Domestic and family violence

The state of domestic violence in Australia

Decorative only

The following is a snapshot of key domestic and family violence statistics in Australia.

Who is affected?

Women

  • On average, one woman is killed every week in Australia by an intimate partner.<superscript>1<superscript>
  • 1 in every 3 women have experienced violence from someone known to them.<superscript>1<superscript>
  • Domestic violence is the number one causation for homelessness in women and their children.<superscript>1<superscript>
  • It is also the leading contributor of ill health, disability and death in women aged 15-44.<superscript>1<superscript>

Indigenous women

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women experience family violence at 2x the rate of non-Indigenous women.<superscript>2<superscript>
  • Indigenous women are 34x more likely to be hospitalised with their injuries.<superscript>2<superscript>

LGBTIQ+ people

  • 1 in 3 LGBTIQ+ people have been abused by a domestic partner.<superscript>3<superscript>
  • 78% report this abuse is psychological.<superscript>3<superscript>
  • Transgender women experience very high rates of domestic violence and sexual assault from intimate partners.<superscript>3<superscript>

Regional and Remote women

  • Women living in regional communities experience rates of domestic violence 6% higher than metro populations.<superscript>4<superscript>

Men

  • 1 in 20 men have experienced violence from an intimate partner.<superscript>5<superscript>

Contextual drivers

There are myriad of interrelated contributing factors to instances of domestic violence, including:

  • Gender inequality, discrimination, supremacy and power structures
  • Condoning of violence, violent rhetoric and aggression
  • Stereotyped constructions of masculinity and femininity
  • Disrespect towards women

These are further exacerbated by:

  • Experience of and exposure to violence (especially when young)
  • Alcohol and substance abuse
  • Poor mental health or mental illness
  • Cultural or religious norms

These factors are not linear, but represent cyclical, interrelated and often intergenerational factors.

Three-quarters of all instances of domestic violence are repeat offences.<superscript>6<superscript>

In particular, young offenders are more likely to re-offend than older ones. <superscript>6<superscript>

Sources

NB: These statistics were accurate at the time of compilation, July 2018

1. White Ribbon, Statistics

2. Commonwealth of Australia, Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage

5. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Personal Safety

3. Australian Institute of Family Studies, Intimate Partner Violence in LGBTIQ+ Communities

4. Australian Institute of Family Studies, Domestic and family violence in regional, rural and remote communities

6. Crime Statistics Agency, Predictors of recidivism among police recorded family violence perpetrators