I had just turned 14 when I was first exposed to domestic violence. It was Christmas Eve and, while home alone, I heard a knock at the door. I answered it to see a local neighbour with bruises all over her face and body. She came inside and waited for my parents to return home.

Meanwhile, up the road, her drunk husband was keeping their two children hostage. Police were called and when the children were released unharmed it was decided that they and their mother would spend the night with us. The following day — Christmas Day — they packed the car, took the pets and left to stay with a relative.

Each year police and support services prepare themselves for a spike in domestic assault cases over the Christmas to New Years' eve period. A combination of financial strain, families spending more time together, and increased alcohol consumption contribute to the rise in figures.

Last year, US actor Charlie Sheen spent Christmas Day in jail after his wife, Brooke Mueller, accused him of attacking her during an alcohol-fuelled argument.

In NSW, police responded to more than 5000 domestic-violence related complaints over the December 2009 to January 2010 period.