General News
10 June, 2024
Not all abuse scars are physical
As the faces of family violence change, so too does the definition, and police say it is important to note that domestic violence is more than skin deep.
Victoria Police Western Region Division Four family violence training officer Senior Sergeant Simone Field said, historically, police would look at broken bones, doctors' reports, photographed bruises, cuts and property damage for evidence of criminal assault or damage.
However, that is no longer the case.
“Certainly, in the last five years particularly, all the emphasis has been on emotional harm and behaviours that are controlling,” Sen Sgt Field said.
“Coercive control - that word is relatively new to this space, even for the services - and elder abuse, emotional abuse and financial abuse; all of those themes are equally as important as physical evidence and we are training police in understanding how damaging they can be.
“We are turning our minds to stalking being the criminal offence - for ongoing emotional abuse and coercive control behaviours.
“If we have behaviours that are controlling and we have emotional harm, we are looking for stalking. We are looking in the background for those other criminal offences to hold the perpetrator accountable for.”
Sen Sgt Field said emotional harm extended to a child witnessing an argument between their parents, coming home after school to see the house messed up or seeing their mum crying hours later in the shower.
“We know the impacts of emotional harm, and that harm is being classed as family violence,” she said.