About family violence and abuse in relationships
Family violence is a pattern of behaviour where one person tries to control or scare another person. It is a form of abuse that can happen in many different types of relationships.
People in culturally diverse communities can be at greater risk of experiencing some forms of family violence.
On this website you can learn more about:
- recognising violence and abuse in families and relationships
- reporting family violence to the police
- understanding the justice system in Victoria
- steps you can take to improve your safety.
Do you need help?
If anyone is in immediate danger or a crime is currently occurring, please call police on Triple Zero (000). If you cannot access a phone you can also go to your local police station.
There are good reasons to report violence and abuse, but if you are not ready to do that yet, or do not want to involve the police, you can still get help. Talking to a trusted person, like a counsellor, family member, doctor or friend can be a good first step and they can help you talk to the police or other services if you want them to.
Victims of Crime Helpline
If you would like confidential advice about the options available to you, you can contact the Victims of Crime Helpline.
Open: 8am–11pm, every day
Call: 1800 819 817
Text: 0427 767 891
Email: vsa@justice.vic.gov.au
The Victims of Crime Helpline may be able to organise a support worker who can:
- talk with you and understand your situation
- find services that can help you, even if you do not want to report the crime
- help you to talk to the police, if you want to do so
- organise medical services if you need them because of the crime
- organise counselling to deal with the effects of the crime
- explain what you can do to improve your safety and your family’s safety
- explain what you will need to do if you are a witness at court.
The Victims of Crime Helpline is interpreter friendly
To get an interpreter for someone who wants to use the helpline:
- call the Victims of Crime Helpline on 1800 819 817
- tell them the person’s name, phone number and spoken language
- the Victims of Crime Helpline will organise for an interpreter to call.
This is a free service.
When the interpreter calls, it may display as a 'private number', 'blocked' or 'no caller id' on mobile phones.
More services
You can find out more about general family violence services available in Victoria.
You can also contact the following specialist service available for culturally diverse communities in Victoria.
InTouch – Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence
A specialist family violence service that works with multicultural women, their families and their communities.
Open: 9am–5pm, Monday to Friday
Call: 1800 755 988
Website: intouch.org.au
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