Domestic & Family Violence

For free and confidential legal advice about this topic, please contact us here.

Domestic violence, sometimes called family violence, is against the law.  You have the right to feel safe at home and you should never have to see or experience it. It is okay to report it  or to talk to someone about it.

What is domestic violence?

Domestic violence is when someone close to you threatens you or does something to harm you or someone else in your family.

Domestic violence can include:

• physical assault: punching, hitting, kicking, pushing, slapping, choking, or using weapons;
• sexual assault: such as being forced to have sex or do sexual activities, either by watching or participating;
• emotional or psychological abuse: stalking, unreasonably monitoring you, making you feel worthless, criticising your personality, your looks, the way you dress, constantly putting you down, threatening to hurt you, your children, or your pets;
• economic abuse: taking control of the money and property, forcing you to hand over your money, selling your property without consent, not letting you have a say in how it is spent;
• damaging your property or harming your pets;
• threatening to do any of these things or
• any other abuse to control or dominate you: stopping you from seeing your friends and family, or isolating you from others.

The person threatening or hurting you can be someone in your family or can be your boyfriend or girlfriend, a relative, a parent or carer, or even your parents’ partner.

Domestic violence can happen to you, or someone else in your family, e.g. violence between your parents.  If you see it happening to someone else in your family, you should still report it.

If you witness, overhear or are exposed to domestic violence, this could also be child abuse. You have the right to be safe from all types of abuse.

What can I do?

Domestic violence is unacceptable and against the law, and if you see it occur or are a victim of it, please report it. Everyone has a right to be safe from any type of violence.

Tell someone

If you or anyone else is in immediate danger of being hurt, please call the Police on 000.

You should also call the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability’s Child Safety Services on their free hotline 1800 177 135. They  deal with the care and protection of children. Alternatively you can call one of their regional numbers which can be found below.

If you feel unsafe in your home because of the violence that is happening, it is important to talk to someone. If you do not speak to anyone, or report what is happening, then no one will know what is going on and they can’t help you. You could talk to an adult you trust and feel comfortable with, like a family friend or your teacher. Below is a list of important contacts you can call if you need to talk to someone else.

What will happen if I report domestic violence?

If you call the Police or the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services, all information you give will be kept confidential. In other words, the person who is causing the violence will not be told that you have contacted them. The Police or the authorities may investigate what is happening. If they are worried about your safety, a court order can be made preventing the person from hurting you, such as a Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO).  

Who can I talk to about what's going on?

• Emergency Crisis Line

(Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services)

They provide assistance to children who have been harmed or are at risk of harm. You can contact them by:

• • Calling 1800 177 135 (24 Hours) or;
  • visiting their website at http://www.communities.qld.gov.au/communityservices/violence-prevention or;
  • calling one of their Regional Crisis numbers noted below:

The Regional Intake Service is available from 9am to 5pm on weekdays.

• 1800RESPECT

(National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service)

They can provide 24 hours/7 days counselling, support and referral for anyone whose life has been impacted by sexual, domestic or family violence.

Call 1800 737 732 or visit https://www.1800respect.org.au/.

• DVConnect

(Domestic and Family Violence Support Services)

They provide separate help lines for women, men and children affected by domestic and family violence across Queensland –  they offer counselling, support and information to those affected by domestic violence. Their contacts details are:.

• • • DVConnect Women’s (Children & young person) Help Line (24 hours/ 7 days): 1800 811 811
    • DVConnect Men’s Help Line (9am-midnight/ 7 days): 1800 600 636

• DVConnect Sexual Assault Helpline (7:30am-11:30pm/ 7 days) 1800 010 120

• Brisbane Domestic Violence Service

They are a free and confidential service that  provides online resources, as well as help & support services.  

Call them at 07 3217 2544 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) or visit http://www.bdvs.org.au/.

• KIDS HELPLINE
  
  You may like to call someone at Kids Helpline. This is a very supportive service to help people from age 5 to 25 years old, and they keep everything confidential. You don’t even have to give them your name or personal details if you don’t want to. You can call them 24 hours a day on 1800 55 1800.  It’s a free call from any Telstra, Optus or Vodafone mobile.
  
  You can also email them at: http://kidshelp.com.au/teens/get-help/email-counselling/. They also have an online chat service at http://www.kidshelp.com.au/teens/get-help/web-counselling/.

If you’re under 25 and have some questions about reporting domestic violence, you can get help here. We won’t tell anyone, including your parents or other members of your family