Domestic and family violence is a serious and persistent social issue. It can include physical violence, sexual violence, emotional abuse, coercive control, economic abuse, intimidation, threats and patterns of behaviour that limit another person’s safety, autonomy and freedom.
While domestic and family violence can affect people of any gender, Australian data shows that women are disproportionately affected by violence, emotional abuse, economic abuse and sexual violence.
Immersive Change is focused on the behaviour change side of this problem: how trained practitioners can support people who use violence, coercion or controlling behaviours to better recognise impact, take responsibility and develop safer alternatives.
The Scale of the Problem
Domestic and family violence remains a serious and persistent issue in Australia.
The latest national data shows that:
1 in 4 women and 1 in 14 men have experienced violence from an intimate partner since the age of 15.
23% of women and 14% of men have experienced emotional abuse by a current or previous partner.
16% of women and 7.8% of men have experienced economic abuse from a current or previous partner.
Almost 9 in 10 hospitalisations involving treatment for assault by a partner are for females.
Almost 2 in 5 recorded homicides and related offences are related to family and domestic violence.
These figures show why domestic and family violence cannot be understood only as physical violence. Coercive control, emotional abuse, economic abuse, intimidation and fear are also central to the pattern of harm.
Immersive Change is focused on the behaviour change side of this problem: supporting practitioners to help people who use violence, coercion or controlling behaviours recognise impact, take responsibility and develop safer alternatives.
Sources: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare; Australian Bureau of Statistics Personal Safety Survey 2021–22; ABS recorded crime data cited by AIHW.
Why Behaviour Change Work Is Difficult
Domestic and family violence intervention is complex. People who use violence or coercive control may minimise their behaviour, externalise blame, struggle to recognise impact or avoid responsibility for the choices they make.
Practitioners often need to support difficult conversations about accountability, empathy, emotional regulation, power, control and the consequences of harmful behaviour.
Immersive Change is being developed to support this work by creating structured, practitioner-guided immersive experiences that may help participants engage more directly with behaviour patterns, impact and alternative choices.
How Immersive Change Fits
Immersive Change is not a replacement for specialist domestic and family violence practice, therapeutic intervention or professional judgement.
It is being developed as an additional practitioner-guided tool that may support reflection, insight and accountability within appropriate intervention settings.
The program is being designed with attention to safety, governance, ethical use and careful evaluation.