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This website discusses domestic and family violence and coercive control.
Call Triple Zero (000) and ask for Police if you are in a dangerous or life-threatening situation.
If you don't want to speak to the police you can also call DV Connect on 1800 811 811 or 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week).
Find other support options
It can be a good idea to keep a record of abusive or threatening things that happen to you. This can be used as evidence of domestic and family violence or coercive control if you ever need to:
Staying safe
Although it is important to collect evidence, it is even more important that you stay safe. If the person using violence against you knows or suspects you are keeping a record it might make them angry and more abusive. Only collect evidence when it is safe to do so and keep it somewhere safe.
If you don’t feel safe recording or keeping evidence, you could ask someone you trust to collect and keep it for you.
How to record evidence
- Keep a diary: Take notes of abusive or frightening things that have taken place. Record the date, time, location, and a description of what happened. This can help provide evidence of patterns of abuse over time. You can keep notes in a diary or use the journal feature in the ARC app . If you need someone to record this for you, the Be There app is a handy resource for bystanders.
- Photos: If you can, take photos of physical injuries or damage to things you own. Ensure photos are timestamped if possible.
- Screenshots: Save or take a screen shot of any abusive emails, text messages, or social posts. Here are some documentation tips for survivors of tech abuse. The eSafety Commissioner has information about:
- collecting evidence of tech abuse.
- collecting evidence of serious online abuse.
- Phone call records: Take a photo of the caller ID in your mobile phone’s call logs. Include the date and time of the calls. You can also save or copy voicemail messages.
- Witness statements: Ask any witnesses to provide written statements documenting what they saw or heard.
- Financial records: Keep copies of financial documents that can help prove the person is being abusive. These can include bank or credit card statements, or receipts for expenses related to the abuse (e.g. medical bills, repairs etc.).
What to do with your evidence?
Keep your evidence somewhere safe or ask someone you trust to keep it safe for you.
If you ever need to report DFV to the police, or engage the services of a lawyer, you should let police or your lawyer know about any evidence you have gathered. If you need to apply for a domestic violence order, the evidence can be submitted to support your application.
Help and support is always available. If you are unsure what steps you can take to stay safe or what to do with the evidence you have gathered, you can speak to a professional who can provide the answers you need.