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Information for Supporters and Services

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Safety

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Introduction

The situation

Responding to violence

Accessible services

Footnotes

Resources

This page has information to help friends, family, carers and violence response services to support women and girls with disability to be safe.

In Australia, women with disability are at a much higher risk of experiencing violence than women without disability and are also less likely to get the help they need.‍

Watch the WWDA video about the right to freedom from all forms of violence:

The situation

Women with disability in Australia experience many forms violence at higher rates than the rest of the population. This includes types of violence that are common amongst the general population, like domestic and family violence and sexual assault. However, it also includes institutional and medical forms of violence that are less common generally, such as abuse from carers and reproductive health violence like forced sterilisation, forced abortion, and forced contraception. Studies and surveys of people with disability have also found that:

people with disability experience violence at much higher rates (47%) than people without disability (36%) [1]
an estimated 57% of women with disability have experienced sexual harassment or sexual violence [2]

many women acquire disability as a result of violence. In Australia, 40% of victims who are hospitalised due to family violence develop a sustained brain injury. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are more than 32 times more likely to be hospitalised as a result of domestic violence than non-Aboriginal women [3]

20% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women with a mental health condition experience physical violence compared to 9% of people with other long term health conditions [4]

85% of women with psychosocial disability have felt unsafe in hospital. [5]

Tip: For more information about women with disability and violence, download the WWDA Position Statement 1: The Right to Freedom From all Forms of Violence

Photo of Deb in front of a window. She is looking to the right.

"I found, just speaking to other victims, that having that knowledge helps them to realise that they are being abused and they can leave sooner rather than later."

- Deb Thomson

Watch and listen to Deb's story

Visit the Women with Disabilities Australia website (external link) to learn more.

Responding to violence

If you see someone being violent or become aware that a woman or girl with a disability is being abused, it is your responsibility to make sure they are supported.

We have provided a video and tips below to help you.

Watch the 1800RESPECT video about supporting women who have experienced violence.

‍

Bystander intervention

Bystander intervention is when you see or become aware of someone being violent and step in. Bystander intervention can take many forms. Always check for personal safety before stepping in and intervening directly. Call 000 and ask to talk to the police immediately if you think someone is in danger.

Depending on the situation, you can:

talk to the person who is being violent
talk to the victim/survivor and offer information for support services
ask a professional for help. For example, if you are at a hospital, you could tell a nurse
call the police and ask for help
ask someone else to step in.

Is someone you know being abused in a relationship?
‍
The Domestic Violence Resource Centre booklet can help you take action.
Download the booklet in multiple languages on the Domestic Violence Resource Centre website (external link).

‍

1800RESPECT

1800RESPECT is an Australian nation-wide service that offers information, counselling and referrals to women who are experiencing or have been subjected to violence, abuse or sexual assault.

If you know someone experiencing violence and are not sure what to do, giving them the details for 1800RESPECT is a good first step. 1800RESPECT can be contacted on 1800737 732 or online (external link). You can learn more about responding to violence on the 1800RESPECT website (external link).

To contact 1800RESPECT via SMS, you can text ‘HELLO’ or any greeting to 0458 737 732 to start the conversation.

"I found, just speaking to other victims, that having that knowledge helps them to realise that they are being abused and they can leave sooner rather than later."

- Deb Thomson

Watch and listen to Deb's story

Visit the 1800RESPECT website (external link)

Accessible services

While we know that violence affects all women, it is often reported that services are not well equipped to support women and girls with disability who report violence. If you work for a disability or violence prevention service, there are things that you can do to prepare yourself and your organisation for supporting women with disability who experience violence.

For example:

use the national Disability Standards (external link) to undertake an accessibility audit of your service and develop a code of conduct for staff that is inclusive of women with disability
undertake Lifeline’s DV-Alert: Domestic and family violence response training (external link)
have information readily accessible for all staff about nation-wide services that you can refer to, such as 1800RESPECT and use the 1800 RESPECT: Disability Support Toolkit (external link).
To contact 1800RESPECT via SMS, you can text ‘HELLO’ or any greeting to 0458 737 732 to start the conversation.
include women with disability on your services’ Board
ask women with disability what they think needs to be done to make your service more inclusive
download and read the resources provided below.

"I found, just speaking to other victims, that having that knowledge helps them to realise that they are being abused and they can leave sooner rather than later."

- Deb Thomson

Watch and listen to Deb's story

Visit the DV-Alert website (external link)

Footnotes

[1] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2019) People with Disability in Australia (external link).

[2] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2019) People with Disability in Australia: Sexual Harassment (external link).

[3] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2019) Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence in Australia: Continuing the National Story (external link).

[4] Australian Bureau of Statistics (2016) National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (external link).

[5] Victorian mental illness awareness council, cited in Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (2014) Beyond Doubt: The Experiences of People with Disabilities Reporting Crime – Research Findings (external link).

"I found, just speaking to other victims, that having that knowledge helps them to realise that they are being abused and they can leave sooner rather than later."

- Deb Thomson

Watch and listen to Deb's story

Important Resources

Publications

WWDA Position Statement 1: Right to Freedom from Violence

Information from WWDA about the right to safety from all forms of violence and abuse.

The situation

Responding to violence

Bystander intervention

1800RESPECT

Accessible services

Footnotes

Important Resources

Where to next:

All sub-pages under Safety and Violence: