Wednesday 14 October 2026
Gateway Health and La Trobe University Call for Recognition of Adult Family Violence
A new White Paper released by Gateway Health and La Trobe University’s Violet Vines Marshman Centre for Rural Health Research has shone a light on adult family violence and its impact on families affected by alcohol and other drug use.
The paper reviews Australian and international evidence alongside the experiences of families accessing Family Drug Support through Gateway Health, with the organisation supporting around 60 families each year across the Ovens and Murray region.
The issue is becoming increasingly visible in frontline services. Data between 2024 and 2025 revealed 64 per cent of referrals to the program involved parents supporting an adult child, while 40 per cent of clients were aged over 60.
It highlights significant gaps in policy and service responses for families experiencing intimidation, abuse, and violence from adult children. While distinct from intimate partner violence and elder abuse, adult family violence remains largely unrecognised within existing family violence frameworks.
While its overall prevalence remains unknown, national homicide data cited in the paper shows parents killed by their children accounted for 22 per cent in the same period.
As a result, services are often not equipped to identify risks, assess safety concerns, or respond effectively to the needs of parents, siblings, grandparents, and other family members affected by adult family violence.
Alicia Phillips, co-author of the White Paper and Alcohol and Other Drugs Family Violence Advisor and Family Therapist at Gateway Health, said many parents remained committed to supporting their adult children despite significant safety concerns.
Co-author and Alcohol and Other Drugs Family Violence Advisor and Family Therapist at Gateway Health Alicia Phillips said:
“Parents who continue to provide care and housing for their adult children are often torn between supporting someone they love and protecting their own safety.”
“We want families experiencing adult family violence to receive the support they need while remaining safely connected where possible. That requires services to recognise adult family violence as a distinct form of family violence and respond appropriately when parents are at risk of harm.”
Associate Professor Corina Modderman, lead author of the report and Associate Dean in Academic Partnerships at the La Trobe Rural Health School, said the research highlighted a wider problem.
Lead author of the report and Associate Dean in Academic Partnerships at the La Trobe Rural Health School Associate Professor Corina Modderman said:
“Adult family violence is still poorly recognised and can fall between existing service systems. Parents can be seen primarily as carers of an adult child with complex needs, while the violence they experience themselves can remain invisible.”
“This can be particularly challenging in regional communities where housing pressures, fewer specialist services and transport barriers can leave families with fewer options when a situation becomes unsafe.”
Gateway Health General Manager Mental Health and Wellbeing, Alana Pund, said the findings highlighted the need for greater recognition of adult family violence within policy and service systems.
Gateway Health General Manager Mental Health and Wellbeing Alana Pund said:
“Parents are too often left in the impossible position of caring for and advocating for their adult children while also being subjected to violence themselves.”
“These complex family situations don’t fit neatly within existing service systems, leaving many families without the support they need and increasing the risk of ongoing harm.”
“Meaningful systemic change is needed to ensure families can access coordinated, appropriate support that recognises both their caregiving role and their experience of violence.”
The White Paper outlines six recommendations as a call to action for policy and practice reform, providing a foundation for coordinated, evidence-informed responses that improve safety and support for families affected by adult family violence.
You can view the full White Paper HERE
Media contacts
Gateway Health
Jutin Jenvey
Marketing and Communication Officer
0439 108 100
La Trobe University
Jess Garbutt
Senior Media Advisor
0481 383 817
j.garbutt@latrobe.edu.au
About Gateway Health
Gateway Health provides community health and wellbeing services to individuals, families and communities across North East Victoria and parts of Southern New South Wales.
