What happens next?

In most cases, the person living with family violence has to speak up about it with someone they can trust before things can change. By speaking up, the people you rely on for help may be able to get the violent person to understand the impact their actions are having on others.

Here are some of the things that may happen when someone speaks up about family violence.

Working it out

The family may work out their own way of solving conflicts, recognizing that violence is hurting their family.

Counselling

Counselling may be recommended to help individual and family members understand each other better and learn how to treat each other with respect.

• Individual members of the family may see a counsellor to discuss the issues and problems leading to the violence and how they can be addressed; or
• A counsellor may meet with the family to discuss the sources of tension and how all members of the family can live together without violence.

Living apart

In situations where someone cannot change, it may be that families can’t continue to live together in the same home. Your parents may need to move apart.

Emergency shelters and transition homes

Emergency shelters or transition homes may be available for a parent and their children for short-term help to escape family violence.

Child protection

When the abuse is serious, child protection workers may get involved to make sure you are safe.

Police help

In dangerous situations, the police may get involved and might ask someone to leave the home. In really bad situations, they may arrest the person and the person may have to go to court because of the things they did.

What actually happens depends on how serious the situation is. Whatever happens, it’s always better to live safely in a violence-free home.