Opinion: Hanson’s domestic violence remarks reinforce dangerous myths, advocate says

Nicole Yade, a victim-survivor of domestic and family violence and a representative of the Women’s and Girls’ Emergency Centre, has published an opinion piece in The Guardian condemning Senator Pauline Hanson’s recent remarks on family violence. Yade argues that Hanson’s description of domestic violence as “a two-way street” and her attribution of perpetrators’ actions to the cost of living reinforce dangerous myths that keep victims silent and unsafe.

In the article, published on 23 July 2026, Yade contends that such comments are not an aberration but sit within a broader political project that has, for decades, attempted to build support on the basis of normalising prejudice. She warns that words from elected representatives carry weight and that misinformation about family violence does real harm by undermining the safety of victim-survivors.

Yade emphasises that violence is gendered, citing statistics that one in four Australian women have experienced violence by an intimate partner since the age of 15, compared with one in 14 men. She notes that a woman in Australia is killed by someone she trusted every 11 days, stating there can be no doubt where the true crisis lies.

The article details the complex cycle of abuse identified by experts, including tension building, intimidation, escalation, remorse, pursuit, and a honeymoon period. Yade explains that displays of remorse and promises to change often manipulate victims into believing the violence will stop, making leaving difficult. She states that domestic and family violence remains the leading cause of homelessness for women in Australia, meaning the choice between a dangerous home and a dangerous world is often no choice at all.

At the Women’s and Girls’ Emergency Centre, Yade says they do not debate this reality but live it, supporting about 200 women and children nightly who are impacted by homelessness, domestic violence, and systemic disadvantage. She asserts that responsibility for violence always lies with the perpetrator and that there is no excuse for it, regardless of societal or economic conditions.

Yade concludes that victim-survivors may hear such comments and believe they are at fault or alone. She calls on the public to challenge misinformation, stand with victim-survivors, and ensure the national conversation about domestic and family violence is grounded in evidence, compassion, and the lived reality of those experiencing it.