Domestic and family violence

Domestic violence is violence by one person against another person who they are, or have been, in a domestic or intimate relationship with. It can take many forms and is not limited to physical violence. It can include:

• physical abuse or violence
• sexual abuse, coercion or violence
• emotional or psychological abuse
• verbal abuse
• shaming, degrading or humiliating a person 
• intimidation 
• stalking, harassing, monitoring or tracking a person
• damaging or destroying property
• harm to animals 
• spiritual abuse 
• deprivation or restriction of liberty or unreasonable regulation of a person’s day-to-day activities. 

The terms domestic abuse, domestic violence and family violence are often used to describe the same behaviour.

If you are unsafe or are experiencing any kind of domestic violence, you should call the police. If the police have fears for your safety, they can apply for an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) to protect you.

An AVO is a court order that protects a person from another person who causes them to fear for their safety.

An AVO can protect a person from:

• violence, or threats of violence
• stalking
• intimidation
• harassment
• property damage or threatened property damage
• harm to their animals.

For more information, see Apprehended Violence Orders.

Online abuse is a type of domestic violence that involves using technology to harass, monitor, stalk, impersonate or threaten a person. It can include:

• sending abusive or threatening text messages or phone calls
• making fake social media accounts and harmful posts about a person
• accessing someone’s online accounts without their permission
• sharing or threatening to share intimate images of a person without your consent
• tracking a person through their phone or other digital devices.

If you are experiencing online abuse, you can get help to stay safe online. You can:

• call the police
• call 1800RESPECT, a confidential information, counselling and support service that provides support to people impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence of abuse
• speak to your doctor, counsellor or psychologist
• talk to friends or family about what is happening
• report an account, post or image to the website or social media service
• make a report to the eSafety Commissioner.

If you believe someone may have accessed your online accounts, you can use the Tip sheet – password checklist to update your passwords and secure your online accounts.

eSafety Commissioner

The eSafety Commissioner provides resources and information to help people deal with online abuse that is part of domestic and family violence. It can help you:

• understand what technology facilitated abuse is
• create an online safety plan and get safe access to technology
• get help
• collect evidence of online abuse.

The eSafety Commissioner can also help to get harmful online content removed, including:

• serious cyberbullying and cyber abuse
• image-based abuse
• illegal online content.

For more information, see the eSafety Commissioner website.

Centrelink

You may be able to get a Centrelink Crisis Payment if you’ve experienced a family or domestic violence incident.

For more information, see Crisis Payment for Extreme Circumstances Family and Domestic Violence on the Services Australia website.

Financial counselling

A specialist domestic violence financial counsellor can help you deal with debt, financial hardship, Centrelink and managing your money.

For more information, see Find a Financial Counsellor on the National Debt Helpline website.

If you are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, you can call the Mob Strong Debt Help to speak to a First Nations financial counsellor. For more information, see Mob Strong Debt Help on the Financial Rights Legal Centre website.

Victims Support Scheme

If you are the victim of crime, you may be entitled to support under the Victims Support Scheme. The Scheme provides counselling, financial support and a recognition payment to victims of a violent crime in NSW.

You may be able to get help even if no one was charged or convicted.

For more information, see Victims Support Scheme.

Family Law Service for Aboriginal Communities (FamAC)

The Family Law Service for Aboriginal Communities provides advice, legal representation, advocacy, and referrals to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with family law, AVO and care and protection matters.

For more information, see Family Law Service for Aboriginal Communities.

Wirringa Baiya Aboriginal Women’s Legal Centre 

Wirringa Baiya Aboriginal Women’s Legal Centre provides advice, legal representation, advocacy, and referrals to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in NSW who have, or are experiencing, domestic violence. Their staff regularly attend court as a support person in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia and Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Scheme (WDVCAS).

For more information, see the Wirringa Baiya Aboriginal Women’s Legal Centre website.

Another Closet

The Another Closet website is for people in LGBTIQ relationships who are or may be experiencing domestic and family violence.

It contains information on what domestic violence is, what to do if you are experiencing abuse, tips for making a crisis plan and the details for some referral services in NSW.

It also has information for people supporting an LGBTIQ friend or family member who is experiencing abuse. 

For more information, see the Another Closet website. 

Safe Relationships Project

The Safe Relationships Project (SRP) provides support, advocacy, referrals and information to: 

• men and women who are experiencing domestic violence in Same Sex relationships  
  
• Transgender and Transsexual people
  
• Intersex people.
  

The Safe Relationships Project assists their clients in accessing legal representation and applying for Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders (ADVO) or Apprehended Personal Violence Orders (APVO) to help put an end to the violence they are experiencing.

For more information, see Safe Re​lationships Project on the Inner City Legal Centre website.   

Legal Aid NSW Elder Abuse Service

The Legal Aid NSW Elder Abuse Service provides information, advocacy, legal representation and referrals to older persons who are experiencing, or are at risk of, elder abuse. The Service assists people aged 65 or over and Aboriginal people 50 or over who reside in the Central Coast or Lower Hunter region (including Newcastle). It helps with:

• housing and granny flat matters
  
• Centrelink debts
  
• family breakdown
  
• informal loans
  
• Apprehended Violence Orders
  
• guardianship and Powers of Attorney
  
• physical and sexual abuse
  
• financial abuse
  
• psychological abuse (bullying, harassment, isolation and neglect).
  

For more information, see Elder Abuse Service.

Senior Rights Service

The Seniors Rights Service provides free and confidential advice, aged care advocacy and support, and legal advice to seniors across NSW. The Service is available to people aged 65 or over and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 or over in NSW. It helps people with:

• consumer problems
  
• human rights matters, including domestic violence,
  
• alternative decision-making.
  

For more information, see the Seniors Rights Service website.

Intellectual Disability Rights Service

The Intellectual Disability Rights Service provides free legal advice, casework and professional consultation for people with disability involved in criminal and Apprehended Violence Order matters. 

For more information, see the Intellectual Disability Rights Service website.

People with Disability Australia

People with Disability Australia provides support to people with disability to be safe in all areas of their lives. There are a range of services available, including help to speak to the police. 

For more information, see the People with Disability Australia website.

Family Advocacy and Support Service 

The Family Advocacy and Support Service provides legal advice, representation and referrals to men affected by family violence who have a family law matter. The service is made up of lawyers and support workers who help men who have experienced domestic violence or been accused of domestic violence. 

The service is also available to other family members, such as grandparents.

The service operates out of the following Family Law Courts:

• Parramatta
  
• Newcastle
  
• Sydney
  
• Wollongong.
  

For more information, see Family Advocacy and Support Service.

MensLine Australia 

MensLine Australia is a phone and online support service that assists men affected by domestic and family violence. The service also helps men to stop using violence and abuse against their family.

For more information, see the MensLine Australia website.

Men’s Referral Service

The Men’s Referral Service is a free phone counselling, information and referral service that helps men to stop using violence and abuse against their family.

For more information, see the No to Violence website.

Under the National Employment Standards, all employees including casuals are entitled to family and domestic violence leave.

If you are an employee of a small business (with less than 15 employees), you are entitled to take five days unpaid family and domestic violence leave every year. You can take this leave as one block of five days, separate days or any separate period less than a day.

From the 1 August 2023, employees of small businesses will be entitled to take 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave each year. Until then, small business employees can continue to take unpaid family and domestic violence leave.

If you are an employee of a non-small business (with 15 or more employees), you are entitled to 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave every year. You can take this leave as one block of ten days, separate days or any separate period less than a day.

Paid family and domestic violence leave has to be recorded on a pay slip as normal pay for ordinary hours of work, or any other kind of payment for performing work, such as an allowance, bonus or overtime. You can also request that the leave is recorded as another type of leave. 

For more information, see Family and domestic violence leave on the Fair Work Ombudsman website.

The RSPCA's Community Domestic Violence Program offers secure emergency accommodation for pets from homes where domestic violence is taking place.

For more information, see Community Domestic Violence Program on the RSPCA website.

If you are in Australia on a temporary visa, and you are a victim of domestic or family violence, you may be concerned about the effect that leaving your partner and getting an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) will have on you. If you are waiting for a decision to be made about an application for permanent residency, you might be worried that if you leave your partner your application will be rejected, and you will be forced to return to your home country.

In certain situations, if you are a victim of domestic or family violence, you may be able to end your relationship with your partner and still be granted a permanent visa.

For more information, see Visas and immigration.