9. The Impacts of Domestic Violence

The impacts of domestic violence can be serious and long lasting, affecting an individual's health, wellbeing and relationships. November 25 was the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and marked the beginning of the annual 16 days in WA Stop Violence Against Women campaign. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 1 in 6 women and 1 in 16 men in Australia have experienced physically or sexual violence from a current or previous cohabiting partner and a woman is killed every 9 days and a man every 29 days by their partner. Roman reached out to us at YChats to share his story of growing up with domestic violence in his home. When Roman was a child his family immigrated to Australia. Not long after, his parents got divorced and his mother met a new partner who was violent towards her. The abuse escalated until it tragically resulted in her murder. To assist navigating safety in a domestic violence situation, we were also joined by Rita Iagoe, family dispute resolution practitioner and neuropsychotherapist, from UnitingCare Queensland. She provided practical advice, resources and guidance for listeners. Resources Headspace: https://headspace.org.au/  Youth Focus: https://youthfocus.com.au/  YCounselling: https://www.ymcawa.org.au/what-we-do/youth-services/ycounselling  Kids Helpline: https://kidshelpline.com.au/  Lifeline WA: https://www.lifelinewa.org.au/