Family violence is violence that takes place within an intimate relationship and family members. Perceived themselves as superior, abusers exert their power over other family members or intimate partners to control them. Abusers use various tactics of abuse, including physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, financial, social isolation, and intimidation.

Family violence is a criminal offence and offenders may be prosecuted. Victims can approach social workers for assistance and enhancement of personal safety/right or intervention in abusers' behaviour through legal action.

There are many risk factors for family violence, including:

1. Family Background (any individual family member meets one or more of the following conditions)
physically disability / new immigrant / mental health problem/ chronic disease / recipient of CSSA

2. Partners' Background (any party meets one or more of the following conditions)
Age difference over 10 years / live separately / in debt / gambling / pregnancy

Risk factors point to an increased likelihood of family violence, but do not lead directly to it. Definition (1) tells that act of violence happens mainly because of abusers' desire for control over the other person. Problems and conflicts will inevitably pile up if the risk factors are not treated appropriately. Apologetic and tolerant attitudes do not help but get both parties fallen into a vicious cycle of problematic relationship. The longer family violence lasts, the more frequent and serious it would become. In the long run, family violence not only severely damages the relationship with the partner and family members, but also threatens victims' personal safety.

There are five women refuge centres (Po Leung Kuk Sunrise Court, Po Leung Kuk Wai On Home for Women, Po Leung Kuk Dawn Court, Harmony House, Christian Family Social Service Serene Court), one Crisis Intervention and Support Centre (Tung Wah Group of Hospitals CEASE Crisis Centre), and one Family Crisis Support Centre (Caritas Family Crisis Support Centre). They all provide safe temporary accommodation and support to individuals facing family violence or in family crisis. Individuals in need can call the 24-hour hotline of each centre.

The person experienced or witnessed may also have unconscious emotional responses, such as feelings of distress when they are exposed to things associated with the trauma, as if they are re-experiencing the traumatic event.

2. Efforts to avoid places, conversations, activities, or objects that arouse recollections of the trauma.

Despite knowing that the abusers have already left, the person experienced or witnessed may still feel afraid of going near to places associated with the accident. Some individuals will avoid seeing objects associated with the trauma, including sharp weapons and household goods. They are reluctant to expose to news reports or even unwilling to leave the house. They may also feel numb or lock up the memories of the event.

3. Feeling tense and being hypersensitive, including being easily startled, feeling anxious, being hypervigilant, and always staying alert.

These psychosomatic responses will cause sleep problems such as difficulty of falling asleep or waking through the night, irritability, outburst of anger, and difficulty of having concentration.

These symptoms are actually an individual's natural response to serious accidents and normally will disappear over time. Here are some ways to cope with these short-term responses:

- Make time for activities to reduce stress, such as listening to music, doing exercise, talking to someone you trust.
- Maintain normal living schedule and routine.
- View stressful situations from a more positive perspective.

If the symptoms persist for a period of time or affect your daily life, you should seek help from professionals (e.g. clinical psychologists and social workers) for provision of assessment and treatment services.

Family violence has widespread effects on children. In most cases, children are too small to effectively cope with sudden family changes. Being passive may cause children a feeling of helplessness and unease. Children's responses toward sudden violent events vary depending on the age of the child , including some common psychological responses as below:

1. Children may have frequent thoughts and images of the event, nightmares, and reflection of trauma during play.

2. Children may avoid anything that reminds them of the event, hide themselves away in their rooms, show reluctance to go to school, be unusually clingy with people they trust, or even regress in behaviour such as wetting the bed and thumb-sucking.

3. Children may get very emotional, unrest, irritable, frightened easily, may always feel fearful and anxious, may have sleep problems (such as having problem of falling asleep and often waking with a start), may have problems with concentration and poor performance of schoolwork.

- Keep an eye on children's behaviours and emotions, special and unusual behaviours such as sleep problems, poor learning ability, mood swings, and irritability.

- Listen to the children and be understanding of their feelings.

- Maintain children's normal living schedule and routine, help them adjust to the new environment and offer support.

To overcome difficult times that changes bring about, both the children and you need assistance, understanding and support. If you find that your children's responses persist or get worse, seek help from professionals such as social workers and clinical psychologists to offer early assessment and appropriate treatment.