This factsheet is about understanding domestic and family violence, recognising the signs, and finding safe support.
What is domestic and family violence?
Domestic and family violence is when someone you are close to uses fear, control or harm against you. What matters is whether you are controlled or feel afraid because of this behaviour.
No matter what form it takes, domestic and family violence is unacceptable, it is never okay, and never your fault.
Types of domestic and family violence
Physical, Emotional, Sexual, Psychological, Social, Financial, Elder, Digital and Spiritual.
Mob Strong Debt Help financial counselling and legal advice can help you with:
- Financial Abuse: Controlling money so a person becomes dependent, forcing a person to sign loans they don’t agree with, questioning purchases, taking out debts in a person’s name, not allowing someone to work, controlling Centrelink pensions or wages.
- Elder Abuse: Taking over an older person’s home without their consent, preventing access to services, stealing money or possessions, failing to provide necessities and using family connections to get what they want (such as denying Elders seeing their grandchildren). See our fact sheet on Elder Financial Abuse for more information.
Who is affected?
Domestic and family violence can affect individuals, couples, families and kinship relationships of any age or gender.
What rights do I have?
You have the right to live without fear, violence, or control – in your home, family and community.
You have the right to be treated with respect, to be listened to, and to make your own choices about your life, relationships, body, culture, religion and money.
You have the right to ask for help.
How can Mob Strong help?
A financial counsellor is a qualified professional who can provide advice, referral and support to people with money problems. Financial counsellors are free to use, non-judgemental and keep your information safe. We can:
- Give you information and advice on any debts that you have, including debts you have because of financial abuse.
- Assist you in reaching out to any banks/lenders to get help with your debts. Some financial providers have dedicated specialist teams and processes in place to help you when you are in financial hardship because of financial abuse.
- Refer you to our solicitors to provide free legal advice if debts were taken out in your name or if you were forced into a debt you did not want or could not afford in the first place.
If you or someone you know is going through financial abuse, you can ask for help. Call Mob Strong on 1800 808 488.
If you need immediate assistance in an emergency or life-threatening situation, call triple zero (000).
If you are feeling overwhelmed, you can call 13 YARN for support, on 13 92 76.
If you, or someone you know are affected by domestic and family violence, you don’t have to deal with things on your own. Call 1800 RESPECT for counselling, support and referral information 24/7 on 1800 737 732.
Help
Call Mob Strong on 1800 808 488 for more information. We are a free First Nations driven legal advice and financial counselling service. We help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from anywhere in Australia. We are a free and independent service. We keep your information private.
Last updated August 2026
