Family violence has continued to rise in recent years, with data from the Crime Statistics Agency showing an increase of 1.8 percent in Victoria, Australia over the past year to September 2023.
MELBOURNE, 13 February : No day passes when one hears about rising ‘family violence’ and how it happens in many ways. It is a curse on society and despite massive programs and efforts it continues to rise. A disturbing scenario, no doubt. The role of media to expose coercive control and gaslighting is a crusade that continues.
New information technologies can and are effective making the community aware of this desperate situation. To take it further the Crime Stoppers, Victoria has launched a powerful new podcast, ‘Coercive control and the changing face of family violence’.
Featuring Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Family Violence Command, Lauren Callaway, the podcast explores different forms of family violence in a bid to help people understand the dangers of coercive control and gaslighting.
It can often present in may different forms such as, “Controlling the household finances, determining every aspect of a victim’s life from what they can wear, to where they can work or whether they can work, what meals are to be served and who they can see,” she said.
“Not one of those things would be described as traditional physical family violence, but together they create a pattern that undermines a person’s ability to feel confident about themself.”
During the podcast, he explains the difficulties of walking away from such relationships and how technology is being used by perpetrators to ensure they can continue controlling their partners no matter where they are.
“We’re starting to see trends of perpetrators being a little bit more subtle, a little bit more abusive in the background, through the use of technology-facilitated abuse or surveillance techniques,” she said.
“That includes the installation of software on a victim survivor’s phone or devices, accessing information that they have stored on their phone or programs that they use, stalking behaviours or the ability to track from afar.
“Whatever way that the perpetrator can show the victim survivor that you may have left me, but I can still get a message to you or have some influence over your life, they will do it.”
Crime Stoppers Victoria Chief Executive Stella Smith said the podcast was an important step towards educating the community on the complex nature of coercive control.
“It is important for everyone to learn more about the signs of this often-misunderstood form of family violence,” she said.
To listen to ‘Coercive control and the changing face of family violence’, search for Crime Stoppers Victoria on your favourite podcast app, or visit https://play.acast.com/s/crime-stoppers-vic
If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, you can call 1800 737 732 or visit 1800respect.org.au for support.
Alternatively, you can call Safe Steps on 1800 015 188 or visit safesteps.org.au.
Always call Triple Zero in an emergency.
Source- Crime Stoppers, Victoria media release (13 February, 2024) has also been used in the report.
