The Australian Defence Force released its Strategy for Preventing and Responding to Family and Domestic Violence on November 30.
The strategy is a step, and it certainly makes inroads, but it doesn’t go far enough.
Violence against families is something that, sadly, we know to be a large-scale issue, which was supported by evidence provided to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.
Unfortunately, we know from a recent survey that 46% of partners of transitioned ADF personnel, reported exposure to intimate partner violence — emotional, physical, and/or sexual. We also know that almost one in four (24%) of the intimate partners surveyed who are with someone currently serving in the ADF also reported exposure to the same intimate partner violence.
Within both of these groups, more than 90% of respondents are women.
It is often said that our military is a microcosm of the Australian population, reflecting the society that it serves while being held to a higher standard. If this study found these rates of intimate partner violence within this community, it proves we as a country need to do better.
Any number is too big a number when it comes to intimate partner violence. From our perspective, however, we are most concerned about the 70% of intimate partners of current and former serving ADF members who experienced some form of violence. Why this group specifically? Three words — the power differential.
The environment that these mostly women live in is one where the power is held by the veteran. The Defence and Veteran system by its nature creates this power differential and the lack of meaningful opportunities for civilian families to be seen, heard and properly engaged, therefore reinforcing this power dynamic.
We hear often from those civilian women who have experienced this — they tell us that they often don’t know when or how to speak up, they are worried about what raising their voices will lead to, they struggle to report, they know something isn’t right, but they simply do not know what to do about it. When they do find the courage to ask for help, they feel abandoned by the veteran system finding it isn’t forthcoming or is short-sighted.
Unfortunately, what this means is in the end they are left alone to manage the fallout and the emotional and mental health impacts this has on them, their children, and their family unit.
The strategy released by the ADF does not address this differential. It doesn’t factor in the military/civilian divide, and it doesn’t discuss how that will be addressed.
Sadly, this is often the case with policy, strategy, programs and initiatives within the Defence and Veteran sector. Why is that you say? Well very simply put it is because Defence and Veteran families lack a meaningful, representative voice within the government.
The Government’s views are shaped by its departments, and it relies on these departments to formulate advice. For the government to properly enact and form policy that supports the veteran family community effectively and fairly it must hear directly from our community. With an approach such as this, we can and would be able to guard against the self-perpetuating culture that currently exists within the Defence and Veteran system and has resulted in a royal commission.
We need to take a long hard look at our systems and pay attention to the power differentials at play. We need to rebalance and ensure that the whole community is represented and also knows what intimate partner violence is, what it looks and feel like, how to recognise it in themselves and others, and then what to do about it if it happens.
Defence and Veteran families need a ministerial council to review and advise the government on matters such as intimate partner violence. With such a council, glaring gaps in strategies would be identified, examined and addressed. It would give families an avenue to speak, to be heard and to feel supported by a system that currently keeps them on the periphery.
If this intimate partner violence study isn’t a wakeup call and isn’t enough to establish such a council — what is? If not now, when?
Lifeline Australia – 13 11 14 (24/7 crisis support line)
1800RESPECT – 1800 737 732 (24-hour sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling service)
Open Arms – 1800 011 046 (Veterans & Families Counselling)
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