Family and Sexual Violence
Family and sexual violence can impact young people in their homes and in their own relationships.
In Tasmania, family violence is when a person makes their husband or wife, partner or ex-partner feel unsafe or scared.
They do this by hurting, frightening, controlling, bullying, intimidating or threatening them.
Family violence is a crime under the Family Violence Act 2004 (Tas).
If a person is physically, sexually, emotionally, psychologically or economically abusive, threatening or controlling, that is family violence.
In Australia, family violence is most commonly a man being violent towards his wife, partner, ex-wife or ex-partner.
Recognising family violence
Examples of family violence include:
- Hitting, kicking, slapping, pinching, punching or pushing
- Smashing, breaking or throwing things
- Yelling, threatening, insulting, saying mean and degrading things
- Hurting family pets
- Forcing the person experiencing violence to do things they don't want to do
- Making them feel scared to talk to their family and friends
- Not letting them have a job or leave the house
- Controlling the family's money and making all the decisions
- Harassing, stalking, following and spying
- Checking phones, email or social media
- Forcing them to have sex when they don't want to
If violence is happening in your home, there are lots of ways you can get help. You are not alone.
Family violence is never OK. Family violence is not your fault.
You have the right to feel safe at home.
IN AN EMERGENCY, ALWAYS CALL TRIPLE ZERO (000)
It's NOT OK to feel scared at home. If violence is happening in your home, there are lots of ways you can get help. You are not alone.
Danger
If you or someone else is in danger and you don't feel safe, call Triple Zero (000)
Scared
If you are safe, but feel scared, talking to someone can help.
Talk to someone you know and trust
- Talk to an adult you trust about what is happening and how you are feeling. It could be a parent, family member, teacher, neighbour, a friend’s parent or a coach.
- You might worry about what to say or feel really scared about it. The important thing is that you tell someone even if it's hard to do.
- If the person you tell doesn't help you, then tell somebody else. Don't give up!
Get Help
- If you can’t think of someone to talk to or if it’s easier to talk to someone you don’t know, you can. Services are available to help you and your family.
Name | Service | Contact |
---|---|---|
Kids Helpline NATIONAL | Free, private and confidential phone and online counselling service for children and young people aged 5 years to 25 years. You can contact them at anytime for any reason. Available 24 hours | Call 1800 551 800 |
1800RESPECT NATIONAL | Sexual assault, domestic, family violence counselling service. Counselling and support available by telephone or online chat. Available 24 hours | Call 1800 737 732 |
Family Violence Counselling and Support Service STATEWIDE | Counselling and support service for children, young people and adults affected by family violence. Monday to Friday, 9am - midnight | Call 1800 608 122 |
Australian Childhood Foundation STATEWIDE | Statewide counselling and support service for children and young people aged 17 years or younger Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm | Call 1300 381 581 |
In Tasmania, under the Family Violence Act (2004), family violence can occur in relationships between two adults or between two people where one or both are aged 16 to 18 years.
Everyone has the right to be respected in their relationships. That means:
- You feel safe around each other
- Its OK to have and express different ideas and opinions
- You can both be yourselves
- You have open and honest conversations, including about wants and needs
- Neither of your are controlling the other person's choices
- You allow space for each other when its needed
- You both can admit when you've made mistakes
For more information about respectful and equal relationships, visit www.theline.org.au
If you are worried about behaviour in your relationship, seek advice, help and support from an adult you know and trust or contact a support service.
There is lots of information and support available online for young people.
Name | Purpose | Address |
---|---|---|
The Line | Website to help young people negotiate health, respectful and consensual relationships. | www.theline.org.au |
Girls Gotta Know | Website for young women including legal information and information about relationships. | girlsgottaknow.com.au |
Guys Gotta Know | Website for young men including legal information and information about relationships. | |
Love Good Bad Ugly | A range of advice and stories about dating and meeting people, romance and sex and warning signs and abuse in relationships. | lovegoodbadugly.com |
Kids Helpline | National support line for people aged under 25. You can contact them anytime for any reason. Online chat available. | kidshelpline.com.au |
headspace | National youth mental health service. Online chat available. | headspace.org.au |
QLife | QLife provides anonymous and free LGBTI peer support and referral for people in Australia wanting to talk about sexuality, identity, gender, bodies, feelings or relationships. | qlife.org.au |
1800RESPECT | National sexual assault, domestic family violence counselling service. Online chat available. | www.1800respect.org.au |
Sexual violence is behaviour of a sexual nature directed towards a person that makes them feel uncomfortable, distressed or threatened and to which they have not consented.
Sexual violence includes a wide range of unwanted, non-consensual, traumatic and harmful sexual behaviours, including:
- sexual harassment
- technology-facilitated abuse (EG; sharing nude photos without consent)
- unwanted kissing
- sexual touching
- coercion
- sexual assault including rape
- child sexual abuse
Sexual assault is a crime.
Any sexual contact without consent is sexual assault.
Consent is an agreement between two or more people to engage in a sexual activity together.
Consent is:
- Mutual
- Freely given
- Informed
- Certain and Clear
- Specific
- Ongoing
- Reversible
Just because someone doesn’t say 'no', it doesn't mean they are saying 'yes'. Silence does not equal consent.
A person affected by drugs or alcohol cannot give consent.
A person who is asleep or unconscious cannot consent
A person who is pressured or intimidated into having sex has not given consent
- Everyone is responsible for making sure the other person is comfortable and okay with what is happening.
Am I Old Enough To Give My Consent?
The states and territories have different laws about whether a young person is old enough to give consent.
In Tasmania:
- If you're under 12 years old, a person can’t have sex with you, touch you sexually or perform a sexual act in front of you, even if you consent (agree).
- If you're between 12 and 15 years old, a person can’t have sex with you, touch you sexually or perform a sexual act in front of you if they are more than three years older than you, even if you consent (agree).
- If you're 15 years or older, a person can’t have sex with you, touch you sexually or perform a sexual act in front of you, if they are more than five years older than you, even if you consent (agree).
- If you're 17 years or older, you can consent (agree) to have sex with anyone else 17 years or older.
Remember that any sexual contact without consent is sexual assault.
If you have been sexually assaulted, help and support is available. Talk to an adult you trust or contact a support service.
Talking about what has happened can be really hard but finding a safe adult to talk to can really help.
IN AN EMERGENCY, ALWAYS CALL TRIPLE ZERO (000)
Name | Service | Contact |
---|---|---|
Statewide Sexual Assault Crisis Service (1800MYSUPPORT) | Crisis support service for recent sexual assaults. Available 24 hours | Call 1800 697 877 |
Sexual Assault Support Service | Counselling and support service for people of all ages who have been affected by any form of sexual violence. Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm 1800MYSUPPORT available 24 hours | Call 03 6231 1811 1800 697 877 |
Laurel House | Sexual assault service assisting victim-survivors, their families and support people. Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm 1800MYSUPPORT available 24 hours | Call 03 6334 2740 1800 697 877 |
Laurel House (NORTH WEST) | Sexual assault service assisting victim-survivors, their families and support people. 1800MYSUPPORT available 24 hours | Call 03 6431 9711
|
1800RESPECT (NATIONAL) | National sexual assault, domestic, family violence counselling service. Counselling and support available by telephone or online chat. Available 24 hours | Call 1800 737 732 |
Kids Helpline (NATIONAL) | Free, private and confidential phone and online counselling service for children and young people aged 5 years to 25 years. Kids Helpline counsellors will listen and help you figure out what to do. Available 24 hours | Call 1800 551 800 |
Strong Families, Safe Kids Advice and Referral Line (STATEWIDE) | Provide information, advice and assistance for anyone with a concern about the safety and wellbeing of a child. Children and young people can call to ask for help. Monday to Friday, 8:30am – 5pm | Call 1800 000 123 |
Technology-facilitated abuse include a range of behaviours where technology is used to control, abuse, harass, punish, bully, stalk, impersonate, scare, threaten, coerce and/or exploit a victim-survivor.
Examples include installing spyware on devices; sexting; monitoring; remotely accessing personal devices such as mobile phones or computers; sending threatening and abusive texts or emails; and image-based abuse.
Seeking help
For more information on how to stay safe online visit www.esafety.gov.au/young-people
Image-based abuse occurs when intimate, nude or sexual images are distributed, or threatened to be distributed or shared, without the consent of those pictured. This includes real, altered and drawn pictures and videos.
Image-based abuse may also be referred to as ‘revenge porn’, ‘non-consensual sharing of intimate images’, or ‘intimate image abuse’.
Seeking help
Image-based abuse can be reported to the eSafety Commissioner, who can help get the material removed as quickly as possible and also take action against the person who posted, or threatened to post, an intimate image without consent. Visit www.esafety.gov.au/report/image-based-abuse to report abuse.
Sexual harassment is any unwanted or unwelcome sexual behaviour where a reasonable person would have anticipated the possibility that the person harassed would feel offended, humiliated or intimidated.
Sexual harassment is against the law if it happens different areas of your life, such as if while you're working or while you're at school.
If you have experienced, or are experiencing sexual harassment, talk to an adult you can trust or a specialist sexual violence support service.
Equal Opportunity Tasmania can provide more information or assist you to make a complaint.
Visit equalopportunity.tas.gov.au or call 1300 305 062.
Child Abuse is a crime.
Child abuse includes neglect, physical abuse, psychological harm, sexual abuse and family violence.
You have the right to be safe and cared for.
If someone is hurting you, you are not to blame!
You might feel scared and confused. You might think its a secret you can't tell anyone.
You want it to stop but don't know how. You might feel alone.
Getting hurt, touched or made to do things you don't like is NOT OK!
Getting Help
It can be hard telling someone about what's going on. You might worry you won't be believed.
Its OK to feel uncomfortable or worried about telling someone. The important thing is that you tell someone even if it's hard to do.
Danger
If you or someone else is in danger and you don't feel safe, call the police on Triple Zero (000)
Scared
If you are safe, but feel scared, talking to someone can help.
Talk to someone you know and trust
- Talk to an adult you trust about what is happening and how you are feeling.
- You might worry about what to say or feel really scared about it. The important thing is that you tell someone even if it's hard to do.
- If the person you tell doesn't help you, then tell somebody else. Don't give up!
Get Help
- If you can’t think of someone to talk to or if it’s easier to talk to someone you don’t know, you can. Services are available to help children and young people.
Name | Service | Contact |
---|---|---|
Kids Helpline NATIONAL | National free, private and confidential phone and online counselling service for children and young people aged 5 years to 25 years. Available 24 hours | Call 1800 551 800 |
Strong Families, Safe Kids Advice and Referral Line STATEWIDE | The Strong Families, Safe Kids Advice and Referral Line provides information, advice and assistance. It is available for everyone with a concern about the safety and wellbeing of a child or young person. Children and young people can also call to ask for help for themselves. Monday to Friday, 8:30am – 5pm | Call 1800 000 123 www.strongfamiliessafekids.tas.gov.au/ |
Family Violence Counselling and Support Service STATEWIDE | Statewide counselling and support service for children, young people and adults affected by family violence. Monday to Friday, 9am - midnight Weekends and public holidays: 4pm - midnight | Call 1800 608 122 |
Australian Childhood Foundation STATEWIDE | The Australian Childhood Foundation provides counselling to children and young people aged 17 years or younger who have been affected by family violence. Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm | Call 1300 381 581 www.childhood.org.au |
Statewide Sexual Assault Crisis Service (1800MYSUPPORT) | Crisis support service for recent sexual assaults. Available 24 hours | Call 1800 697 877 |
Sexual Assault Support Service | Counselling and support service for people of all ages who have been affected by any form of sexual violence. Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm 1800MYSUPPORT available 24 hours | Call 03 6231 1811 1800 697 877 |
Laurel House | Sexual assault service assisting victim-survivors, their families and support people. Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm 1800MYSUPPORT available 24 hours | Call 03 6334 2740 1800 697 877 |
Laurel House (NORTH WEST) | Sexual assault service assisting victim-survivors, their families and support people. 1800MYSUPPORT available 24 hours | Call 03 6431 9711
|
1800RESPECT (NATIONAL) | National sexual assault, domestic, family violence counselling service. Counselling and support available by telephone or online chat. Available 24 hours | Call 1800 737 732 |