It has been estimated that domestic and family violence affects approximately one quarter of the world's women. Statistics indicate that domestic violence (in contrast to stranger violence) is most likely to be committed by men against women, however, it is also known that men can experience domestic and family violence against them. In either case, domestic and family violence has devastating consequences for all involved, including men, women, children and the community at large.
Domestic and family violence is an abuse of power in an intimate relationship. It is present across all cultures and other demographic distributions. Some laws and traditional lore in some cultures or countries, or the interpretation of them, allow directly or indirectly, the suppression of women’s lives, or the abuse of power to oppress a section of society. This does not make this practice acceptable; the experience of abuse harms and causes suffering to the victim of the violence. Use of violence of any form is a breach of human rights. (Immigrant Womens Support Service, Myths and Facts www.iwss.org.au)
