Domestic and family violence

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

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Who is affected?

Women

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

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Indigenous women

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women experience family violence at 2x the rate of non-Indigenous women (Commonwealth of Australia, Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage)
• Indigenous women are 34x more likely to be hospitalised with their injuries (Commonwealth of Australia, Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage)

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LGBTIQ+ people

• ‍‍1 in 3 LGBTIQ+ people have been abused by a domestic partner (Australian Institute of Family Studies, Intimate Partner Violence in LGBTIQ+ Communities)
• 78% report this abuse is psychological (Australian Institute of Family Studies, Intimate Partner Violence in LGBTIQ+ Communities)
• Transgender women experience very high rates of domestic violence and sexual assault from intimate partners. (Australian Institute of Family Studies, Intimate Partner Violence in LGBTIQ+ Communities)

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Regional and Remote women

• Women living in regional communities experience rates of domestic violence 6% higher than metro populations (Australian Institute of Family Studies, Domestic and family violence in regional, rural and remote communities)

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Men

• ‍‍1 in 20 men have experienced violence from an intimate partner (Australian Bureau of Statistics, Personal Safety)

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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

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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

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

Three-quarters of all instances of domestic violence are repeat offences (Crime Statistics Agency, Predictors of recidivism among police recorded family violence perpetrators)

In particular, young offenders are more likely to re-offend than older ones (Crime Statistics Agency, Predictors of recidivism among police recorded family violence perpetrators)

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Sources

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

• White Ribbon, Statistics
• ‍Commonwealth of Australia, Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage
• ‍Australian Bureau of Statistics, Personal Safety
• ‍Australian Institute of Family Studies, Intimate Partner Violence in LGBTIQ+ Communities
• ‍Australian Institute of Family Studies, Domestic and family violence in regional, rural and remote communities
• ‍Crime Statistics Agency, Predictors of recidivism among police recorded family violence perpetrators

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