Physical and/or sexual family and domestic violence
Results from the 2021–22 PSS show that an estimated 3.8 million Australian adults (20% of the population) reported experiencing physical and/or sexual family and domestic violence since the age of 15. It is estimated that of all Australian adults:
- 11.3% (2.2 million) had experienced violence from a partner (current or previous cohabiting)
- 5.9% (1.1 million) had experienced violence from a boyfriend, girlfriend or date
- 7.0% (1.4 million) had experienced violence from another family member (ABS 2023c).
Experiences of partner violence in the 12 months before the survey (last 12 months) remained relatively stable for both men and women between 2005 and 2016. However, between 2016 and 2021–22 the proportion of women who experienced partner violence decreased from 1.7% in 2016 to 0.9% in 2021–22. There was also a decrease in the proportion of women who had experienced violence by any intimate partner (also includes current or previous boyfriend, girlfriend and date) between 2016 and 2021–22, from 2.3% in 2016 to 1.5% in 2021–22 (ABS 2023c).
For more information, see Family and domestic violence.
Partner emotional abuse and economic abuse
According to the 2021–22 PSS, an estimated 3.6 million Australian adults (19% of population) had experienced emotional abuse at least once by a partner since the age of 15. The proportion of women (23% or 2.3 million) who had experienced emotional abuse was higher than men (14% or 1.3 million). Estimates of partner emotional abuse in the 12 months before the survey have changed over time:
- the proportion of women who experienced partner emotional abuse was stable between 2012 and 2016, but decreased from 4.8% in 2016 to 3.9% in 2021–22
- the proportion of men who experienced partner emotional abuse increased from 2.8% in 2012 to 4.2% in 2016 before decreasing to 2.5% in 2021–22 (ABS 2023c).
It was also estimated that 2.4 million Australian adults (12% of the population) had experienced economic abuse by a partner since the age of 15, with the proportion of women (16%) who had experienced this type of abuse around double the proportion of men (7.8%) (ABS 2023c).
For more information, see Intimate partner violence.
Sexual violence
The 2021–22 PSS estimated 2.8 million Australians (14% of the population) experienced sexual violence (occurrence, attempt and/or threat of sexual assault) since the age of 15. It is estimated that of all Australian adults:
- 13% (2.5 million) had experienced sexual violence by a male
- 1.8% (353,000) had experienced sexual violence by a female (ABS 2023c).
Of all women:
- 11% (1.1 million) experienced at least one incident of sexual violence by a male intimate partner since the age of 15
- 2.1% (203,000) experienced at least one incident of sexual violence by a male family member since the age of 15
- 11% (1.1 million) experienced at least one incident of sexual violence by another known male since the age of 15
- 6.1% (605,000) experienced at least one incident of sexual violence by a male stranger since the age of 15 (ABS 2023c).
In the 12 months before the 2021–22 PSS, it is estimated that 1.9% of women experienced sexual violence. This does not represent a change from 2016 (ABS 2023c).
Based on the 2021–22 PSS, around 1 in 8 (13% or 1.3 million) women and 1 in 22 (4.5% or 427,000) men had experienced sexual harassment (see Glossary) in the last 12 months. This represents a decrease from 2016 for both women (previously 17%) and men (previously 9.3%) (ABS 2023c).
For more information, see Sexual violence.
Other forms of violence and abuse
Violence exists on a spectrum of behaviours. The same social and cultural attitudes underpinning family, domestic and sexual violence are at the root of other behaviours such as stalking. Technology can facilitate abuse and has become an important consideration in these types of violence.
Stalking is classified as unwanted behaviours (such as following or watching in person or electronically) that occur more than once and cause fear or distress and is considered a crime in every state and territory of Australia (ABS 2023b). Based on the 2021–22 PSS, 1 in 5 (20% or 2.0 million) women and around 1 in 15 (6.8% or 653,000) men had experienced stalking since the age of 15 (ABS 2023c).
Preliminary findings from the 2022 Australian eSafety Commissioner’s adult online safety survey of around 4,700 Australians aged 18–65 years, indicate that:
- 75% of those surveyed had a negative online experience in the 12 months prior to the survey, an increase from 58% in 2019
- 18% of those surveyed said their location had been tracked electronically without consent, an increase from 11% in 2019
- 16% of those surveyed said they received online threats of real-life harm or abuse, an increase from 9% (Office of the eSafety Commissioner 2023).
Due to the opt-in nature of the survey, these results may not be generalisable to the broader Australian adult population.
For more information, see Stalking and surveillance.
Family, domestic and sexual violence during the COVID-19 pandemic
The impacts of a pandemic can be wide-ranging with people experiencing different circumstances depending on their situation. Situational stressors, such as victims and perpetrators spending more time together, or increased financial or economic hardship, can be associated with increased severity or frequency of violence (Payne et al. 2020). It is also possible that increased protective factors, such as access to income support, time away from a perpetrator, or increased social cohesion, could suppress violence (Diemer 2023). Pandemics can also affect help-seeking and individual responses to violence, meaning support services have to adapt their delivery to new circumstances.
We continue to learn about the impact of the emergency phase of the COVID-19 pandemic on family, domestic and sexual violence, with some different patterns observed between research, drawing on a variety of data sources and methods, and national population prevalence data (Diemer 2023).
Results from the PSS showed that between 2016 and 2021–22 there was a decrease in the number of women experiencing physical and/or sexual partner violence in the 12 months before the survey, and a decrease in women and men experiencing partner emotional abuse. The rate of sexual violence for women remained stable. See How common is family, domestic and sexual violence?
The Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) conducted an online survey of women’s experiences of violence during the first 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. While not comparable with the PSS, the survey of more than 10,000 women found that the pandemic coincided with first-time and escalating intimate partner violence for some women (Table 1). However, given this is a cross-sectional survey, a causal relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and women’s experiences of intimate partner violence cannot be established (Boxall and Morgan 2021).
Table 1: Intimate partner violence(a) experienced by women in Australia during the first 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic| | Physical violence | Sexual violence | Emotionally abusive, harassing and controlling behaviours |
|---|
Overall prevalence of intimate partner violence (b) | 9.6% | 7.6% | 32% |
|---|
Experienced intimate partner violence for the first time (b) | 3.4% | 3.2% | 18% |
|---|
Reported that intimate partner violence had increased in frequency or severity(b, c) | 42% | 43% | 40% |
|---|
- Violence from a person the respondent had a relationship with during the previous 12 months. This includes current and former partners, cohabiting, or non-cohabiting.
- Of women aged 18 years and older who had been in a relationship longer than 12 months.
- Of women who had a history of violence from their current or most recent partner.
Source: Boxall and Morgan 2021.
For more information, see FDSV and COVID-19. See also ‘Chapter 2 - Changes in the health of Australians during the COVID-19 pandemic’ in Australia’s health 2022: data insights.
What influences family, domestic and sexual violence?
Social attitudes and norms shape the context in which violence occurs. The National Community Attitudes towards Violence against Women Survey (NCAS) shows that in Australia, between 2009 and 2021, there was a positive shift in attitudes that reject gender inequality and violence against women. There was also an improvement in understanding of violence against women.
The NCAS indicated that in 2021 Australians, on average, had:
- higher understanding of violence against women compared to previous survey years (2009, 2013 and 2017)
- higher rejection of attitudes supportive of gender inequality compared to previous survey years
- improved attitudes towards sexual violence compared to 2017
- improved attitudes towards domestic violence compared to 2009 and 2013 (Coumarelos et al 2023).
While results were generally encouraging, some findings were concerning and highlight areas for improvement, select findings are summarised below.
Attitudes towards violence against women and gender inequality
Of all NCAS respondents in 2021:
- 25% believed that women who do not leave their abusive partners are partly responsible for violence continuing
- 34% agreed it was common for sexual assault accusations to be used as a way of getting back at men
- 23% believed domestic violence is a normal reaction to day-to-day stress
- 19% agreed that sometimes a woman can make a man so angry he hits her without meaning to
- 15% agreed that there is no harm in sexist jokes
- 41% agreed that many women misinterpret innocent remarks as sexist (Coumarelos et al. 2023).
For more information, see Community attitudes.
Understanding of violence against women
Of all NCAS respondents in 2021:
- 31% did not know that women are more likely to raped by a known person than a stranger
- 41% did not know where to access help for a domestic violence issue
- 43% did not recognise that men are the most common perpetrators of domestic violence
- 24% did not recognise that women are more likely than men to suffer physical harm from domestic violence (Coumarelos et al. 2023).
For more information, see Community understanding of FDSV.
Who is at risk of family, domestic and sexual violence?
Family, domestic and sexual violence occurs across all ages and demographics. However, some groups are at greater risk than others and/or may experience impacts and outcomes of violence that are more serious or long-lasting.
Children
Children are at greater risk of family, domestic and sexual violence.
According to the 2021–22 PSS, about 1 in 8 (13% or 2.6 million) people, aged 18 years and over, witnessed violence towards a parent by a partner before the age of 15. A higher proportion of people had witnessed partner violence against their mothers (12%, or 2.2 million) than their fathers (4.3%, or 837,000) (ABS 2023a).
The PSS also collects some information from adults about the nature and extent of violence experienced before and since the age of 15, for more information see Personal Safety, Australia.
The 2021 Australian Child Maltreatment Study surveyed people aged 16 years and over about experiences of maltreatment as a child. Of people surveyed, around:
- 3 in 10 (29%) had experienced sexual abuse by any person
- 3 in 10 (31%) had experienced emotional abuse by a parent or caregiver
- 1 in 11 (8.9%) had experienced neglect by a parent or caregiver
- 2 in 5 (40%) had experienced exposure to domestic violence (Haslam et al. 2023).
For more information, see Children and young people.
Child protection services
In Australia, state and territory governments are responsible for providing child protection services to anyone aged under 18 who has been, or is at risk of being, abused, neglected or otherwise harmed, or whose parents are unable to provide adequate care and protection. In 2022–23:
- More than 180,000 Australian children (32 per 1,000) came into contact with the child protection system.
- Infants aged under one were most likely (36 per 1,000) to come into contact with the child protection system and adolescents aged 15–17 were the least likely (27 per 1,000).
- Emotional abuse, including exposure to family violence, was the most common primary type of abuse identified for children with substantiated cases (substantiations) (57% or 25,800 children). Neglect (21% or 9,300 children) was the next most common primary type of abuse substantiated, followed by physical abuse (13% or 5,900 children) and sexual abuse (9.1% or 4,100 children).
- Similar proportions of girls and boys were the subjects of substantiations for physical abuse, emotional abuse and neglect. However, a higher proportion of girls (13%) were the subjects of substantiations for sexual abuse than boys (5.5%) (AIHW 2024b).
The rate of children who were the subject of notifications has increased from 48 per 1,000 in 2018–19 to 51 per 1,000 in 2022–23. However, the rate of children who were the subject of substantiations remained fairly stable in the 5 years to 30 June 2023 (AIHW 2024b).
For more information, see Child protection.
Women
More women than men experience family, domestic and sexual violence. Table 2 shows the proportion of people aged 18 and over who experienced violence from a partner since the age of 15.
Table 2: Proportion of men and women who experienced violence or abuse from a partner since the age of 15, by type of violence or abuse, 2021–22| | Women (%) | Men (%) |
|---|
| Physical and/or sexual violence from a partner | 16.9 | 5.5 |
|---|
| Physical violence from a partner | 14.9 | 5.3 |
|---|
| Sexual violence from a partner | 6.2 | n.p. |
|---|
| Emotional abuse from a partner | 22.9 | 13.8 |
|---|
| Economic abuse from a partner | 16.3 | 7.8 |
|---|
n.p. not published
Note: Where a person has experienced both physical and sexual violence by a cohabiting partner, they are counted separately for each type of violence they experienced but are counted only once in the aggregated total.
Source: ABS 2023c.
Women’s exposure to violence differs across the age groups. The 2021–22 PSS found that the prevalence of physical and/or sexual violence by a cohabiting partner (partner violence) among women declined with age. One in 39 (2.6%) women aged 18–34 experienced partner violence in the 2 years before the survey, compared with 2.2% for those aged 35–54 and 0.6% for those aged 55 and over (ABS 2023a).
The prevalence of sexual violence by any perpetrator among women also decreased with age. One in 8 (12%) women aged 18–24 experienced sexual violence in the 2 years before the survey, compared with 4.5% of those aged 25–34, 2.5% of those aged 35–44, 1.9%* for those aged 45–54 and 0.5%* of those aged 55 and over (ABS 2023e).
Note that estimates marked with an asterisk (*) should be used with caution as they have a relative standard error between 25% and 50%.
For more information, see Young women.
Other at-risk groups
Other social and cultural factors can also increase the risk of experiencing family, domestic and sexual violence. In some cases, these factors may overlap or combine to create an even greater risk. Additional factors that can increase the risk of violence include remoteness and socioeconomic area of residence, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and cultural influences. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) women are particularly at risk and have much higher rates of hospitalisation because of family violence.
For more information, see Population groups.
What services or support do those who have experienced family, domestic and sexual violence use?
Responses to family, domestic and sexual violence are provided informally in the community and formally through justice systems, and treatment and support services.
