APS welcomes Senate Inquiry’s report into domestic violence

Experts available for comment
The Australian Psychological Society (APS) welcomes the Senate Finance and Public Administration References Committee’s Domestic Violence in Australia report, which was handed down yesterday.

The report aligns with many of the recommendations made by the APS in its submission to the Inquiry.

The APS submission is evidence-based, drawn from psychological research and practice about what works to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children, parents and families.

APS member psychologists with years of experience working in the domestic violence field, and who contributed to the APS submission, are available for comment.

Key points from the APS submission

Factors that contribute to violence or impede recovery include:

• Ignorance about the nature of abusive relationships, leading to a failure at all levels to recognise it.
• Lack of supportive responses when women seek help.
• Acceptance of controlling and abusive behaviour from men within society.
• Lack of affordable housing alternatives for women wishing to exit an unsafe relationship.
• The cyclic nature of domestic abuse.

Policy responses to better support those experiencing domestic violence should address:

• Legal protection - increase expertise in domestic violence support and recovery.
• Housing – domestic violence is a leading cause of homelessness among women and children.
• Financial security - to facilitate economic independence women and children experiencing family violence need separate access to finances.
• Education – education in schools about the warning signs of abusive and controlling behaviour. Consequences for anti-social behaviour such as bullying must be readily available and enforced.
• Supporting children – children need to have a voice in family violence proceedings and to be further protected from violence, even after separation.
• Men’s services – support for men as the perpetrators of family violence to change abusive and controlling behaviours and to move away from violence.
• Developing expertise - domestic violence training should be mandatory and ongoing for health professionals and the legal profession.
• Addressing gender inequality - a range of strategies is required to address gender equity and gender stereotypes specifically, in both the media and society more broadly.
• Public health and education campaigns designed to raise awareness and prevent family violence in all its forms.