Resources
A growing resource library that brings together insights, guidance, key research, statistics, and other sources of helpful information to deepen understanding of FDV & IPV, with an emphasis on the unique impacts and circumstances that occur within the LGBTIQA+ community.
Creating visibility and validity
Statistics can be a powerful way to illustrate the occurrence and frequency of FDV/IPV however we know LGBTIQA+ people are often overlooked, excluded or under-represented in studies and surveys.
This creates invisibility.
LGBTIQA+ people are also affected by being viewed through a heteronormative lens. Without an easily identifiable stereotypically masculine aggressor and stereotypically female victim, both the survivor and potential support services may not recognise abuse.
This creates feelings of self-doubt and perpetuates harm.
Quality data and research provides an evidence base that breaks through these barriers to effect real change.
What is FDV/IPV?
Family & domestic violence (FDV) / intimate partner violence (IPV) situations can occur with anyone who you are close to or have a personal relationship with. It can include family members, dating partners (past or current, in-person or online), someone you live with, hook up with, or if you are in a de-facto or marriage partnership.
Family and Domestic Violence (FDV) and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) refer to patterns of abusive, coercive, and controlling behaviours used by a family member or intimate partner to gain and maintain power over another person. These behaviours cause fear and harm, and undermine the safety, autonomy, and wellbeing of the individual.
FDV/IPV is never okay, and it is never the fault of the person experiencing it.
All familial and intimate relationships should be built on respect, fairness, and caring for each other’s well-being.
FDV/IPV takes many forms and may not be easy to recognise.
Some examples include:
Physical
Physical abuse can involve actions like hitting, throwing objects, making verbal threats, intimidating or threatening behaviour, damaging property, or even controlling access to hormones or medication.
Psychological/emotional
Emotional abuse can involve telling you to “act straight,” shaming you about being LGBTIQA+, misgendering you, deadnaming you, gaslighting (making you doubt your own reality), humiliating you in front of others, blaming you for the abuse, and threats of self-harm or suicide. Threats may also be made against treasured personal possessions or pets.
Financial
Financial abuse can impact on your independence and may involve controlling your access to money or bank accounts, withholding money, stealing your money, preventing you from working or studying, or getting you into debt.
Sexual
Sexual abuse can involve any unwanted sexual activities or behaviours that happen without your consent. It does not need to include physical force, and may include inappropriate touching, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, and unwanted exposure to sexual acts or pornography.
Sexual abuse can happen within families – both extended, immediate and chosen.
Social
Social abuse can involve threatening to “out” you or disclosing private or medical information to others without your permission, spreading rumours, or isolating you from friends, family, or the broader community.
Your social media activity may be monitored or questioned, or your accounts accessed without your knowledge.
Verbal
Verbal abuse can involve name-calling, constant criticism, insults, false accusations, allegations, controlling language or verbal manipulation, ‘guilt-tripping’, or using demeaning language to hurt, shame and control you.
Spiritual
Spiritual abuse can involve ridiculing your beliefs, interfering with or preventing your right to practise your chosen faith or spiritual practises, demanding you adopt their beliefs, or using their beliefs to justify their abusive behaviour.
It can also include the forced or suggested promotion of damaging ‘conversion’ practises or efforts to ‘seek redemption’ imposed by family or carers on people in later life.
Technological
Technological abuse can involve monitoring your phone, computer and internet activities, checking search history, abusing location sharing services, limiting your access to technology, posting false information about you online, cyberstalking, or using social media to threaten or control you.
Stalking
Stalking abuse can involve monitoring your movements (in-person or on-line), harassment, turning up at places uninvited (such as your house or place of work), asking your friends to disclose information about you, repetitive calls/messages, or forcing you into a relationship commitment.
Elder Abuse
Elder abuse may be experienced from partners, carers, support workers, family or friends and can involve being forced back ‘into the closet’, withholding personal care or medications, exclusion of partners from decisions or visitation rights, deadnaming or misgendering, or imposition of alternative personal beliefs.
Are you in a healthy relationship?
Unsure whether you are experiencing IPV? Take this quiz to help gain a better understanding of your situation.
Online Safety
If you need to leave this website quickly, use the Quick Exit button in the top right side of the website.
Safety Tips
Quick Exit Button
There is a Quick Exit button located in the top right on each page of this website.
Clicking this button allows you to quickly and safely leave this website at any time. This website will close and automatically open the BOM weather home page.
Note: the Quick Exit button does not delete this website from your browser history.
Trusted Device
If possible, use a trusted device that cannot be accessed by another person. If you don’t have a safe device, or are worried that your device (or connected smart devices) may be compromised, use a standalone public computer at a library.
Note: when considering how you connect to the internet, remember that smart devices (watches, phones, computers) may be linked and have a shared browsing history.
Private Browsing
Every website you visit is usually recorded on the device you used to access the internet, and this ‘browsing history’ can be accessed through the device settings.
However, depending on your browser you may have the option to access the internet in a secret or private mode. When you access the internet in this way, your browsing history is not recorded.
The method for private browsing differs by browser (eg Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer) and by device (phone, computer, tablet) so it is recommended you use a trusted device to obtain specific instructions.
Whenever you are in a private browsing session, make sure you close the private browsing window when you end the session. And if you are using a phone or tablet, you will need to close each private tab.
Note: Files you download or bookmarks you create will not be automatically deleted when you use private browsing.
Deleting Your Browser History
Your web browser is how you search the internet. For example, Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari are web browsers.
Your browser will automatically record a history of every website you visit on your device (phone, computer or tablet). This browser history can then be seen through the
If you are worried about someone finding out that you’ve visited this website, you can delete it from your browsing history.
How to clear your history in any browser.
If you are worried that someone is monitoring what websites you visit, you may want to think about only deleting some websites like this one as they may become suspicious if you delete your entire browsing history.
Note: If you’re worried about someone monitoring your online activity using spyware or monitoring devices, they may still be able to see that you have visited this website, even if you delete your browsing history
“We know that there are significant gaps in research and in service provision. In order for that to be addressed we need to bring awareness to it.”
— Sam Gibbings, CEO, Transfolk WA.
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