The Ripple Effects of Domestic Violence: Impact on Everyone Involved – And How We Can Do Better

Domestic violence (DV) doesn’t just hurt one person. It ripples through families, communities, workplaces, and generations. While the physical and emotional impacts on victim-survivors are widely acknowledged, DV also deeply affects children, extended families, support services, and even the person who uses violence.

To truly break the cycle, we need to understand the full impact — and work together on ways to support healing, accountability, and prevention.

Impact on Victim-Survivors

Victim-survivors (most often women and children, but also including men and LGBTQ+ individuals) may experience:

• Emotional trauma, fear, anxiety, and depression

• Loss of autonomy, safety, and connection

• Economic hardship from financial control or leaving the relationship

• Long-term health issues like chronic pain, PTSD, or sleep problems

• Isolation from friends, family, and social supports

Impact on Children

Children exposed to DV — whether as witnesses or direct victims — are profoundly affected. They may experience:

• Emotional and behavioural challenges

• Difficulty learning and concentrating at school

• Risk of repeating the cycle, either as future victims or perpetrators

• Sleep disturbances, anxiety, and attachment issues

Even very young children can absorb the trauma of violence in the home

Impact on People Who Use Violence

People who use violence (most often men) are also impacted, though in very different ways. Left unaddressed, their behaviours often stem from:

• Unresolved trauma or shame

• Rigid beliefs about control, masculinity, and entitlement

• Poor emotional regulation and communication skills

• Substance misuse and mental health struggles

When there is no meaningful intervention, the consequences can include:

• Relationship breakdown, parenting restrictions, and legal consequences

• Isolation and stigma

• Internalised shame or denial, which blocks any chance for personal change

  
  

Impact on Communities

Domestic and family violence affects:

• Community safety

• Workplace productivity

• Health and welfare systems

• Emergency and justice services

Without prevention and early intervention, the social and economic cost is massive — and growing.

How Do We Create Change?

To break the cycle of violence, we need a whole-of-community response, with strategies tailored to each person’s experience.

1. Prioritise Safety and Support for Victim-Survivors

• Strengthen access to safe housing, legal help, and trauma-informed counselling

• Empower women and children to regain agency and independence

• Support culturally safe services for First Nations families and other marginalised groups

2. Provide Early Support for Children

• Fund child-centred trauma programs and school-based wellbeing initiatives

• Support non-violent parents in rebuilding connection with their children

• Promote positive role modelling and healthy relationships education

  
  

3. Offer Meaningful Programs for People Who Use Violence

• Facilitate men’s behaviour change programs focused on accountability, empathy, and non-violence

• Address underlying issues like trauma, addiction, and mental health

• Avoid shaming; instead, support people to face the impact of their actions and choose a different path

4. Invest in Prevention and Community Education

• Challenge harmful gender norms and stereotypes

• Promote respectful relationships in schools and workplaces

• Create safe spaces for open conversations about power, control, and emotional safety

5. Support a System That Works Together

• Foster strong referral pathways between police, courts, housing, DV services, and counselling

• Advocate for early intervention and trauma-informed training for all frontline workers

• Build accountability and compassion into our responses

  
  

Change Is Possible

The truth is, people can change. Families can heal. Communities can grow stronger.

Whether you’re a victim-survivor, someone using violence, a worker, or a neighbour — you have a role to play. DV is never just “a private matter.” It affects us all, and it will take all of us to end it.