Family & Domestic Violence

The Greens (WA) are committed to eliminating family and domestic violence. Family and Domestic Violence is a significant cause of death, trauma, injury and distress in our community, and is the main cause of homelessness for women and children. Family and Domestic Violence, which may be physical or psychological, typically stems from a desire to exercise power and/or control over another. Overwhelmingly, women are the targets of family and domestic violence, with men overwhelmingly to be the perpetrators, particularly of fatal Family and Domestic Violence.

Aims

The Greens (WA) want:

  • a community where everyone can live free from harassment, fear, violence and abuse in families and intimate relationships
  • an end to community attitudes that tolerate family and domestic violence, abuse, and precursor behaviours
  • the social and economic determinants of gender inequality that contribute to and cause family and domestic violence addressed
  • evidence-based prevention, early intervention and rehabilitation responses and support services
  • effective measures to eliminate coercive control1

Measures

The Greens (WA) will initiate and support legislation and actions that:

  • provide primary prevention and early intervention programs to facilitate understanding of family and domestic violence  that are culturally responsive, inclusive, accessible and safe. These should include, but are not limited to:
    • targeted, public education campaigns and programs that seek to address gender inequality, social determinants, coercive control, and other contributing factors to family and domestic violence
    • education programs in primary, secondary and tertiary educational institutions (see also The Greens (WA) Education policy)
    • funded school staff for children to seek support in dealing with situations of family and domestic violence
    • workplace resources to address Family and Domestic Violence and its impact on employees, and appropriate workplace responses for victim-survivors and perpetrators
  • adequately fund support groups, counselling and psychological services for anyone affected by family and domestic violence, including children and extended family (see also The Greens (WA) Mental Health policy)
  • adequately fund non-government and government services for victim-survivors, including refuges, legal, advocacy and counselling services and long-term housing that are gender, age, disability and culturally and language appropriate
  • provide appropriate resources to facilitate the presence of trained, rapid-response domestic violence specialists within WA Police, child protection and other relevant systems
  • adequately fund judicial outcomes, behaviour change programs and other evidence-based interventions for perpetrators of domestic violence (see also The Greens (WA) Justice policy)
  • adequately fund and support programs that immediately remove perpetrators of family and domestic violence from the family home and/or allow victims and children to remain safely in the home
  • ensure that these services are available to people living in regional, rural and remote areas of Western Australia (see also The Greens (WA) Regions policy)
  • ensure that these services, program, and campaigns are evidence-based and co-designed
  • provide effective, coordinated interagency responses to family and domestic violence
  • ensure that those working in the criminal justice and family court system, particularly magistrates and judges, have adequate knowledge to identify situations of family and domestic violence and make decisions that focus on safety
  • use evidence-based research and co-designed interventions and programs to address family and domestic violence, including in the delivery of training to staff and professionals
  • support an entitlement of family and domestic violence leave (see also The Greens (WA) Workplace Relations policy)
  • amend current legislation to address perpetrators of coercive control and to provide support for victim-survivors
  • amend the Restraining Order Act 1997 to include coercive control
  • include a definition of coercive control within the Criminal Code

Glossary

  1. Coercive control within family and domestic violence is a pattern of coercive behaviour enacted through assault, threats, humiliation, intimidation and other forms of abuse. It is used to exploit, control, isolate or degrade another person. This pattern of domination controls a person through social, cultural, medical and/or economic dependency. The affected person's everyday choices are manipulated by the abuser, and their ability to act and achieve their human potential is limited and controlled.

The Greens (WA) Family & Domestic Violence policy ratified in 2024