Family, domestic and sexual violence

Family, domestic, and sexual violence are significant issues in Australia, spanning all socioeconomic and demographic groups.

While impacting individuals, families, and communities, these forms of violence primarily target women and children.

Primary Health Tasmania has a role in supporting the primary care response to these kinds of violence so people receive the help they need as soon as possible.

Content warning

People are encouraged to care for their wellbeing when engaging with the content on this page. ​

The following services can be contacted for support:​

What is family, domestic and sexual violence?

Violence and abuse take many forms which include emotional abuse and neglect as well as physical and sexual abuse.

This can include things like:

  • making people feel confused, manipulating emotions, encouraging self-doubt
  • putting people down, disrespecting them and publicly humiliating them
  • viewing text messages, emails and social media without consent; checking phones and controlling the use of technology
  • making threats to cause harm
  • limiting access to money and controlling how it’s spent
  • isolating people from their family or friends through force or coercion
  • using religious or spiritual beliefs to manipulate or shame.

Sexual violence is any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, or other act directed against a person’s sexuality using coercion, by any person – regardless of their relationship to the victim – in any setting.

Around 11% (2.2 million) of people have experienced violence from a current or previous partner they have lived with.

Around 14% (2.8 million) of people aged 18 years and over have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15 in Australia.

More than 1 in 3 girls and almost 1 in 5 boys experience child sexual abuse.

A pilot to support the primary care response

Primary Health Tasmania has received Australian Government funding for the Supporting the Primary Care Response to Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence Pilot.

This pilot aims to provide increased support to GPs and other primary care providers to assist in the early identification of family, domestic and sexual violence and child sexual abuse, and to aid early intervention. It will also help better connect the different services providing care to people affected by violence.

We are using the funding to:

  • build our knowledge and understanding of local needs so we can target our work to better support identification, response and referral activities in primary care
  • provide education and training to GPs and other primary care providers. This will help ensure better care for victim-survivors through improved recognition, response and referral
  • establish a service to help general practices and Aboriginal health services better support victim-survivors of family and sexual violence. It helps them identify and support patients experiencing family and sexual violence, and refer patients to specialist services. Read more here.

Primary care support 

A specialist family and sexual violence support service for every general practice and Aboriginal health service in Tasmania. 

Primary Health Tasmania (Tasmania PHN) has commissioned experienced local organisation Engender Equality to deliver Tasmanian Primary Care Family and Sexual Violence Support, with funding under an Australian Government pilot. 

Engender Equality have been engaging with Aboriginal Health Services and general practices in Tasmania to offer family and sexual violence support. Support offered to primary care providers includes how to spot signs and identify family and sexual violence, validate disclosures, and assess risk. The service also offers support to general practice and Aboriginal Health Services on how to document disclosures of family and sexual violence to meet legal requirements and how to act to prevent harm and ensure patient safety.  

If you work in general practice or an Aboriginal Health Service in Tasmania and would like to request primary care family and sexual violence support click here.  

Family, domestic and sexual violence pilot reflections podcast

A conversation with reflections

Education and training

Primary Health Tasmania has partnered with the Safer Families Centre at the University of Melbourne to deliver education that supports both clinical and non-clinical primary care staff in Tasmania to identify and respond to family and sexual violence.

The training package includes online and face-to-face education, offered for free to clinical and practice staff.

There are two upcoming workshops in the north-west (Devonport).

For more information on accessing eLearning modules and to register for workshops, click here.

Resources

Helpful links