f society (Bowen, E. and Day, A., 2019).
 Belief in strict gender roles – The mentality of considering male as the supreme member
of the society and the dominance of males has limited the boundaries of women and
children to think and behave in a certain way with restricted boundaries. This rigidity
have a very negative impact on conduct of women and children in the society.
Impact of family/domestic violence considering Women and children:
The overall behaviour of women and children is changed by majorly affecting their physical and
mental stability. The increased rates of anxiety, stress and depression can be commonly observed
among them leading to disrupt their mental health. The continuos physical torture and abuse
even disrupts the physical health of individuals affecting their social life (Seymour, 2019).
Domestic violence have a very negative effect on women and children which lead then to exhibit
violent, aggressive and antisocial traits.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it is concluded that, Domestic violence is the act of physical violence that
is caused to women by the men which further creates an instability in their physical and mental

health. Fourth Action Plan has been endorsed by the Council of Australian Government to
reduce the crime and prevent the abuse of domestic violence by considering various measures for
development of women and children in the society.
Therefore, the legal system of the country with consideration of gender equality are very
powerful techniques for removing domestic violence within the society in order to have a strong
base for welfare and development of women and children.
REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Ghafournia, N., & Easteal, P. (2021). Help-seeking experiences of immigrant domestic violence
survivors in Australia: A snapshot of Muslim survivors. Journal of interpersonal
violence, 36(19-20), 9008-9034.
McKibbin, G., & Humphreys, C. (2020). Future directions in child sexual abuse prevention: An
Australian perspective. Child Abuse & Neglect, 105, 104422.
Morgan, A., & Boxall, H. (2020). Social isolation, time spent at home, financial stress and
domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trends and Issues in crime and
criminal justice, (609), 1-18.
Nancarrow, H. (2019). Unintended consequences of domestic violence law: Gendered
aspirations and racialised realities. Springer Nature.
Piper, A., & Stevenson, A. (2019). Gender violence in Australia: historical perspectives.
Monash University Publishing.
Sadler, J., & Mongoo, N. (2021). Domestic and family violence and homelessness in remote
Western Australia. Parity, 34(10), 62-63.
Seymour, K. (2019). (In) Visibility and recognition: Australian policy responses to ‘domestic
violence’. Sexualities, 22(5-6), 751-766.
Warren, A., & Blundell, B. (2019). Addressing elder abuse in rural and remote communities:
social policy, prevention and responses. Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 31(4-5),
424-436.
Barker, L.C., Stewart, D.E. and Vigod, S.N., 2019. Intimate partner sexual violence: An often
overlooked problem. Journal of Women's Health, 28(3), pp.363-374.
McKibbin, G. and Humphreys, C., 2020. Future directions in child sexual abuse prevention: An
Australian perspective. Child Abuse & Neglect, 105, p.104422.
Douglas, H. and Fitzgerald, R., 2018. The domestic violence protection order system as entry to
the criminal justice system for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. International
Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy, 7(3), p.41.
Fiebert, M.S., 2018. References examining assaults by women on their spouses/partners.
In Sexual harassment and sexual consent (pp. 274-286). Routledge.
Cheng, P. and Jaffe, P., 2021. Examining depression among perpetrators of intimate partner
homicide. Journal of interpersonal violence, 36(19-20), pp.9277-9298
Bowen, E. and Day, A., 2019. Treating intimate partner violence and abuse. The Wiley
International Handbook of Correctional Psychology, pp.529-542.