Domestic Violence Facts

The vast majority of dangerous, abusive and violent behaviours that occur in private in people's homes are committed by men, against women. The following statistics are a sobering reality:

• 363 000 women (4.7 per cent of all women) experienced physical violence (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005)
• 126 100 women (1.6 per cent) experienced sexual violence (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005)
• 2.56 million (33 per cent of all women) have experienced physical violence since the age of 15 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005)   
• 1.47 million (19 per cent) have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005)
• 36 per cent of female victims of physical assault and 19 per cent of female victims of sexual assault in Australia reported the incident to police (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005)
• 5.8 per cent (443 800) of women experienced violence in 2005 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005)
• 4.7 per cent (363 000) of women experienced physical violence in 2005 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005)
• The proportion of women who experienced physical assault in 2005 was 3.1 per cent (242 000) (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005)
• 49 per cent of female victims were killed as a result of a domestic altercation (as compared to 15 per cent of male victims) (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005)