Domestic violence
If you need urgent help, call the police on 000.
If you need housing in a women’s refuge, call 1800 811 811.
No one has the right to hurt you, including your family members.
Domestic violence affects all communities, whether wealthy or disadvantaged, or urban or rural. It affects everyone — individuals, families and the community.
Therefore, the Queensland Government takes the issue of domestic violence very seriously. However, governments, businesses, community services and communities must also work together to reduce domestic and family violence.
Types of domestic violence
Domestic violence occurs when another person you are in a relationship with:
- physically or sexually abuses you
- emotionally or psychologically abuses you
- economically abuses you
- threatens you
- forces you to do something
- controls or dominates you in any way, and causes you to fear for your or someone else’s safety or wellbeing.
Examples of this type of behaviour include:
- injuring you or threatening to injure you (e.g. slaps, hits, punches, pushes or kicks)
- threatening to hurt you or loved ones
- threatening to tell people about your sexual orientation against your wishes
- stalking or following you (e.g. by foot, car, phone, text message or email, or by staying outside your house or workplace)
- monitoring you, including reading your text messages, email account, internet browser history or social networking site
- damaging property to frighten you (e.g. punching holes in walls or breaking furniture)
- putting you down or making racial taunts
- verbally abusing you (e.g. yelling, calling you names or swearing)
- forcing or pressuring you to have sex or participate in sexual acts
- financially abusing you (e.g. taking control of your money, not giving you enough to survive on or forcing you to give them your funds)
- threatening to stop providing care for you if you don't do what you’re told (often directed at people with an illness, disability or impairment)
- preventing you making or keeping connections with your family, friends or culture, including cultural or spiritual ceremonies or practices
- threatening to commit suicide or self-harm to scare you.
Getting protection from domestic violence
If this is happening in your relationship, you have the right to ask for protection. You can apply for a domestic violence order against the person who is abusing you at any Magistrates Court in Queensland. Read more about domestic violence orders.
However, if police respond to a domestic violence incident against you, under recent changes to the law, they can immediately issue a police protection notice to the offender if they feel you’re in danger. This gives you immediate protection, rather than waiting until you go to court to grant a protection order.
Read more about police protection orders and other recent changes to domestic violence laws.
How the law defines a domestic relationship
The law considers each of these to be a domestic relationship:
- spousal relationship, including marriage partner, ex-marriage partner, registered relationship, de facto/ex-de facto, or parent (or former parent) of your child
- intimate personal relationship, where two people who are/were engaged to be married or have/had a relationship as a couple
- family relationship, where two people are related through blood or marriage, including where the concept of relative may be wider, such as for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- informal care relationship, where one person is or was dependent on another person to help them in their daily living activities (including dressing, preparing meals or shopping). The help must be informal and not paid for.
Further information
More about domestic violence and protection
Getting advice and support
Specific information for you
- Information for young people in domestic violence situations
- Support for Indigenous Australians in domestic violence situations
- Elder abuse
