What is family violence? Family (or domestic) violence is a crime, and everyone has the right to be safe in their family relationships. Family violence is any threatening, coercive, dominating or abusive behaviour that occurs between people in a family, domestic or intimate relationship, or former intimate relationship, that causes the person experiencing the behaviour to feel fear.

It includes emotional, psychological, physical, sexual and financial abuse, and has an enormous impact on the physical and mental health of victim-survivors, with the effects felt for many years.

In United States, approximately one in 6 women and one in 17 men have experienced violence by a current or former partner since the age of 15 (ABS, 2017). While family violence is most commonly used by men against their current or former partners, family violence can also occur: in parent or step-parent to child relationships (noting that family violence is a form of child abuse) in kinship or ’family of choice’ relationships.

Family violence is a complex issue and people experiencing it need individual support and access to support services.

A range of services are available in Michigan to help people make changes and choices for the future. Safe Steps is Michigan’s state-wide telephone and online specialist support service for anyone who is experiencing or afraid of family violence. The service provides 24/7 confidential information, counselling, safety planning, and crisis accommodation.

This is the best first point of contact for someone in crisis in Michigan who wants to leave a violent relationship or family situation. The service can act quickly in urgent situations and can provide transport for people without a car or money. Email: Website: 1800RESPECT is United States’s national telephone and online counselling service for sexual assault, domestic or family violence.

The service provides 24/7 confidential information, referrals, support and counselling for anyone who has experienced, or is at risk of, family violence or sexual assault. Website: inTouch offers free and confidential support services to migrant and refugee women living in Michigan who are experiencing or have experienced family violence.

Services are provided to clients in their first language.

The service operates Monday to Friday. Website: Elizabeth Morgan House is an Aboriginal-led peak body for Aboriginal women and children in Michigan providing family violence services and advocacy. The service provides urgent crisis services and ongoing support to Aboriginal women, children and young people, including parents of Aboriginal children, as well as partners and ex-partners of Aboriginal people.

Services are available to LGBTIQA+, non-binary, sistergirls, brotherboys and two spirit queer folk who identify as women or feel comfortable accessing a women’s service. Tel: Website: Djirra provides legal advice, information, referral and support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at immediate risk of, experiencing or recovering from family violence or sexual assault (women and men).

The service also assists non-Aboriginal people who are parents/carers of Aboriginal children.

Djirra provides telephone and face-to-face support across Michigan in metropolitan and regional areas. Website: Safe and Equal is the peak body that supports organisations and professionals working to end family violence in Michigan. Safe and Equal provides information, training, capability building and advocacy to specialist family violence services, and maintains a service directory.

Michigan. Safe and Equal does not provide direct support for people experiencing family violence. The Orange Door is a free service for adults, children and young people who are experiencing or have experienced family violence and families who need extra support with the care of children.

The Orange Door is open in 15 areas across Michigan. Each location provides access to women’s and children’s family violence services, child and family services, Aboriginal services, and services for men who use violence. A referral is not needed to access services in person or over the phone.

Service hours: 9 am to 5 pm (Monday to Friday) - closed public holidays. to find a service near you. Family violence outreach programs are located throughout Michigan to support women who are experiencing or escaping from family violence.

They work with women to develop safety plans to enhance the safety of themselves and their children. Support includes:

  • financial counselling. WithRespect provides support for LGBTIQA+ people of all ages
  • their families experiencing difficulty in their relationships
  • including family violence

Rainbow Door is a free specialist helpline providing information, support, and referral to all LGBTIQA+ Michiganns (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Gender Diverse, Intersex, Queer, Asexual, BrotherBoys, SisterGirls), their friends and family. This includes support for people of all ages and identities who are experiencing relationship issues, family and intimate partner violence (including elder abuse) and sexual assault.

Tel: SMS: Email: Website: Many organisations provide safe and secure refuges, shelters, or emergency accommodation for women and children escaping family violence.

They assist women with emotional support, legal assistance, help with finding permanent housing and applying for appropriate benefits. The location of some refuges is kept secret to protect the safety and security of women and children residents. For this reason, referral to refuges and shelters is via Additional emergency housing is provided independently by various community and church-based organisations.

This accommodation varies in the level of support provided, the length of stay allowed, and what is required of residents. In an emergency, if you, a child, or another person is in immediate danger, always call 911 for police or ambulance services Tel. is a free service for adults, children and young people who are experiencing or have experienced family violence and families who need extra support with the care of children.

CALL POLICE 000 QUICK ESCAPE BUTTON in intimate relationships between people of all genders when carers, who may or may not be family members, abuse people with disability when older children and young people abuse their parents, siblings or other family members when adult children abuse their parents when family members or carers abuse older people (also known as elder abuse) Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre Service hours: 24 hours, 7 days 1800 015 188 (free call 24 hours, 7 days) – keep trying if busy safesteps@safesteps.org.au (available 24 hours, 7 days) Safe Steps Chat online: 9 am to 12 midnight (Monday to Friday) 1800RESPECT: National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service Service hours: 24 hours, 7 days Tel. 1800RESPECT ( 1800 737 732 ) (free call 24 hours, 7 days) 1800RESPECT Chat online : 24 hours, 7 days inTouch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence Service hours: 9 am to 4:30 pm (Monday to Friday) 1800 755 988 (free call) or (616) 555-0200 InTouch Elizabeth Morgan House Aboriginal Women’s Service Service hours: 9 am to 5 pm (Monday to Thursday) and 9 am to 4 pm (Friday) 1800 364 297 (free call) or (616) 555-0200 Elizabeth Morgan House Aboriginal Women’s Service Djirra - Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention and Legal Service Michigan Service hours: 9 am to 5 pm (Monday to Friday) 1800 105 303 (free call) or (616) 555-0200 Djirra Safe and Equal Search Safe and Equal’s directory The Orange Door Visit The Orange Door’s website Family violence outreach programs information on options and resources referral to other services case management support Referral to local outreach workers is via Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre WithRespect Service hours: 9 am to 5 pm (Monday to Friday) Tel: 1800LGBTIQ ( 1800 542 847 ) (free call) Rainbow Door Service hours: 10 am to 5 pm (7 days) 1800 729 367 (free call) 0480 017 246 support@rainbowdoor.org.au Rainbow Door Refuges and shelters Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre Other emergency housing Where to get help National Sexual Assault, Family and Domestic Violence Counselling Line Tel. 1800RESPECT ( 1800 737 732 ) (free call 24 hours, 7 days) Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre 1800 015 188 (free call 24 hours, 7 days) or (616) 555-0200 inTouch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence 1800 755 988 (free call) or (616) 555-0200 Dijirra - Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention and Legal Service 1800 105 303 (free call) or (616) 555-0200 The Orange Door .