Domestic and family violence assistance
Need help? We're here to help you stay safely connected.
If you’re in immediate danger or need urgent help, call 000.
If you think someone may be monitoring your devices, quick exit this page. Come back to this site from a computer, tablet or smartphone that isn't being monitored.
It can happen to anyone
Domestic and family violence can happen to anyone and staying connected is especially important if you’re in a volatile environment. If you are experiencing or have left a domestic or family violence situation we can help.
Ways we can help
Contact the Telstra SAFE team (1800 452 566)
The Telstra SAFE team is specially trained to help you stay safely connected to your Telstra internet, phone and energy services. Call from Monday to Friday: 8am to 8pm AEDT, Saturday & Sunday: 8am to 5pm AEDT.
Request a call back from the SAFE team
If you need help, but can’t call right now, request the SAFE team to call you at a time that suits you.
Helping you when times are tough
Depending on your level of urgency, we have flexible options that can help keep you connected.
Need access to your personal phone records or metadata?
As part of our commitment to transparency, we’ve increased the types of data that customers can now access. As well as the data we currently hold on your personal account, you can also access certain metadata related to your usage of your services. This data may also be available to Australian law enforcement agencies when required or permitted by law.
Need to know how to stop unwelcome calls?
Unwelcome communications come in many forms including calls and text messages. We can help you manage unwelcome calls or report them.
Other support services available
Call 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732)
The National Sexual Assault Domestic Violence Counselling Service offers confidential online and telephone counselling, information and referral services.
Ask Izzy
Ask Izzy is a website that connects people in need with housing, a meal, money help, family violence support, counselling and much more. It is free and anonymous, and if you're on the Telstra mobile network, you can access Ask Izzy on your phone even if you don't have credit or access to Wi-Fi.
Financial Counsellor assistance
If you’re experiencing economic abuse, you can call the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007 (9.30am – 4.30pm Monday to Friday) and speak to a Financial Counsellor for free, independent advice. Or find your nearest Financial Counsellor at MoneySmart.gov.au
Our commitment
Domestic and family violence is unacceptable, and we are committed to helping it end in Australia by:
- Ensuring we’ve got the tools and processes in place to support our people to assist victim-survivors
- Empowering victim-survivors to stay safely connected
- Seeking to mitigate against our products and services being misused by perpetrators
- Contributing to the national dialogue on how technology and telecommunications are being misused by perpetrators through research and insights
- Ensuring we continue to listen to D&FV experts, lived experience, and industry groups.
See our polices for Domestic and Family Violence situations.
What is domestic and family violence?
Domestic and family violence (D&FV) is the use of violent, threatening, coercive or controlling behaviours by an individual against a family member(s), or someone with whom they have, or have had an intimate relationship with, including carers.
It can be physical, emotional or psychological. Non-physical forms of abuse can be just as damaging as physical assaults and can include technology-facilitated abuse.
Technology-facilitated abuse involves the misuse of devices (such as phones, computers, tablets), accounts (such as email) and software platforms (such as social media) to control, abuse, track and intimidate. It can involve stalking - following, making excessive phone calls, texts or emails.
Economic abuse is another kind of D&FV - using finances and economic resources to gain power and control in the relationship (e.g., monitoring spending, restricting access to financial resources, and accruing debt).
Whatever the abuse, it’s not your fault. It’s the abuser who is responsible.
Technology Facilitated Abuse
Video content description
The video shows how abusers use technology to facilitate the abuse, making their victims feel trapped by their mobile phone.
Narrator: For victims of domestic violence, it can feel like being trapped in a cage inside your own home.
Footage: Animation of a woman sitting on the floor, looking distressed with a hand over her eyes and holding her phone. Screen shifts to the woman behind the bars of a cage.
Narrator: Today, many abusers are misusing technology, making that cage even harder to escape.
Footage: Animation of her hands behind cage bars, with the bars shifting into a smartphone.
Narrator: The Second National Survey on Technology Abuse and Domestic Violence investigates how technology is being misused in Australia.
Footage: Cut to a line drawing of Australia with a form clipped to a clipboard beside it. A pen pops up beside the clipboard and writes on the paper.
Narrator: Findings show that being bombarded with texts, emails and messages or receiving threats are the most common forms of technology facilitated abuse.
Footage: Animation of a woman sitting on the floor and looking distressed while looking at her phone. Speech bubbles pop up representing abusive messages. Cut to an image of a phone held in a hand. Messages pop up with texts reading "I'm going to kill you", "I know where you live", and "I will harm your children".
Narrator: Checking women's phones without permission and using text, email and instant messaging to check where women are, is also common.
Footage: Cut to an animation of the woman sitting on the floor with her head in her hands. A man is looking at her phone with an angry expression on his face. Cut to a view of a phone in a hand depicting a location. Beside the phone is an inset view of a man's angry face. A message pops up reading "Send a pic now of who u r with!"
Narrator: Just the sound of a text message can be traumatising.
Footage: Cut to an animation of the woman sitting with her knees near her chest. She is biting her nails and looks scared. Her body is shaking.
Narrator: It can be really hard to reach out for help and it feels like you are carrying a cage in your pocket.
Footage: Cut to a hand holding a phone. Beside it is a screen showing a call to "Support Services". A finger presses the button to end the call. The scene shifts and the woman is holding her phone, standing behind cage bars.
Narrator: Simply just disconnecting is not the answer because people need to stay connected.
Footage: Cut to an image of a hand holding a phone. Beside it is a screen showing a switch sliding to the off position. The scene shifts to the woman sitting on the floor with her face in her hand, and her other hand holding her phone.
Narrator: To find out more, read the report. Go to wesnet.org.au.
Footage: Animation of an arrow pointer clicking the wesnet.org.au link.
Footage: Text on screen reads "Abuse is never OK. If you need help go to: 1. 1800 RESPECT Family violence and sexual assault counselling service available 24/7. It's confidential and free to call. Call 1800 737 732 1800respect.org.au 2. MensLine Australia Specialist help for people affected by, and perpetrators of, family and domestic violence. Call 1300 789 978 mensline.org.au
Related links
Access for everyone
We offer a range of service options to help you stay in touch with family and friends when times are tough.
Cyber safety tools and tips
Keeping you and your loved ones safe online with our cyber safety tips and resources.