Domestic and family violence is a widespread and serious issue that affects all parts of Australian community. The Premier of the State of Victoria, Daniel Andrews, has called it, ‘the most urgent law and order emergency occurring in our state and the most unspeakable crime unfolding across our nation’.
In 2016, the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence published a wide-ranging report with the aim of identifying the most effective ways to, among other things, prevent family violence, support survivors—particularly women and children—and address the impacts of violence on them, and better coordinate community and government responses to family violence.
In making its recommendations, the Royal Commission found that a high proportion of survivors of family and domestic violence are forced to leave their homes and seek alternative accommodation.
Our Community Partners tell us that many families who are required to seek alternative accommodation due to family violence have left the family home without any possessions.
A Next Steps Australia Starter Pack will help a woman and her family transition into alternate accommodation with new and clean sheets, towels and other basic manchester items. Get Involved today.
Some key facts:
- 1 in 4 Australian women experience intimate partner violence.[1]
- Children are present at 1 out of every 3 family violence cases reported to the police.[2]
- On average one woman a week is killed by a partner or former partner in Australia.[3]
- 61 per cent of women affected by family violence had children in their care.[4]
- Domestic and family violence is the principal cause of homelessness for women and their children.[5]
- Domestic and family violence results in a police call-out on average once every two minutes across the country.[6]
- The combined health, administration and social welfare costs of violence against women have been estimated to be $21.7 billion a year, with projections suggesting that if no further action is taken to prevent violence against women, costs will accumulate to $323.4 billion over a thirty-year period from 2014–15 to 2044–45.[7]
Footnotes: