Mental health forum addresses ‘deeply concerning’ issue of domestic violence

In this feature piece, Perth-based Baha’i Marian McPharlin describes how the Baha’is of Melville are continuing to learn how to combat “deeply concerning” issues prevalent in society through the hosting of dedicated community mental health forums that aim to enrich the collective consciousness of the local population. 

In May, the Mental Health Forum taskforce, sponsored by the Melville Baha’i community, held a special event focusing on the issue of family and domestic violence and featuring an expert panel of three speakers. 

Domestic and Family Violence refers to a pattern of behaviour used by an individual to coerce, control or cause fear in a family member. It remains a shameful, hidden secret in many families regardless of ethnicity or social status. 

Taskforce member Deena Ashoorian said domestic and family violence had a devastating impact on families, leading to lasting generational trauma. “In a horrifying statistic, 78 family members died in Australia in 2024 due to domestic violence,” she said. “Worldwide statistics are even more appalling.” 

The expert panel of three speakers outlined the various forms family violence can take: physical, sexual, financial and psychological. “They presented enlightening information and strategies in prevention, response and linking individuals to relevant agencies and resources,” Deena said. 

Jayne Jarito, a financial counsellor with RUAH community services, shone a spotlight on financial abuse and how individuals could use money and finances to control a partner and limit their independence. Facing severe financial insecurity, Jayne said, is a barrier to leaving an abusive situation and can lead to an impossible choice between safety or poverty. Jayne stressed that abuse is a choice made by the abuser. 

Fiona McDonald, formerly Senior Manager of Education, Relationships Australia, emphasised that the main strategy in changing the behaviour of abusers is to change their belief system, to uphold the equality of men and women and to be mindful of individual rights within the family.  

Breaking the cycle of abuse, Fiona said, requires policies around strengthening the family and having access to education. She referred to the message from the international governing body of the Baha’i Faith, the Universal House of Justice, dated 19 March 2025 which challenges communities to “learn new patterns of family life suited to a new age”. Fiona quoted from this message that sound relationships based on justice and reciprocity “require conscious cultivation”. 

Wendy Evans, a member of the Lived Experience Advisory Group, responsible for reviewing domestic violence legislation for the Western Australian government, shared her traumatic personal experience of domestic violence and stressed the importance of recognising red flags early and setting healthy boundaries in relationships. She emphasised that it is okay for an individual not to always get their own way. 

Baha’i social action efforts seek to promote the social and material well-being of people of all walks of life, whatever their beliefs or background. Such efforts are motivated by the desire to serve humanity and contribute to constructive social change. 

Whether modest or more complex in nature, these efforts tend to emerge out of growing collective consciousness, and are carried out by a group of individuals who are passionate about effecting change in their neighbourhoods through the application of Baha’u’llah’s teachings. Initiatives may be related to a variety of fields including health, sanitation, education, agriculture or environmental protection and aim to improve some aspect of the life of the local population. 

Mental Health forums are held every three months and can be viewed on the Mind and Soul Matters Podcast series. The next live streamed forum at the Baha’i Centre of Learning will focus on the topic of Addictions on July 27.