Family violence is harmful behaviour that occurs when someone threatens or controls a family member through fear. It can include physical harm, sexual assault, social, emotional and economic abuse or pet abuse.
It may also involve:
• Unreasonably controlling a person by withholding money for reasonable living expenses where a person is dependent on them for financial support
• Threatening to harm another family member or pet in order to intimidate
• Racist taunts that inflict emotional harm
• Preventing contact with other family members or friends in order to torment the person.