Aboriginal Domestic Violence

As it has been said by Hippocrates, “to seek to ease pain is natural”, yet the question still remains as to why we as a society inflict pain upon one another? (Silverburg, 1996, p. 16) The systematic and societal build-up of violence is a controversial issue as there are many dimensions through which it can be seen. Whether it is emotional, psychological, or physical abuse – the question of “why” still remains unanswered, as do many of the questions that are asked by the Aboriginal communities. The World Report on Violence and Health defines violence as: "the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting

Family violence in Indigenous communities is linked with the Domestic violence policy (Parliament of Australia, 2011). The Current definition used by the Australia government to guide domestic violence policies. Is that domestic violence “refers to acts of violence that occur between people who have, or have had, an intimate relationship” (Chung & Wendt, 2015, p.202). In addition the policy states that violence in a family relationship to be between two people related by blood or marriage. (Department of communities Child Safety and Disability Services, 2012). Thus family violence must have a separate policy to be able to address the accurate impacts of the problem in Indigenous Communities (Larsen & Peterson, 2010).

Women and children are amongst the most vulnerable population who are victims of physical and sexual violence due to lack of resources and adequate community support. Even though, aboriginal health plan includes long-term investments in prevention, promotion and health services, and better access to culturally appropriate health human resources, as well as mental wellness, but still there are

Domestic violence is present across America, but the role it has taken in the lives of Native American women is most troubling as it can be harder to track. Tribal sovereignty can at times act as a shield for violence. The independent nature of tribes as nations can impede systems established to prevent reoccurring actions of violence within a society. However, as domestic violence is largely a result of societal systems, it is easiest and most thoroughly examined through narratives.

Witnesses raised concerns of the non-response of police services to cases of violence against Aboriginal women. In domestic violence situations, police do not always respond in a timely manner to calls for assistance. Witnesses also stated that police sometimes dismiss claims of sexual assault if the woman is Aboriginal and leads a “high-risk” lifestyle.

What used to be a private issue has significantly reformed to be punishable by law highlighting society’s changing values. The main victims of domestic violence are usually women and children who are subjected to extreme abuse by the spouse. The Family Law Act 1975(Cth) established the Family court which attempted to address issues of domestic violence. However, the imposition of this legislation has reflected societal concerns where the law does not effectively deal with domestic violence as cases are continually unreported. Also, police are not adequately investigating the issue. For example, in the case of Swan, Wayne v D.P.P (2008) an indigenous woman was reluctant in reporting abuse until she was caught wandering the streets, heavily affected by alcohol. Due to cultural barriers, indigenous woman are compelled endure intense abuse in the household. The enactment of Crimes Amendment (Apprehended Violence) Act 1999(NSW) made it mandatory for police to investigate breaches of apprehended domestic violence orders (ADVOs) and arrest perpetrators if necessary. Greater use of ADVOs and investigation has reduced the amount of verbal abuse, physical violence and harassments. However, the case of Jean Majdalawi (1996) forced legislations to take further actions as the victim was shot in the head by her husband outside Parramatta Family Court even though an ADVO had been filed against him. Consequently, the event

This is a result of having fused with mainstream culture from their smaller villages there has been a bad transition, which has led to a massive amount of frustration among natives, "strong feeling of disenfranchisement, which manifests itself as violence amongst men and against women." (Robinson, 3). A lack of education for both the indigenous and the other citizens of Canada lead to uneducated assumptions about the aboriginals. There is also an issue with lack of enforcement by Canadian police. The police will often delay responses domestic violence calls or ignore completely, "Most societies prohibit such violence- yet the reality is that too often, it is covered up or tactically condoned."(“The Facts on Violence against Women”, 2). The transition of indigenous people has been poorly planned and executed which has led to frustrations among everyone that has come out in the form of violence. Another big part is that the citizens of Canada see them as foreign and people who should be treated differently along with the indigenous people not getting proper educations that lead to limited opportunities and lower standings in the government and social lives. The last part of why this dilemma persists is that the Canadian police force hasn’t enforced domestic abuse laws, not responded to calls, and let abusers off the hook for severe crimes. Generally, an incomplete transition by the Canadian government and a lack

Out of the shadows and into the limelight, the once hidden crime of domestic violence has recently emerged within the Australian community as a widespread criminal issue. This abuse of power occurs in a relationship when one partner attempts to physically or psychologically dominate and control the other. Inflicting physical harm upon another human being is undoubtedly a breach of the criminal law, yet the Australian legal system takes little measures to protect the wider community from this type of violence. According to Family Lawyer Richard Ingleby, domestic violence has often been condoned by the legal system due to the fact that assaults occur in the ‘private’ realm of the home where legal measures are regarded as inappropriate, and interventionist. However, by overlooking domestic violence as a criminal offence, does the Australian legal system fail to adequately protect the family unit from this form of violence? Recent studies from the Australian Bureau of Statics have revealed that 23% of women who have ever been married or engaged in a de facto relationship have experienced violence by a partner at some time during the relationship. Due to the secrecy that once surrounded this kind of abuse, victims often feel unable to speak out and seek help, therefore even large surveys cannot provide accurate estimates of the extend of domestic violence within the Australia community (Domestic Violence and Incest Resource Centre, 1998). Despite the high incidence rate of

Gender violence may be seen as a practice which maintains the patriarchal dividend, and that violence is also a product of the dividend (Flood et al. 2007). According to Connell (2005) structural inequality which creates the dividend involves the use of violence in order to enforce dominance, and the forms of gender violence include harassment, assault, rape and intimate partner violence. In Australia, approximately one in five women have experienced sexual violence, and one in three women have experienced violence from an intimate partner (Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission 2008). This indicates that gender violence is prevalent in Australia, so the dividend has a significant impact on this aspect of gender relations. It has been established that women may be disadvantaged by the patriarchal dividend in terms of employment, the wage gap and gender roles, which are issues that are relevant to women’s economic status, and also violence. Economic status is an important factor in domestic, family and sexual violence, with economically disadvantaged women being more at risk of violence, and vulnerable to remaining in abusive relationships (Phillips and Vandenbroek 2014). As well as socioeconomic status, other social factors are important, like disability, age, and race, for example Indigenous women experience higher rates of violence than non-Indigenous women (Phillips and Vandenbroek 2014). This illustrates the idea that the consequences of the patriarchal dividend can have a different impact depending on other relevant social factors. In summary, Australian gender relations are significantly affected by the patriarchal dividend with regards to gender violence, as it appears to be a prevalent phenomenon today, as well, this impact does not affect all groups of people in the same

In the article “Domestic violence against indigenous women is everybody’s problem” domestic violence is depicted as a serious social problem that involves “unspeakable acts of violence” that leaves victims experiencing fear and despair (Taylor 2014). More specifically, the social construction of domestic violence will be discussed with an emphasis on Aboriginal women and a typology of intimate partner violence. The social construction of domestic violence has serious implications for victims of domestic abuse because there is a failure to address the processes that perpetuate the violence. Instead, domestic violence is addressed through the illusion of social support. What is evident is that domestic violence is a social problem that requires comprehensive services, particularly for indigenous women, to address the complexity of the interaction between the individual’s social location and the causes that lead to the violence.

Women no matter where they are in the world are too often victims of violence. They face higher rates than men both if it is sexual assault, stalking, or severe spousal abuse and usually the results are that women will end up extremely injured or dead. With young women suffering the highest rates of violence, Aboriginal women in particular face an increased risk of violence compared to non-Aboriginal women. Aboriginal women in Canada are three times more likely to experience crucial and severe violence compared to non-Aboriginal women. Most of these women end up missing and murdered. The predicaments of missing and murdered Aboriginal women has brought tremendous pain and suffering in homes, in families and throughout Aboriginal communities. Many sources and factors have contributed to hindering solving this issue. Media and discrimination have long been known to have played a huge role in this tragedy.

Domestic violence is an issue that is impacting the indigenous Australian population (Korff, J. 2015).This should be concerning to Australians so that they may help reduce fatal deaths by domestic violence (Korff, J. 2015).

Using an empirical approach, Douglas Brownridge conducted a large-scale sample experiment between Canadian women, focusing on the significance in increase of violence with Aboriginal Women based on many variables. Violence against Aboriginal women increased at all levels of severity, and are more likely to be ongoing than other non-Aboriginal relationships.

Domestic Violence is a major issue in Australia right now and many believe that there are not enough resources to help domestic violence victims. 25% of women report being affected by domestic violence in their lifetimes and yet there is still not much being done. One of the main reasons women stays in the home where they are experiencing domestic abuse is because they do not feel safe leaving their home. Domestic violence victims are being turned away from refuges and being sent to motels and caravan parks, the refuges instead take in homeless people.

Domestic violence is a growing concern in Australia. Police handled more than 3,000 domestic violence matters in just one suburb of Brisbane in the past 12 months and for the whole of Queensland, handled another 25,000 matters.