An interim report of an inquiry into domestic violence has also recommended that more than $100 million in funding cuts be restored to community legal centres and emergency accommodation and shelter services as well as a $200 million boost to federal and state legal assistance services.

It has also called for more behavioural change programs for perpetrators and for a new national initiative to boost prevention, early intervention and crisis services.

While the final report is not due until June, the committee reported early to make sure its recommendations were included in budget deliberations.

Greens spokeswoman for women Larissa Waters, who initiated the inquiry, said the committee had heard "harrowing" evidence about the impacts of budget cuts on domestic violence responses.

This included women being turned away from refuges and calls to crisis lines ringing out.

"Volunteer law students are filling in at women's legal centres because there isn't enough funding to keep paying qualified lawyers, despite the tragically high demand for their important advice," she said.

The committee found that working with young people was an important part of changing community attitudes around domestic violence, which currently sees one woman a week killed at the hands of a former or current partner.

To address this, the committee recommended incorporating respectful relationships education - which is currently run in programs around the country - into the national curriculum.

In dissenting comments from the Labor and Greens' report, government senators said it was "disappointing" that the main report did not acknowledge "the commitments made by the government" to tackle domestic violence.

This includes funding to develop a national domestic violence order scheme, a national telephone counselling service and a Council of Australian Governments meeting on family violence.

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