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People who experienced sexual harassment
Measure: Proportion of people who experienced sexual harassment in the last 12 months
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Baseline value
8.7%
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Latest value
8.7%in 2021–22
Last updated:
Interpretation
A decrease in the prevalence of sexual harassment over time will indicate that people are choosing to use less or no violence.
Data about sexual harassment should be considered alongside the prevalence of sexual assault and other forms of sexual violence.
Outcome: 3 Community attitudes and beliefs embrace gender equality and condemn all forms of gendered violence without exception
Sub-outcome: 3.3 People have equal, healthy, and respectful relationships
Indicator: Decreased prevalence of sexual violence
Baseline: 2021–22
Latest year: 2021–22
Data source: ABS Personal Safety Survey
Source: DSS 2024.
For information about how this measure is derived, please refer to the Technical specifications for National Plan Outcomes.
Additional National Plan Outcomes data are available from the Data downloads page.
Time series
People aged 18 years and over who experienced sexual harassment in the last 12 months, 2012 to 2021–22
| Year | Per cent |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 10.8^% |
| 2016 | 13.4^% |
| 2021–22 | 8.7% |
Note: While the data are comparable across the time series, the list of sexual harassment behaviours asked about in the survey has expanded over time.
For more information, see Data sources and technical notes.
^: statistically significant difference to the 2021–22 prevalence rate.
State and territory
State and territory data are not available for this measure for 2021–22 due to sampling issues. However, supplementary data are available for the proportion of women who experienced sexual harassment in the last 12 months. See the Supplementary tables for the National Plan Outcomes.
Population characteristics
Sex
People aged 18 years and over who experienced sexual harassment in the last 12 months, by sex, 2016 and 2021–22
| Sex | 2016 | 2021–22 (baseline) |
|---|---|---|
| Females | 17.3^% | 12.6% |
| Males | 9.3^% | 4.5% |
| Persons | 13.4^% | 8.7% |
Note: While the data are comparable across the time series, the list of sexual harassment behaviours asked about in the survey has expanded over time.
For more information, see Data sources and technical notes.
^: statistically significant difference to the 2021–22 prevalence rate.
Age
Data are not available for this measure for 2021–22 due to sampling issues. However, supplementary data are available for reporting on the proportion of women who experienced sexual harassment in the last 12 months. See the Supplementary tables for the National Plan Outcomes.
Disability status
Data are not available for this measure for 2021–22 due to sampling issues. However, supplementary data are available for reporting on the proportion of women who experienced sexual harassment in the last 12 months. See the Supplementary tables for the National Plan Outcomes.
Country of birth
People aged 18 years and over who experienced sexual harassment in the last 12 months, by country of birth, 2016 and 2021–22
| Country of birth | 2016 | 2021–22 (baseline) |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 14.0^% | 10.0% |
| Other main English speaking countries | 14.2^% | 8.4% |
| Non-main English speaking countries | 11.0^% | 4.6% |
Note: While the data are comparable across the time series, the list of sexual harassment behaviours asked about in the survey has expanded over time.
For more information, see Data sources and technical notes.
^: statistically significant difference to the 2021–22 prevalence rate.
Sexual orientation
Data are not available for this measure for 2021–22 due to sampling issues. However, supplementary data are available for reporting on the proportion of women who experienced sexual harassment in the last 12 months. See the Supplementary tables for the National Plan Outcomes.
Remoteness
People aged 18 years and over who experienced sexual harassment in the last 12 months, by remoteness, 2016 and 2021–22
| Remoteness area | 2016 | 2021–22 (baseline) |
|---|---|---|
| Major Cities | 13.9^% | 8.7% |
| Inner Regional | 12.5^% | 7.7% |
| Outer Regional/Remote | 11.2% | 10.7% |
Notes:
- Remoteness refers to remoteness area at the time of interview. 'Other areas' includes inner regional, outer regional and remote areas.
- While the data are comparable across the time series, the list of sexual harassment behaviours asked about in the survey has expanded over time.
For more information, see Data sources and technical notes.
^: statistically significant difference to the 2021–22 prevalence rate.
Related material
More information
DSS (2024) Performance measurement plan, DSS, accessed 8 May 2024.
Related measures
See the related National Plan Outcomes measures:
- Previous page People who experienced sexual violence
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