Family violence occurs when one family member is emotionally, psychologically, or physically dominated and harmed by another member of the same family (Loney-Howes et al., 2021). Family violence can be identified in various ways, including threats, emotional, sexual, or physical abuse, and deprivation of fundamental and economic rights (Supol et al., 2021). According to reports, domestic violence is widespread throughout Australia’s states and sociocultural groups and primarily affects children and women. Several state and territory governments in Australia have made plans to protect families, stop family violence crime, and better assist victims.
In Australia, the states and territories are responsible for enacting family and domestic violence laws, and most cases are handled according to their laws and policies (Dowling et al., 2018). In terms of the legal system in Victoria, several amendments were made as a direct result of an evaluation of family violence legislation conducted in 2002 by the Victorian Law Reform Commission. The Victorian government established the Legislative Council as part of its comprehensive service system in 2005. The Family Violence Protection Act of 2008 was enacted as a direct result of new legislation passed in 2008 by the Victorian government to address the issue of domestic abuse (Roff, 2020).
In February 2011, The Victorian government signed on to the national plan to combat violence against children and women 2012–15, which was drawn from the work done through Victoria’s Action Plan and extended further (Victoria state government, 2022). This plan was created to address the issue. In 2017, the Victorian Government further evaluated its action plan to prevent domestic and family violence. In response to the evaluation findings, the government implemented several significant reforms and developed a plan to deal with domestic violence over the next ten years.
Anyone in this society has the potential to become a victim of domestic violence. There are a variety of contributors to and influences on the culture that keeps family violence alive and well. Several factors contribute to family and domestic violence, such as the offender’s use of illegal or prescription drugs, their mental instability, and the fact that they were exposed to violence when they were young. Similarly, oppression, disability, attitudes toward women, and an inability to acknowledge one’s rights all contribute to the promotion of such violence. Economic difficulties, high levels of emotional stress, and inadequate support from family members are all indicators of family violence in the family.
The occurrence of violence within the family has been going on for a significant amount of time. In Australia and other nations worldwide, domestic and family violence policies and laws are strictly enforced and periodically updated. This is being done to control the situation. According to the surveys conducted by the women’s safety survey and the personal safety survey, the most susceptible to experiencing domestic and family violence were pregnant women, children, and indigenous communities.
In Australia, each state and territory has developed and put into effect policies that consider the rights of women and Children, the Child Protection Act, Family Act law, and other related statutes and regulations. An act that violates this law is considered a violation of the family violence act in Victoria Policy. All these policies are all based on the commonwealth’s legislation regarding violence. According to the Domestic and Family Violence Framework, “domestic and family violence” refers to any threatening, intimidating, or aggressive behavior that occurs within an intimate or family connection and causes a person to live in fear. In New South Wales, domestic and personal violence offenses are regulated by the Crimes Act of 2007(Crofts & Kirchengast, 2019).
How family violence policy contributes to a more socially just Australia
According to the Family Violence Protection Act, family violence is any behavior that an individual exhibits toward a family member that is considered physically, sexually, emotionally, or otherwise intimidating. The policy was created to protect the rights of men and women who are victims of family violence, with the primary focus on protecting women’s rights because they are more likely to be victims of domestic violence than men. The Family Safety Victoria organization’s mission is to end family violence and bring those responsible to justice.
The passage of laws and implementation policies help to ensure that children are shielded from the traumatic effects of violence in the home. It encourages the government of Australia to take the necessary steps to stop crime and family violence and to make sure that the Family Act Law protects the people who need it the most. Even though the policy has helped to protect victims and prevent violence over the years, Australia still has a long way to go before it can develop an effective integrated response to the problem of domestic and family violence. The family and domestic violence awareness and civic campaign from the Australian state territory levels and policies have the potential to contribute significantly to a more socially just Australia.
Conclusion:
Family violence has been one of the most significant problems in Australia as well as in other countries around the world. Anyone, regardless of gender, age, culture, socioeconomic background, race, sexual identity, location, or identity, has the potential to become a victim of family violence, and it has the potential to cause harm to anyone. In Australia, family violence is against the law, and individual states also have policies and laws regarding family and domestic violence. Several factors can lead to domestic and familial violence, including the cr9imianls use of mental stability, opiates, and early experiences with violent situations. The Family Law Act of 1995, the Family Violence Act of 2004, and the Crimes Act of 2007 are the legal frameworks used to develop the legislation in Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania. These laws address the problems associated with family violence, protect victims, and ensure that offenders are held accountable.
References
Crofts, T., & Kirchengast, T. (2019). A laddered approach to criminalizing revenge pornography. The Journal of Criminal Law, 83(1), 87-103.
Dowling, C., Morgan, A., Hulme, S., Manning, M., & Wong, G. (2018). Protection orders for domestic violence: A systematic review. Trends and crime and criminal justice issues, (551), pp. 1–19.
Loney-Howes, R., MacPhail, C., Hanley, N., & Fabrianesi, B. (2021). Youth Attitudes to Domestic and Family Violence: A Scoping Review of Young People’s Attitudes and Perceptions in Australia. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 15248380211036054.
Roff, E. (2020). Family violence and the workplace: Recent developments in Australian law. Alternative Law Journal, 45(1), 45–51.
Supol, M., Satyen, L., Ghayour-Minaie, M., & Toumbourou, J. W. (2021). Effects of family violence exposure on adolescent academic achievement: A systematic review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 22(5), 1042-1056.
Victoria state government, J. (2022). Family violence. Retrieved from https://www.justice.vic.gov.au/safer-communities/protecting-children-and-families/family-violence.
write