Introduction
Family violence has been a significant concern for decades, and efforts to address the issue have involved many multiple environments of the public. Governments all around Australia now consider addressing the cultural causes of domestic and family violence to be a top priority. Organizations and government institutions provide various recommendations and human services in coordination with human rights and social justice to identify the best practices for minimizing the problem in Australia.
Definition of Family Violence Problem
Family violence (FV) is a discriminatory, significant public health concern. The frequency of violence varies between the sexes; for women, the most recent violent abuse was probably committed by a man they knew in their household, whereas for men, it was likely committed by a stranger in a public place (Ringin et al., 2022). FV refers to any threatening, forceful, controlling, or abusive behavior that occurs inside a family or household setting and puts the person experiencing it in constant threat (Boxall et al., 2020). FV is a persistent pattern of abusive behavior committed by one person against another, frequently utilizing a variety of tactics.
Government initiatives in Australia and other countries are recognizing and working to address the cultural elements contributing to FV. These cultural factors, which include societal behaviors and attitudes, are thought to facilitate FV exploitation by offenders and limit victims’ ability to disclose it. Research suggests that culture functions as an essential regulatory mechanism imposed on and by societies, establishing norms of socially appropriate and desirable behaviors in specific settings (Nancarrow, 2019). Governments must take reasonable and efficient steps to prevent, examine, punish, and address domestic abuse since it violates women’s human rights. Human rights considerations and domestic and international procedures can support arguments for changing policy.
Human Rights and Social Justice Application to the Issue
The government must actively assist in domestic violence prevention and response to uphold the principles of public justice. Family violence is a problem that affects more than just the victim or their family; it can potentially have detrimental effects on society as a whole. Children who experience trauma have adverse developmental effects that affect their academic performance and mental health (Kuskoff, 2021). Therefore, the government’s obligation extends beyond criminalizing family abuse and punishing criminals.
Human rights are a crucial concept for FV control due to the peculiarities of Australia’s cultural diversity. Aboriginal women are more likely to be hospitalized due to abuse by a spouse than non-Aboriginal women. Therefore, in addition to programs that support and fund groups that especially meet the requirements of victims of domestic violence, other initiatives must concentrate on reducing discrimination based on the prevalence of FV among racial and ethnic minorities. However, more agencies than solely the government must take part in the campaign against family violence.
Western Australian Policies and Acts to Protect Society
The typical legal response to FV in Australia is to get a civil domestic violence protection order (DVO). While a DVO is a legal order that aims to protect the person against harm in the future, if the respondent has violated a DVO’s terms, this could lead to criminal charges being brought against them (Heather & Fitzgerald, 2018). Retribution, rehabilitation, and community protection are among the goals of punishment. However, courts across the board have emphasized the significance of FV and the necessity to emphasize that preventing future FV is a crucial objective of punishment for offenses committed in this setting.
According to the statistics of Western Australia, FV in rural areas are higher than in urban settings. Community-led primary prevention of FV initiative, the Community Respect and Equality (CRE) Action Plan, was initiated as a response to rising rates of FV in the Mid-West region, where WA Police report violence and endangering behavior of a family member as being approximately 2.5 times higher than the state average (Ringin et al., 2022). The Safer Families, Safer Communities Kimberley Family Violence Regional Plan 2015-2020 is acknowledged by Social Reinvestment WA for its many advantages (Social Reinvestment Western Australia, 2017). In this strategy, the high percentage of domestic violence in Kimberley is mentioned, and it is noted that the limited availability of responses contributes to high levels of recidivism and undermines overall efforts to address family violence. The strategy emphasizes that societal approaches must be developed in collaboration with community leaders and organizations and that domestic abuse detection must be established in Aboriginal law and culture.
Human Services Delivery Regarding Family Violence in Australia
The Australian government presents various services to help determine and control FV and also help the victims. It includes support services for every category of people that require help, such as services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, which include Aboriginal family legal services and Aboriginal interpreting WA. There are also services for people of diverse sex, sexuality, and gender, for instance, living proud LGBTI community services of WA, etc. (Government of Western Australia, n.d.). Therefore, the government provides various emergency and human services.
Conclusion
Family violence is a severe issue in Australia, which concerns various groups of women. A movement for expanded government involvement in FV as a public issue has emerged in recent years, with a stronger emphasis on changing cultural attitudes and behaviors that lead to FV institutions providing various policies and regulations to grant protection for the victims. Additionally, human services help to address the issue most effectively through the involvement of private and communal organizations.
References
Boxall, H., Voce, I., Morgan, A., & Coughlan, M. (2020). Responding to adolescent family violence: Findings from an impact evaluation. Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, 601, 1–18. Web.
Government of Western Australia. (n.d.). Family and domestic violence services and resources. Web.
Heather, D., Fitzgerald, R. (2018). The domestic violence protection order system is as entry to the criminal justice system for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy, 7(3), 41-57.
Kuskoff, E. (2021). From aims to actions: A critical analysis of government intervention in cultural drivers of domestic and family violence. Australian Journal of Public Administration, 81(1), 111-126.
Nancarrow, H. (2019). Unintended consequences of domestic violence law. Springer Nature.
Ringin, L., Moran, M., & Thompson, S. C. (2022). Analysis of reporting of family violence reporting in print media in regional Western Australia. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 46(3), 255-261.
Social Reinvestment Western Australia. (2017). Key reform and policy targets. Resources and Publications. Web.