By Mitchell Clarke
The Christmas break is meant to be one of the happiest times of the year, but for many people, it’s sadly one of the most dangerous periods.
The festive season traditionally sees a spike in family violence incidents. According to Respect Victoria, last year, there were 49 per cent and 27 per cent more reports of violence on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, respectively, than the daily average throughout 2019.
Triggers such as stretched family budgets, increased alcohol consumption and spending more time together are often to blame for the increase of violence.
Wayss – an organisation which assists vulnerable women and children experiencing violence and homelessness across Cardinia, Casey and Greater Dandenong – is already dealing with a backlog of calls for help following Melbourne’s harsh Covid-19 lockdown.
The organisation’s waiting is list is only expected to get longer, according to Wayss general manager Robyn Roberts.
“Our family violence services are traditionally busiest over the Christmas period until school returns but this time around, with restrictions eased and families still under so much pressure following lockdown, we’re anticipating even more people will be seeking support,” Ms Roberts explained.
“The long lock down has strained already fractured relationships and has contributed to further isolating people experiencing family violence. With the combination of easing restrictions and festive celebrations, like many other frontline services, an increased demand for family violence services is expected over the next few months.”
But violent partners don’t just strike out at Christmas time – the systemic issue is occurring behind closed doors every day of the year.
New figures from the Crime Statistics Agency have painted a dark picture, with the total number of family violence incidents in Cardinia rising by 13.5 per cent between September 2019 and September 2020.
There have been a total of 1552 incidents reported to police this year, compared to 1367 in the last 12 months.
An overwhelming number of victims (1197) were female, while 353 men were affected by a form of violence.
In Casey, there were 5135 reported incidents in the past 12 months – an 8.4 per cent increase when compared with 4736 a year prior.
Cardinia Shire Council mayor Brett Owen said although the home environment might be more stressful at the moment, “no one deserves to live in fear of violence or abuse from those closest to them”.
“Family violence is never okay. Times of stress and hardship are never an excuse for violence, and no one deserves to live in fear,” he said.
“These triggers do not cause family violence and are never an excuse for abusive behaviour.”
The local Together We Can initiative – which is made up of a host of local community members, leaders, organisations and services – is committed to bringing an end to family violence in the Cardinia Shire.
The council is also a key partner in delivering ‘Preventing Violence Together – A Strategy for the Southern Metropolitan Region’, alongside Women’s health in the South-East (WHISE), community and women’s health services, primary care partnerships, key health organisations and other LGAs.
Cr Owen said the prevention of family violence was an “important priority” within Cardinia.
“We are committed to preventing family violence through raising awareness and working with the community and service providers to implement prevention strategies,” he said.
Despite many people preparing to head off on annual leave over Christmas, the family violence frontline won’t be taking a break, meaning victims can always reach out for support.
Support services are available by calling 1800 RESPECT. Anyone concerned about their own behaviour can contact the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 000.
