FAMILY violence may not be what many people think it is.
Head of the Casey Family Violence Unit (CFVU) Sergeant Ian Lane said control was the real crux of the universal problem.
“Awareness campaigns that show victims with black eyes often bring it home for people but don’t highlight other forms that women are falling victim to,” Sgt Lane said.
Sgt Lane has been in charge of the CFVU for two years and said threats and economic abuse were the most common forms of control.
“Contrary to popular belief, most of our work isn’t offences of physical violence,” he said.
“We see economic abuse where one partner is being held against their will and threats are made to take away credit cards or the partner is only given $10 or $15 a week to live off. Or money is only provided for household costs and nothing is left for them to buy things they may want.”
Sgt Lane said controlling male partners who control the family budget can often segregate their partner.
“Isolating a partner and ensuring they don’t leave the home and aren’t allowed to mix in a social circle or make friends is another form of abuse,” he said.
Coercive and threatening behaviour in a non-sexual manner was another facet of family violence and Sgt Lane said such abuse can come in very simple ways.
“Threats like ‘if dinner is not on the table by the time I am home’ I will do such and such to you and a lot of verbal, emotional abuse goes on with this type of family violence.”
Sgt Lane encouraged victims to contact police.
“The rise in family violence offences is a good thing,” he said.
“If family violence reports went down I’d ask myself why because I don’t know that enough is being done at the moment to stem the flow of these types of offences.
“It’s one of those things that the government and police can never do enough of to help prevent.”
If you need help contact Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre on 1800 015 188 or via www.safesteps.org.au.
– GEORGIA WESTGARTH
