‘Overlooked’ aspect of gender-based violence in focus
Women, children and young people who die by suicide after experiencing domestic and family violence are often overlooked as victims of gender-based violence.
A landmark parliamentary committee is examining suicides due to domestic, family and sexual violence (DSFV), with MPs hearing from experts, support organizations and government bodies.
Djirra, the Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation, is calling on governments to recognize Aboriginal women dying by suicide as a national crisis.
In Australia, Aboriginal women have a much higher rate of death by suicide than other women.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found that the suicide rate of Aboriginal women in 2023 is 2.6 times higher than that of other women across the country.
“Djirra sees every day the impact of domestic violence on the mental health, cultural well-being and safety of Aboriginal women,” the organization said in a presentation to the committee. he said.
“Violent people often use coercive control, racism and cultural abuse to isolate Aboriginal women from protective factors against suicide, including family, community, culture, Country and supports such as health services, education and employment.”
Meanwhile, youth mental health research charity Orygen said young people, particularly those receiving care outside the home, should be considered a group at risk for both domestic violence and suicide.
Youth in out-of-home care settings disproportionately face multiple risk factors for suicide, including high rates of domestic violence, abuse, and trauma.
“Experiences of DFSV among youth occur at a critical developmental stage characterized by increased vulnerability to environmental stressors and peak mental health problems,” Orygen said in the committee presentation. he said.
“Children who experience DFSV are almost five times more likely than their peers to access mental health services before the age of 18.”
Australian Institute of Criminology data revealed a 35 per cent increase in the number of women killed by intimate partners in 2023/24, following a 31 per cent increase the previous year.
But the committee also aims to determine whether governments are accurately counting the number of deaths from domestic, family and sexual violence.
Suicides involving victims of domestic and family violence are not currently counted in assessments of this crisis in Australia; committee chair and Labor MP Louise Miller-Frost said it could mean the real death toll was much higher than thought.
“Developing a methodology to more accurately count the number of DFSV deaths across Australian, state and territory jurisdictions could enable better policies and programs and the delivery of more effective targeted legal, justice, health, mental health and specialist services,” he said.
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