Recognising National Reconciliation Week 2025
In recognition of National Reconciliation Week, Mates4Mates is sharing the story of Aboriginal artist, Ma’sud Ghungarie Sanders who recently created a beautiful piece of artwork for their Head Office.
Domestic and family violence during the COVID 19 crisis
29 April 2020
Research shows that family and domestic violence increases during challenging times and the current requirements for self-isolation and quarantine may significantly increase risk for those who are currently living in domestic and family violence relationships.
Home is not a safe place for everyone, and the current situation may increase the risk of controlling and abusive behaviours. Behaviour that you may notice during this time may include:
- Withholding of essential supplies, such as medication or hand sanitiser
- Using the pandemic as a reason to increase control over travel, activities or finances
- Increase in blaming you for children’s behaviour if they are anxious or upset
- Increased monitoring of personal communications, phone and online interactions
- Using COVID-19 as a reason for increased abusive and violent behaviour
- Using COVID-19 as an excuse to reconcile or re-enter relationships and live in your home
- Breaching family violence intervention orders.
The perpetrator of these acts is always responsible, you or your children are never responsible for their behaviour.
Having a safety plan is an essential part of protecting yourself and your children and is a personalised practical plan that safeguards you and your children throughout a domestic and family violence situation.
Steps that you can take to increase safety during a family violence crisis include:
- If you sense trouble or an argument brewing move to a lower risk space, where there are less items that can be used as weapons and where you can be seen or heard from outside the house
- Try and stay in rooms that are less dangerous, for example the bedroom rather than the kitchen
- Teach the children to dial 000 and to know their address. Consistent with their age, where possible teach them to leave the house if trouble starts.
- Have code words that the children know are an instruction to leave the house and get help if necessary
- Create signals (lights on in certain rooms or phrases in phone messages) with family and friends that tell them that you might need help
- Plan to leave quickly and rehearse doing this at night and in the dark. Have essential items packed where you can easily access them – cash, credit cards, car keys
- Do whatever you need to do to gain the time/space to defuse the situation and/or get to safety
- Continue to practise social distancing and good hygiene practices, washing hands frequently and not touching your face
- Be aware that travel restrictions during the COVID-19 may impact on travel plans and try and keep up to date with ongoing changes so that you can amend your plan if necessary
- Think of essential services that you may continue to contact during restrictions (childcare, GP, schools, supermarkets) and use them as part of your safety plan
- Try and keep the plan flexible so that it can be changed at short notice if necessary.
There are a number of national and regional helplines that can assist with advice and support and these can be found below:
National Support
1800Respect 1800 737 732
Lifeline 13 11 14
Men’s Referral Service 1300 766 491
Mensline Australia 1300 789 978
Kids Helpline 1800 551 800
Relationships Australia 1300 364 277
Aboriginal Family Domestic Violence Hotline 1800 019 123
Australian Childhood Foundation 1800 176 453
Queensland
DV Connect Womensline 1800 811 811
DV Connect Mensline 1800 600 636
Victim Assist Qld 1300 546 587
Sexual Assault Help Line 1800 010 120
Legal Aid QLD 1300 651 188
Queensland Domestic Violence Support Services
Counselling advice and support for women experiencing domestic and family violence
Brisbane: 07 3217 2544
Cairns: 07 4033 6100
Caboolture: 07 5498 9533
Emerald: 1300 523 985
Gold Coast: 07 5532 9000
Mackay: 07 4957 3888
Ipswich: 07 3816 3000
Ipswich Rural free call: 0800 026 262
Roma: 07 4622 5230
Logan City: 07 3808 5566
Toowoomba: 07 4639 3605
Sunshine Coast: 07 5430 9300
Townsville: 07 4721 2888
NSW
NSW Domestic Violence Line 1800 656 463
NSW Rape Crisis Centre 1800 424 017
Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service NSW Inc 1800 938 227
Legal Aid NSW 1300 888 529
Staying Home Leaving Violence 1800 656 463
Victoria
Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre 1800 015 188
Sexual Assault Crisis Line 1800 806 292
Victoria Legal Aid 1300 792 387
ACT
Domestic Violence Crisis service 02 6280 0900
Canberra Rape Crisis Centre (CRCC) 02 6247 2525
Everyman Australia (Formerly Canberra Men’s Centre) 02 6230 6999
Legal Aid ATC 1300 654 314
South Australia
Women’s Safety Services SA 1800 800 098
Yarrow Place Sexual Assault Service 1800 817 421 (outside Adelaide)
Legal Service Commission of South Australia 1300 366 424
Women’s Legal Service South Australia 08 8221 5553
Northern Territory
Catherine Booth House (Darwin) 08 8981 5928
Domestic Violence Crisis line 1800 019 116
Sexual Assault Referral Centre
Darwin 08 8922 6472
Katherine 08 8973 8524
Tennant Creek 08 8962 4361
Alice Springs 08 8955 4500
Northern Territory Legal Aid Commission 1800 019 343
Western Australia
Women’s Domestic Violence Helpline 1800 007 339
Crisis Care 1800 199 008
Men’s Domestic Violence Helpline 1800 000 599
Sexual Assault Resource Centre 1800 199 888
Legal Aid Western Australia 1300 650 579
Written by Clare Mitchell, Mates4Mates Psychologist
