Family Domestic Violence

The holiday season brings families together as a time of togetherness and happiness. Along with the joys that Christmas brings comes an increased risk of family and domestic violence. For many families the increase in factors such as: financial difficulty, drugs, alcohol, loneliness, social isolation, and ‘trying to keep up with society’s norms, and expectations’ can bring out the worst in some people who then abuse their own family members.

Midland Information Debt & Legal Advocacy Service Inc (MIDLAS) offers a free legal service focused on assisting victims of family and domestic violence, and anticipates an increase in demand for the service over the Christmas period. MIDLAS Paralegal Holly Calder has witnessed first hand the increased affect that the Christmas period can have on the isolation and disconnect felt by many victims of domestic violence. “ The MIDLAS legal service regularly assists clients who report that they were victimised throughout the evening, after work, on the weekend or particularly during holiday periods. However it is not only the suffering of abuse and victimisation that clients are seeking assistance for at MIDLAS. Issues of debt, housing requirements, and concerns for their children are likely associations for victims of family domestic violence.”