Domestic and family violence, aptly described as “intimate
brutality”, is an all too common crime in NSW, as it is in Australia
generally.
Nowhere is free of this crime, no country, city or region. Owing to lack of
reporting by victims its true prevalence is unknown, but existing statistics
show that a significant proportion of Australians, primarily but not
exclusively women, suffer violence at the hands of a partner. Tragically,
according to Linda Burney, NSW Labor’s Deputy Leader, in the western
region of NSW the prevalence of domestic and family violence is “past a
state of emergency”.
Reducing domestic and family violence is once again on the agenda in NSW and
the rest of Australia. This is evident from the awarding of the 2015 Australian
of the Year to Rosie Batty, herself a survivor of such violence.
Some key findings in the paper include:
· Nearly 1.93 million Australians over the age of 15 years have experienced
violence at the hands of a current or previous partner;
· In 2010, 69.2% of NSW domestic assault victims were female and 30.8% were
male;
· Domestic and family violence contributes to death, ill health and disability
amongst women aged under 45 more than any other factor; and
· The NSW economy lost $4.5 billion as a result of domestic and family violence
in 2011.
As in any public policy debate, a key issue relates to the question of
resources. Good intentions and legal or administrative reforms are one thing.
Will they be backed by sufficient resources for women’s refuges, legal
and referral services for victims, and educational programs for
perpetrators?
For victims of domestic and family violence there is an urgent need to act on
the practical issues at stake.
