Violence against women and girls

Recognise the warning signs, where to find support and reporting options, and ways to help improve safety for yourself or someone you know.

Understanding the signs of violence, supporting respectful relationships and seeking help can help prevent harm and improve safety for individuals, families, and communities.

If you need help now

If you need support, advice or information, help is available.

In an emergency, if someone is in immediate danger or a crime is happening now, call Triple Zero (000).

About violence against women and girls

Violence against women and girls is a serious community safety issue. It can affect people of all ages, backgrounds and communities.

Violence against women and girls is not always physical. It can take many forms, including:

family violence
sexual violence
stalking
harassment
coercive control, and
technology-facilitated abuse.

Violence against women and girls can happen at home, in relationships, at work, in education settings, in public places and online. Most is perpetrated by a male known to them. It can also be committed by acquaintances, colleagues or strangers.

Why these crimes are gendered

Family violence, sexual offences and child abuse are gendered crimes. They disproportionately impact women and girls.

These forms of violence are linked to gender inequality. They are influenced by harmful attitudes, beliefs, and stereotypes about gender.

Why violence against women and girls is a community safety issue

Violence against women and girls can affect a person’s safety, health, wellbeing and independence. It can also affect children, families and the wider community.

We all have a role in preventing violence against women and girls. We can help create safer environments by challenging harmful attitudes, speaking up against disrespectful behaviour and promoting respect, equality and safe relationships.

The impact of violence against women and girls

Violence against women and girls can have serious impacts on individuals, children, families and communities. It can affect safety, health, wellbeing, relationships, education, employment, and participation in community life.

Why it can be hard to report violence against women and girls

Victim survivors, especially women and girls, can face many barriers to reporting violence. They may fear they will not be believed or worry about their safety, their children’s safety, money, shame or isolation. This can make it hard to seek help.

Recognising the signs and understanding the relationship can help police identify risk earlier, support victim survivors and take action to improve safety.

Children can also be affected

Violence can affect children directly or indirectly. Children can be subjected to family and sexual violence or be affected by witnessing violence, abuse or controlling behaviour in their home or community.

Experiencing or being exposed to violence can affect a child's sense of safety, wellbeing, development and relationships.

If you are worried about a child's safety or wellbeing, seek support and advice as soon as possible from the options listed below.

Find the right help

Choose the option that best matches your situation.

Support is available whether the incident happened recently or in the past.
Sexual violence can occur in relationships, workplaces, education settings, public places, or online environments. It may involve someone you know or a stranger.
You can seek information, support and reporting options at your own pace, unless there is an immediate risk to safety.
Next steps
For more information, visit our Sexual offences page or contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.

Healthy, respectful and safe relationships

Promoting respectful relationships, equality and safety can help reduce harm and support safer communities.

Healthy relationships are built on:

respect
trust
communication
equality
safety
personal choice.

Understanding these qualities can help people recognise when behaviour may be unhealthy or concerning.

What a healthy relationship should look like

In healthy relationships, people should feel free to:

spend time with family and friends
make decisions about their own life
access money and important documents
express opinions without fear
use technology safely
participate in work, education and community life.

Further resources are available from:

Warning signs of violence or abuse

Violence is not always obvious. Some warning signs that may indicate someone is experiencing violence or abuse include:

fear of a partner, former partner or family member
changing behaviour to avoid conflict
being isolated from friends or family
threats or intimidation
controlling behaviour
financial restrictions
monitoring or tracking
unwanted sexual comments, contact or advances
repeated unwanted attention in person or online
harassment that affects participation in work, education or community life
threats to share personal or intimate information
image-based abuse
fear of encountering a person at work, in public or online
behaviour that targets someone because of their gender
behaviour that becomes more frequent or more serious over time

We encourage people to seek support when they feel safe, and are ready to do so. Getting support can help reduce the risk of further harm.

If you think this is happening to you or someone you know

Consider the following questions:

Do you feel safe in your relationships and daily life?
Do you feel able to make decisions without fear, pressure, or intimidation?
Does someone monitor, control or influence your choices?
Has someone restricted your access to money, technology, or support networks?
Do you feel anxious, fearful, or worried about someone's behaviour towards you?
Have you changed your behaviour to avoid conflict, anger, or criticism?
Do you feel isolated from friends, family, or other sources of support?
Has someone made unwanted sexual comments, advances or contact towards you?
Do you avoid certain places, activities, work, study or online spaces because of another person's behaviour?
Has someone shared, threatened to share, or misused your personal information or images?
Have you experienced harassment, intimidation or unwanted behaviour at work, school, university or in public?
Do you feel unsafe because of someone's behaviour online or through technology?
Has someone's behaviour become more controlling, frequent or serious over time?

What to do next if you are unsure or concerned

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, or if someone's behaviour is causing you concern, it may be worth seeking information, advice or support.

Violence and abuse are not always physical and can include patterns of behaviour that affect a person's safety, wellbeing or independence.

The following actions may help:

call Triple Zero (000) if there is an immediate risk to safety
learn more about family violence, sexual offences, stalking or victim support
speak with a trusted family member, friend or support service
contact a specialist service for confidential advice.

How to support someone safely

You may be concerned that someone may be experiencing violence, abuse or controlling behaviour. There are ways you can support them while helping to maintain their safety and wellbeing.

If you witness concerning behaviour

If you witness behaviour that places someone at immediate risk, call Triple Zero (000).

If there is no immediate danger, focus on supporting the person safely and respectfully. Avoid confronting the person responsible for the behaviour if doing so could increase risk to yourself or others.

Where appropriate, encourage the person to seek support and provide information about available services.

If someone you know may be experiencing violence

If someone you know may be experiencing violence:

listen without judgement
believe what they tell you
ask how you can help
encourage them to seek support
respect their choices
contact police if there is an immediate risk to safety
find ways to check in safely, as their online communications may be monitored.

Additional support and guidance are available from:

Safety planning and online safety

If you are experiencing violence, abuse or controlling behaviour, a safety plan can help you think about what to do if your safety is at risk.

A specialist support service can help you make a safety plan that suits your situation.

Safety planning resources

Specialist services can provide advice and support to help you develop a safety plan that suits your circumstances:

Online safety and technology-facilitated abuse

Technology can be used to monitor, threaten, track, or harass people.

Harmful online content and attitudes that encourage disrespect, control or abuse towards women and girls can contribute to unsafe behaviour. If online behaviour includes threats, harassment, stalking, image-based abuse or other criminal conduct, support and reporting options are available.

If you are worried about online safety, seek specialist advice before changing devices, accounts or settings. In some situations, making changes without support may increase risk or affect evidence that could be important to an investigation.

Keep yourself safe when online

If it is safe to do so, and after seeking specialist advice, you may wish to:

review privacy settings
secure online accounts
check connected devices
manage location-sharing settings
seek specialist advice if you are concerned about monitoring or tracking.

Keep information that may help

If it is safe to do so, keep copies of messages, emails, screenshots or other information that may help you explain what has happened.

Before changing devices, deleting information or making significant changes to accounts, consider seeking advice from a specialist support service.

If you choose to report behaviour to police, this information may help in understanding what has occurred.

Online safety resources

The following resources provide information and support about online safety and technology-facilitated abuse:

Reporting violence, abuse or safety concerns

You can contact Victoria Police if you have experienced violence, abuse or behaviour that makes you feel unsafe, or if you are concerned about someone else's safety.

You do not need to be certain that a crime has occurred before seeking advice. If you are unsure, support services and police can help you understand your options.

In an emergency

In an emergency, or if someone is in immediate danger, call Triple Zero (000).

Non-urgent reporting

If the situation is not an emergency, you can still speak with police about your concerns. Police can provide information, assess risk, investigate reported offences and help connect people with support services.

Behaviours you can report

You can report a range of behaviours, including:

family violence
sexual offences
stalking
harassment
assault
image-based abuse, and
other criminal behaviour.

Support is available whether the person responsible is a partner, family member, colleague, acquaintance or stranger.

What violence against women and girls can include

Violence against women and girls includes behaviour that harms, controls, threatens or frightens someone. It is not always physical.

Violence against women and girls can include coercive control, where patterns of behaviour are used to dominate, isolate or control another person. Coercive control may involve:

isolation
intimidation
monitoring
financial control, or
other behaviours that limit a person's independence.

Where violence against women and girls happens

Violence against women and girls can occur in different settings and situations, including:

at home
in relationships
at work
in education
in public places
online.

Understanding different forms of violence

Learn about common forms of violence and abuse, including behaviours that may involve control, threats, harm or intimidation.

Workplace sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual comments, behaviour, advances or conduct that makes someone feel intimidated, humiliated, offended or unsafe.
It can occur between colleagues, managers, supervisors, customers, clients or contractors. It may happen in person, online or during work-related activities.
Everyone has the right to feel safe and respected at work.
To learn more or get help, visit the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission website for information about workplace sexual harassment, rights and reporting options.
Women and girls can experience harassment, intimidation, sexual comments, unwanted attention, stalking, threats or physical violence in public places.
This may occur on public transport, in entertainment venues, community spaces, streets or other public settings.
Everyone has the right to feel safe when participating in community life.
To learn more about staying safe in public places, visit our Personal safety page.

Government resources and prevention tools

The following prevention and education resources are available:

Support services

The following services can provide specialist support, advice and information for different needs and communities.

Support services are available for people experiencing family violence, including:
- Safe Steps - 24/7 family violence crisis support in Victoria.
- The Orange Door - family violence and child wellbeing support in Victoria.
- 1800RESPECT - national counselling and support for sexual, domestic and family violence.
Support is available for people who have experienced sexual violence, including:
- Sexual Assault Crisis Line - crisis support for people who have experienced sexual assault.
- Centres Against Sexual Assault - counselling and support services for victim-survivors of sexual assault.
Support is available for people who are being stalked, including:
- Victims of Crime Helpline - the official Victorian Government service offering free information and support for people affected by crime.
For more information about counselling and other services, visit our Stalking page.
Children and young people can access support through:
- Kids Helpline - free phone and online counselling for children and young people.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can access culturally safe support through:
- Djirra - Aboriginal family violence support and legal services.
- 13YARN - crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Support services are available for multicultural, migrant and refugee communities, including:
- inTouch - family violence support for migrant and refugee communities.
- TIS National - interpreting support for people who need help in another language.
Specialist services are available for LGBTIQA+ people, families and communities, including:
- Family violence and LGBTIQA+ communities
- Rainbow Door - specialist support for LGBTIQA+ people, families and communities.

What Victoria Police is doing

Victoria Police responds to incidents, investigates reported offences and works to reduce the harm caused by violence against women and girls.

We support victim-survivors, assess risk, take action to improve safety and work with government agencies, specialist support services and community organisations.

Victoria Police also contributes to prevention, education and community safety initiatives that help address the drivers of violence and support safer communities.

For related information, reporting options and support pathways visit:

Common questions about violence against women and girls

Find answers to frequently asked questions about violence against women and girls, warning signs, support options and what to do in an emergency.

No. While family violence is one of the most common forms of violence against women and girls, violence can also occur in workplaces, education settings, public places and online environments.
Support, safety planning, reporting options and specialist services are available regardless of where the behaviour occurred or the relationship between the people involved. If you are concerned about your safety or someone else's safety, help is available.
Coercive control is a pattern of behaviour used to dominate, isolate or control someone. It can include:
- monitoring
- intimidation
- isolation
- threats
- financial control, or
- other controlling behaviour.