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.

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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.

Family, domestic and sexual violence pilot reflections podcast

A conversation with reflections

Education and training

Strengthening the response to family and sexual violence in Tasmania: A primary care learning initiative including Pathways to Safety workshops and collaborative learning opportunities.

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 will include both online and face-to-face education, offered for free to clinical and non-clinical primary care providers. The first of three online education courses, Identifying and Responding to Domestic and Family Violence, is now available to access. Grounded in lived experience and long-standing research, it promotes trauma and violence-informed care and a systems-based approach to supporting victim-survivors. Click here to read more about the module below, including how to enrol. 

GPs are a crucial entry point to support for many victim-survivors. This education aims to strengthen the primary care response by: 

  • supporting early identification and intervention for family and sexual violence and child sexual abuse 
  • enhancing health system navigation and warm referral pathways 
  • integrating general practices with Tasmania’s specialist family and sexual violence services. 

Strengthening the response to family and sexual violence in Tasmania will consist of three online modules and face-to-face workshops, delivered as part of a whole-of-practice approach to build confidence and capability across all staff. The content has been tailored specifically for Tasmania through close collaboration between Primary Health Tasmania and the Safer Families Centre.

Pathways to Safety: Express your interest in upcoming face-to-face education here.

For more information, please refer to our frequently asked questions document here.

Click here to sign up for the eLearning module.

Pathways to safety training video

Strengthening the response to family and sexual violence in Tasmania: A primary care learning initiative including Pathways to Safety workshops and collaborative learning opportunities

eLearning module

Identifying and responding to domestic and family violence eLearning module 

Designed for GPs and other primary care providers, the Identifying and Responding to Domestic and Family Violence eLearning module is also relevant for practice managers, reception and administrative staff. The module will enhance your understanding of what can be achieved in the primary care setting to better respond to the needs of patients experiencing family violence. It will assist you in providing a first-line response to patients experiencing family violence, including how to sensitively enquire, assess the level of risk and safety, and understand options for support and referrals.  

Learning Outcomes 

By the end of this module, you should be able to: 

  1. Discuss the nature, prevalence, and impact of domestic and family violence. 
  2. Enquire sensitively to a diverse range of patients about domestic and family violence. 
  3. Assess the level of risk and safety of patients experiencing domestic and family violence. 
  4. Provide a first-line response addressing the needs of patients, including brief safety planning and options for support and referrals. 
  5. Distinguish methods and resources for changing the environment you work in and getting support for yourself. 

Please read the instructions below before clicking on the button.  

How to enrol: 

  • clicking the Enrol button will take you to an order and enrolment form (you will not be charged)
  • once you complete the forms and check out of your shopping cart, you will receive two confirmation emails from the University of Melbourne (your University of Melbourne order confirmation and invoice for your University of Melbourne order). These emails can be ignored.  
  • to access the eLearning module please wait for a Welcome to the learning portal email from mobile-learning@unimelb.edu.au and then click the Access here button
  • please check your junk mail if you do not receive your Welcome email within 15 minutes
  • once activated, you can access the module at any time you wish. Please bookmark the learning portal link: https://mlu-portal.mdhs.unimelb.edu.au so you can return to the course whenever required using the login and password provided to you upon enrolment 
  • Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine CPD hours for GPs are administered once you have completed the module and answered all the mandatory assessment questions. You can then make a request for a Completion Certificate. 

If you have any issues enrolling, please contact mobile-learning@unimelb.edu.au. 

Enrol today by clicking here.

Resources

Helpful links