4ABDefinition of family violence etc.

#### 4AB Definition of family violence etc. (1) For the purposes of this Act, family violence means violent, threatening or other behaviour by a person that coerces or controls a member of the person’s family (the family member), or causes the family member to be fearful. (2) Examples of behaviour that may constitute family violence include (but are not limited to): (a) an assault; or (b) a sexual assault or other sexually abusive behaviour; or (c) stalking; or (d) repeated derogatory taunts; or (e) intentionally damaging or destroying property; or (f) intentionally causing death or injury to an animal; or (g) economic or financial abuse; or (i) preventing the family member from making or keeping connections with his or her family, friends or culture; or (j) unlawfully depriving the family member, or any member of the family member’s family, of his or her liberty. (2A) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(g), examples of behaviour that might constitute economic or financial abuse of a family member include (but are not limited to) the following: (a) unreasonably denying the family member the financial autonomy that the family member would otherwise have had, such as by: (i) forcibly controlling the family member’s money or assets, including superannuation; or (ii) sabotaging the family member’s employment or income or potential employment or income; or (iii) forcing the family member to take on a financial or legal liability, or status; or (iv) forcibly or without the family member’s knowledge, accumulating debt in the family member’s name; (b) unreasonably withholding financial support needed to meet the reasonable living expenses of the family member, or the family member’s child (including at a time when the family member is entirely or predominantly dependent on the person for financial support); (c) coercing a family member (including by use of threats, physical abuse or emotional or psychological abuse): (i) to give or seek money, assets or other items as dowry; or (ii) to do or agree to things in connection with a practice of dowry; (d) hiding or falsely denying things done or agreed to by the family member, including hiding or falsely denying the receipt of money, assets or other items, in connection with a practice of dowry. (3) For the purposes of this Act, a child is exposed to family violence if the child sees or hears family violence or otherwise experiences the effects of family violence. (4) Examples of situations that may constitute a child being exposed to family violence include (but are not limited to) the child: (a) overhearing threats of death or personal injury by a member of the child’s family towards another member of the child’s family; or (b) seeing or hearing an assault of a member of the child’s family by another member of the child’s family; or (c) comforting or providing assistance to a member of the child’s family who has been assaulted by another member of the child’s family; or (d) cleaning up a site after a member of the child’s family has intentionally damaged property of another member of the child’s family; or (e) being present when police or ambulance officers attend an incident involving the assault of a member of the child’s family by another member of the child’s family.