LAUNCESTON General Hospital social worker Natalie Ryan says there is not a day that goes by that she does not speak to a woman experiencing family violence.

Ms Ryan works with the women's and children's service, and said she had seen an increase in reported family violence incidents in the Launceston area.

She said contrary to common misconceptions, women were at highest risk of being killed by an intimate partner when they chose to leave the relationship.

"The murders [of women] that have happened recently have been at the point of separation, when that control is no longer there," she said.

"Usually the violence will get bigger."

Research shows that the development of babies in utero could be impacted by their mother's experience of fear and trauma, changing the architecture of their brains in a way similar to the effects of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome.

LGH social work manager Stewart Millar said although types of abuse included physical assault, sexual assault, financial abuse and psychological abuse, ultimately perpetrators were always seeking control.

"Family violence is a male issue, and it requires men to stand up and challenge other men who are using disparaging language or making jokes about women or being verbally or obviously visibly abusive towards women, and challenging those men and asking them to stop," he said.

"Most men, when they do stop and reflect, can recognise that it's actually harming them as well because it diminishes their intimacy with partners, it just destroys relationships fundamentally.

"When women present, one of the key things I think we do is affirm for them that they are not responsible for the violence."

Emergency staff at the LGH are trained to assess patients for the signs of family violence and obtain consent to refer women to the social work department.

■ If you are experiencing family violence please contact: Family Violence Counselling and Support Service 1800 608 122; Family Violence Response & Referral; 1800 633 937; Sexual Assault Support Service; 6231 1817; Mens Line Australia 1300 364 277.