Domestic and family violence is intentional and systematic and often increases in frequency and severity the longer the relationship continues. In Australia, domestic and family violence “is found across all cultures, ages and socio-economic groups, but the majority of those who experience these forms of violence are women. However, it is not possible to measure the true extent of the problem as most incidents of domestic, family and sexual violence go unreported.” (Parliament of Australia, 2015).

The World Health Organization (WHO) describes the levels of violence experienced by the world’s women as ‘a global public health problem of epidemic proportions, requiring urgent action’. “In Australia, domestic, family and sexual violence is found across all cultures, ages and socio-economic groups, but the majority of those who experience …show more content…
The immediate health impacts of domestic violence can include: cuts, scrapes, bruises, fractures, dislocated bones, hearing loss, vision loss, miscarriage or early delivery, sexually transmitted diseases, knife wounds, gunshot wounds and homicide. Although psychological abuse is often considered less severe than physical violence, health care providers and advocates around the world are increasingly recognizing that all forms of domestic violence can have devastating physical and emotional health effects (The Advocates for Human Rights, 2013). Domestic violence is associated with mental health problems such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression (The Advocates for Human Rights, 2013). Longer term health impacts of domestic violence can include: stress, headaches, back pain, fainting, seizures, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, sleep disturbances, alcohol and substance misuse, homelessness, suicide,