HSW1000 - Foundations: Domestic Violence and Social Needs in Australia

This essay, prepared for the HSW1000 course, examines domestic violence as a significant social need in Australia, particularly focusing on its impact on women in regional Queensland. The essay articulates the social need for self-esteem and confidence, analyzing relevant socio-economic determinants such as the prevalence of domestic violence, gender discrimination, income and social status, and employment conditions. It reviews past and current policies and community responses, including the Family Law Act 1975, and various government initiatives and community programs in Queensland. The essay then proposes two recommendations to effectively address this social need: increasing the scope of legislation to provide broader protection and enhancing social and institutional settings to better support victims. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of addressing domestic violence and highlights the need for continuous improvement in legislation and support services.

Running head: UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL NEEDS
Understanding Social Needs: Domestic Violence on Women
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note:

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction............................................................................................................................2
2. Discussion..............................................................................................................................2
2.1 Articulation of the Social Need of Self-Esteem and Confidence with Discussion of the
Relevant Socio Economic Determinants................................................................................2
2.2 Analysis of Current and Past Policies or Community Responses in Australian Context 4
2.3 Two Recommendations to effectively address this Social Need.....................................5
3. Conclusion..............................................................................................................................7
References..................................................................................................................................8

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1. Introduction
Social needs eventually refer to the type of need that is being obtained in relationship
with others as soon as safety and physiological needs are fulfilled (Johnson, 2016). In
Australia, there are some of the most significant perspectives of social needs that have been
taken care of such refugee support and domestic violence. This essay will be describing about
domestic violence on women in regional Queensland, Australia with details.
2. Discussion
2.1 Articulation of the Social Need of Self-Esteem and Confidence with Discussion of the
Relevant Socio Economic Determinants
Domestic violence or domestic abuse is the kind of violence by any one individual
against other within a domestic setting like in cohabitation and in marriage (Berns, 2017).
Such violence is often referred to as the intimate partner violence whenever committed by the
partner or spouse and could be taken place in any type of relationship. In Australia, there
were 254028 incidents of domestic violence recorded and reported within the duration of
2014 and 2016 (Root & Brown, 2014). The Australian government has focused on domestic
violence with incorporation of Family Law Act 1975, which causes family to be safe and
secured from such violence.
According to Australian perspective, there is a high requirement of social need for the
sector of domestic violence, especially for women. Such issues have become extremely
common even for the aristocrat families. In 2015, around 12% of total women abuse cases
were registered in Queensland, in which victims belonged to well-to-do families. The social
need of women that is required to be considered for domestic violence is self-esteem and
confidence. The implications of domestic violence for understanding this social need of self-
esteem and confidence are extremely significant and should be kept on top priority for

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reducing the overall impacts of such violence in all over Australia (Herman, 2015). The most
significant socio economic factors of this particular social need for domestic violence are as
follows:
i) Domestic Violence being a Common Crime: The first and the foremost factor that
is to be considered for this social need would be that domestic violence is a common crime
and it occurs on an average of 25 to 50% in Australia (Truman & Morgan, 2015). Since self-
esteem of women is highly impacted through domestic violence, it is required to consider this
social need for bringing confidence upon the victims. It occurs in every socio economic level,
community and race, majorly in women. Queensland, being one of the most advanced states
in Australia, have been providing numerous advantages to their customers, several women
are still victimized to a high level.
ii) Domestic Violence enhances Discrimination: It is being observed that in regional
Queensland, Australia, domestic violence has enhanced discrimination amongst gender.
Violence against women has increased to a high level and almost 9 to 10% of the total abuse
is not being registered to the legal authorities (Pain, 2014). The main reason for such
discrepancy is that although, Queensland has provided free legal advice, there are numerous
women, who do not have the courage to speak against this type of abuse.
There are some of the most significant socio economic determinants that are also
needed to be considered for understanding the social need in domestic violence sector within
Queensland, Australia, mainly for women. The first and the most important socio economic
determinant is income and social status. Income and social status plays one of the major roles
in domestic violence. It is being observed that more than 70% of domestic violence occurs in
lower income and low status level in Australia (Pearlman et al., 2016). Another important
determinant in such case is chauvinism. In several cases, it has been observed that a women,

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earning more than her partner or spouse, faces domestic violence. The third socio economic
determinant for this cause is employment and working conditions. An abusive working
condition is one of the most popular cause for such violence.
2.2 Analysis of Current and Past Policies or Community Responses in Australian
Context
In the year of 1996, ABS or Australian Bureau of Statistics eventually apprehended
up for a survey that was enabled as the Women Safety Survey and it gave with the 1st
comprehensive national datum over every form of violence against girls (Jahanfar, Howard &
Medley, 2014). North Queensland is a free legal service for women and they provide legal
advices, case work assistances as well as referrals and information for women, who are
residing in the Southern parts of Queensland, Sarina to Torres Strait in the Northern parts as
well as western out to the Northern Territory border. They have sent solicitors in both offices
of Townsville and Cairns. Confidential and free legal advices as well as referrals are present
through telephone for women and an opportunity is providing for speaking confidentially
with any female lawyer regarding the legal issues faced by them.
In 2003, the Australian government even recognised the program of partnership that
provided one hundred and fifty seven million dollars for all territories and states for an
assistance program of Supported Accommodation that gives proper accommodation as well
as transitional support to the homeless people and victims of domestic violence. This type of
program even sponsored over 100 projects for exploring the practices at different levels of
national, regional and local perspectives (Anderberg et al., 2015). These distinctive projects
even involved development of the competency standards, domestic violence researches,
workers’ training, products of community awareness and systems for coordination within
justice system and police. This particular program even recognized the Australian Domestic

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Violence Clearing house that can gather research as well as publication from all states and
territories within Australia as well as from overseas.
In the year of 2001, the Australian government recognised an initiative of National to
Combat Sexual Assault or NICSA with total funding of sixteen million Australian dollars for
more than 4 years and even was managed by the Office of the Status of Women. In the year
of 2009, the Department of Social Service eventually released a report of economy with the
name of Cost of Violence against Women and Children (Cattaneo & Goodman, 2015). One
of the most important and significant law of Australia against domestic violence is Family
Law Act 1975. This specific act refers to the various acts of violence, which eventually takes
place within individuals having relationships in the domestic setting.
Subsequent actions are being taken for such violence depending on the state and it
termed as family abuse and domestic violence (Domestic Violence Laws in Australia. 2019).
According to a survey of domestic violence data within Australia, it was revealed that every 1
in 3 women has experienced domestic violence since the age of 15. North Queensland
Domestic Violence Resource services have provided a series of programs in Mt Isa and
Townsville for supporting all of those women, who have been suffering from high effects of
family and domestic violence. The most common programs that this particular service
provider has provided involve information and support, safe at home, domestic violence and
homelessness and many more (Choudhry & Herring, 2017).
2.3 Two Recommendations to effectively address this Social Need
Although, government of Queensland has provided some of the most basic and
important laws and legislations for reducing impacts of domestic violence in the state for
women and bringing out social needs for the sector, they still require to make their rules even
better in comparison to the others. Two suitable recommendations for effectively and

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efficiently addressing the social need in domestic violence sector of regional Queensland are
as follows:
i) Increasing Scope of Legislation: The first and the most significant or suitable
recommendation for efficiently addressing the social need in domestic violence sector within
Australia is increasing the overall scope of legislation. The scope of the legislation that are
being provided for successful protection orders in the context of domestic violence is quite
limited, especially for South Queensland (Pearlman et al., 2016). The examination of this
specific legislation eventually suggests that there are some of the major differences within the
jurisdictions in respect to the factor that until which protection orders are substantially
available to range of persons to be affected by such violence.
Moreover, in spite of such provisions being made in the domestic violence specified
legislation, there should be presence of provisions for better protection as well as restraining
the orders as per connection with the apprehended violence within individuals. Although,
North Queensland has started NTV or No to Violence program for their clients, there are still
pending cases and require to reach to its ultimate decision. NTV is the Victorian state wide
peak organization of agencies and individuals to prevent women abuse. This program even
provides assistance and counselling to men, who are related to such violence. Moreover, there
are even other cases, which are not being reported or registered, majorly in South Australia.
Hence, the Australian government should focus on the scope of such legislation and rules for
ensuring higher level of success in the substantial differences of domestic violence. The new
and updated rules could even apply in a wider range of relations amongst two individuals.
ii) Increasing Social and Institutional Settings: The second effective and suitable
recommendation for efficiently addressing the social need in domestic violence sector within
regional Australia is increasing social and institutional settings. Such settings of several

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interventions eventually present some of the most significant issues for drawing a systematic
scientific evaluation (Domestic Violence Laws in Australia. 2019). The Australian
government should involve some of the most popular and significant NGOs or social workers
for reaching out to every women in every part of Australia to find out the cases that are not
registered and reported to the police. These social workers or NGOs could easily take legal
help and help out the women.
The strength of such program could be directly influenced by national events, which
can stimulate major changes within budgets, personnel factors and resources. The urgency of
the social need for responding to the issue of domestic violence in Queensland will provide
service interventions so that it becomes much easier to enhance professional practices and
innovative programs, which could provide the core opportunity of developing a control and
comparative study after focusing on the existing interventions of domestic violence. The
social need could be brought out easily for better results. Moreover, such program would
reduce the overall impact of domestic violence against women to a higher level.
3. Conclusion
Therefore, conclusion could be drawn that domestic violence is one of the most
significant perspective of social need that is required to be considered. It is being observed
that there are more than 2 lakhs cases of domestic violence against women and many more
remain unregistered. This essay has clearly outlined about the social need in domestic
violence for women within Australia with subsequent details.

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References
Anderberg, D., Rainer, H., Wadsworth, J., & Wilson, T. (2015). Unemployment and domestic
violence: Theory and evidence. The Economic Journal, 126(597), 1947-1979.
Berns, N. S. (2017). Framing the victim: Domestic violence, media, and social problems.
Routledge.
Cattaneo, L. B., & Goodman, L. A. (2015). What is empowerment anyway? A model for
domestic violence practice, research, and evaluation. Psychology of Violence, 5(1),
84.
Choudhry, S., & Herring, J. (2017). Righting domestic violence. In Marital Rights (pp. 71-
96). Routledge.
Domestic Violence Laws in Australia. (2019). [online]. Accessed from
https://www.dss.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/05_2012/domestic_violence_la
ws_in_australia_-_june_2009.pdf [Accessed on 27 August 2019].
Herman, J. L. (2015). Trauma and recovery: The aftermath of violence--from domestic abuse
to political terror. Hachette UK.
Jahanfar, S., Howard, L. M., & Medley, N. (2014). Interventions for preventing or reducing
domestic violence against pregnant women. Cochrane database of systematic reviews,
(11).
Johnson, M. P. (2016). Confl ict and Control: Symmetry and Asymmetry in Domestic
Violence. In Couples in conflict (pp. 125-134). Routledge.
Pain, R. (2014). Everyday terrorism: Connecting domestic violence and global
terrorism. Progress in Human Geography, 38(4), 531-550.

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Pearlman, D. N., Zierler, S., Gjelsvik, A., & Verhoek-Oftedahl, W. (2016). Neighborhood
environment, racial position, and risk of police-reported domestic violence: a
contextual analysis. Public health reports.
Root, M. P., & Brown, L. (2014). An analysis of domestic violence in Asian American
communities: A multicultural approach to counseling. In Diversity and complexity in
feminist therapy (pp. 143-164). Routledge.
Truman, J. L., & Morgan, R. E. (2015). NONFATAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, 2003-
2012. Journal of Current Issues in Crime, Law & Law Enforcement, 8(4).