Overview
‘No one is immune to domestic and family violence’
Hear her insights from personal stories about the causes and effects and where we may find hope in such a painful topic.
Podcast
Domestic Violence
17 Min.
Thursday, 20 November 2025
Messages of Hope Podcast
‘No one is immune to domestic and family violence’
Professor Sarah Wendt has dedicated her life to understanding the impacts of domestic violence, and hearing the stories of victims and survivors in Australia. Hear her insights from personal stories about the causes and effects and where we may find hope in such a painful topic.
Key Takeaways
- Domestic violence affects everyone: it crosses all social, cultural, and economic boundaries — no one is immune.
- It’s about control, not conflict: domestic violence isn’t about arguments; it’s about coercive control — intimidation, fear, isolation, and power over a partner.
- Abuse takes many forms: beyond physical harm, it includes emotional, psychological, financial, social, and even spiritual abuse, such as restricting access to money, isolating someone, or misusing scripture to justify harm.
- Trust your instincts: if you feel unsafe, fearful, or constantly walking on eggshells, listen to your gut — fear is an important warning signal.
- Believe and support victims: when someone discloses abuse, the most powerful thing you can do is believe them, listen without judgment, and connect them to help like 1800RESPECT.
- Gender inequality fuels violence: research shows a strong link between domestic violence and gender inequality — while alcohol or stress can worsen behaviour, they don’t cause it.
- There is hope and change: growing awareness, education, and respectful conversations — especially among young men, schools, and churches — are helping shift attitudes toward equality and respect.
- Faith and community can lead change: the church has an important role in confronting and addressing domestic violence through theological leadership on love, respect, and equality.
Episode Transcript
Topics Explored In This Episode...
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PRAYER REQUEST
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ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
Support Services
Professional help is always available
Across Australia and New Zealand, God richly blesses us with counsellors, psychologists and medical professionals who are able to offer help, support and hope throughout life’s challenges.
If you have found the themes or topics contained within this episode challenging or confronting, we encourage you to reach out to one of the following professional support organisations.
