Working with the family law sector – exploring domestic violence as a form of 'coercive controlling violence'

[Extract] The Australian family law system is currently under review, with reports finalised in late 2009 addressing different areas of family law and their intersection with domestic and family violence (Chisholm 2009; Family Law Council 2009; Kaspiew et al. 2009). A shared theme across the various reports has been the assumption that not all forms of intimate partner violence are the same. The Chisholm Report, the Australian Institute of Family Studies Report and the Family Law Council Report, all released in January 2010, noted the challenges faced by victims of family violence in having their experience recognised in family law decisions. These reports recommend that the definitions of ‘forms’ or ‘typologies’ of violence be strengthened and used for guidance by family law professionals when considering the safety of participants and their children.