Are we doing enough to prevent domestic violence? - ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Both the AFL and NRL grand finals are approaching ...and while it is a time of celebration for many, domestic violence groups are warning that this time of year can also be a dangerous one.

This comes after a tragic weekend... three women and a child have died in what police believe are domestic violence-related incidents in New South Wales.

So are our governments doing enough to prevent domestic violence? 

It's been a disturbing weekend of domestic violence in New South Wales.

Three women, aged 23, 70 9, and a child have been killed in four separate domestic violence-related incidents.

The deaths have renewed calls for stronger action on domestic violence, just two months after four two women and two girls were killed in four days in July.

Terry Symonds, from family and violence service Berry Street Uralla says despite the increase in awareness, Australia is in a national domestic violence crisis.

Sadly I would say family violence and gender–based violence remain at crisis levels in this country. We had in the 24/25 financial year, we had something like 35 women who were killed by a current or former intimate partner. We had over 30 women die already this year. So it remains a crisis, despite the increased awareness.

So are our governments doing enough?

Earlier this month Federal Social services Minister Tanya Plibersek said more needs to be done to stop domestic, family and sexual violence ... after an annual assessment found progress is too slow to save lives, and sexual violence has reached its highest level in more than 30 years.

I do think we need to do more on early intervention and prevention. Unless we reduce rates in the first place we'll always be struggling to keep up with the enormous issue.

Victoria's Premier Ben Carroll has proposed reforms for sexual offending and family violence legislation if Labor is re-elected in November, including penalties for not seeking medical help for someone who has been injured through abuse.

If you abandon a victim of family violence, you will face manslaughter. If your former or current partner commits suicide, you will also face manslaughter. Under a re-elected Carroll Labor government we will put these reforms through as a matter of urgency.

Professor Kate Fitzgibbon is expert in domestic and family violence at Monash University and the chair of Respect Victoria and says we need our government's responses to be reflective of the scale of the challenge that we're trying to address.

"Sentencing alone will not stop these crimes from occurring. So what we absolutely need of any government is also a commitment in the same full rigour to early intervention and prevention, because we will not arrest and sentence our way out of men's violence against women."

So how are we working to prevent domestic violence?

Phillip Ripper is the C-E-O of No To Violence - men's support services against family violence and operate the national Men's Referral Service, telephone and online counselling for men.

He says men's behaviour and support programs are drastically under-funded.

While governments will say tackling men's behaviour is a core component, you wouldn't believe that if you saw the numbers. So we really need to make that statement a reality. We need to centre this work to engage men to stop their behaviour and hold them accountable. And that does need to be a key focus of our next national plan. At the moment there's talk in that direction, but there really is no commitment to resources. So yes, we need to seriously focus on this area if we're going to have any chance at ending family violence.

Over the last two year Berry Street Yooralla has seen an increase of more than 50 percent in calls in the week following the grand final.

Victorian police have previously reported a 20-percent rise in calls related to family violence.

While Berry Street Yooralla's Terry Symonds says sport is not to blame, he says men calling out disrepectful attitudes can help.

You know, the disappointment after a game or anything else is not an excuse for family violence. That's the first thing, I guess, is a call to men to take a stand themselves. For others I think it's keeping an eye out for signs, you know, changes in behaviour, signs of fear or distress amongst people that we know and then pointing them towards resources where they might be able to get help.

If you or someone you know needs help, you can call 1800 RESPECT or lifeline on 13 11 14. The Men's Referral Service is on 1300766491.