Options Guide For Victim Survivors: Terminology

Affected Party – Is the person who is impacted by the offending or behaviour of the perpetrator of family violence. This term is used in the place of victim or affected family member in this document.

Affected family member (AFM) – Defined in s.4, Family Violence Protection Act 2008 (FVPA). The family member whose person or property is the subject of an application for an order. Once an intervention order is granted the person is known as the protected person. Used interchangeably to refer to victims of family violence as an intervention order is not always sought or granted.

CIU – Crime Investigation Unit.

Family Violence Report (FVR Form L17) – Victoria Police Risk Assessment and Risk Management Report.

FVI – Family Violence Incident.

FVIU – (Regional) Family Violence and Investigation Units.

Interim Action – The Assistant Commissioner, Professional Standards Command or the Director, Workplace Relations Division reasonably believes an employee to have committed a criminal offence or a discipline offence. They may either transfer the employee to other duties, direct the police officer or protective services officer to take any accrued leave (other than sick leave) or suspend the police officer or protective services officer with or without pay.

Intervention order – General term to refer to all types of orders; being family violence safety notices (FVSN), interim family violence intervention orders (interim FVIO) and final family violence intervention orders (FVIO).

Investigator – A Victoria Police employee who is allocated your complaint for either criminal or discipline investigation.

Police member (or member) – Any person, excluding VPS employees, employed by Victoria Police in accordance with s.7, Victoria Police Act 2013. This means police officer, protective services officer (PSO), recruit, and reservist except where an instruction specifically states otherwise. However, any authority or responsibility may only be exercised within the limits of the duties of the position and their legal authorities and responsibilities.

Police employee perpetrator – A Victoria Police employee who is the party to the family violence incident who, by their actions in the incident and through known history and actions, has caused the most physical harm, fear, and intimidation against the other.

PSC – Professional Standards Command.

Respondent – Defined in Section 4, Family Violence Protection Act 2008. The person against whom an application for, or actual intervention order has been, made or issued. Used interchangeably to refer to a perpetrator of family violence as an intervention order is not always sought or granted.

ROCSID – Register of Complaints Serious Incidents and Discipline. This is a comprehensive complaints management and investigation database that records and monitors complaints against Victoria Police employees.

SOCIT – Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Team.

Subject Employee – The Victoria Police employee who has had an allegation of complaint and is under investigation.

VARE – Video and Audio Recorded Evidence according to the Criminal Procedure Act 2009.

Victorian Public Service (VPS) employees – Any person employed by Victoria Police, including police custody officers (PCOs) in accordance with the Public Administration Act 2004.

Victoria Police employees – All Victoria Police personnel, including police members, reservists, protective services officers, recruits, and VPS employees.

VPM – Victoria Police Manual policies and procedures.

Updated