2. Definitions of Family Violence

3. AVERT working definition of family violence • Family violence differs from conflict. Family violence refers to a diverse range of abusive and controlling behaviours, physical and non-physical, that make a victim feel fearful, intimidated and often helpless. These behaviours establish and maintain a debilitating imbalance of power relations that violates victims, subverting their autonomy and constraining their lives. • AVERT Paper: Dimensions, Dynamics and Impact of Family Violence

4. Sociological Understandings • Domestic violence is the patterned and repeated use of • coercive and controlling behaviour to limit, direct, and • shape a partner’s thoughts, feelings and actions. An array • of power and control tactics is used along a continuum in • concert with one another. • Almeida, R and Durkin, T (1999) ‘The Cultural Context Model: Therapy for Couples with Domestic Violence’ Journal of Marital and Family Therapy Volume 25, Issue 3 p. 313

5. Legal Definition – Family Law Act 1975 • For the purposes of this Act, family violence means violent, threatening or other behaviour by a person that coerces or controls a member of the person’s family (the family member), or causes the family member to be fearful.

6. The Family Court of Australia.Family Violence Strategy 2004-2005: • Family violence covers a broad range of controlling behaviours, commonly of a physical, sexual, and/or psychological nature, which typically involve fear, harm, intimidation and emotional deprivation. It occurs within a variety of close interpersonal relationships, such as between spouses, partners, parents and children, siblings, and in other relationships where significant others are not part of the physical household but are part of the family and/or are fulfilling the function of family. • FCoA 2004, p.3