Overview of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Data Sources

  • Key national surveys for IPV prevalence data are:

    • ABS Personal Safety Survey

    • AIFS National Elder Abuse Prevalence Study

  • Findings from the Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS) included in this analysis.

Prevalence of IPV

  • How common is IPV?

    • Women: 1 in 4 (23% or 2.3 million) experienced violence from an intimate partner since age 15 (2021–22 PSS).

    • Men: 1 in 14 (7.3% or 693,000) experienced violence from an intimate partner since age 15.

    • Intimate partners include: current or previous partners, boyfriends, girlfriends, or dates.

    • Types of violence:

    • Overall prevalence: 11% (higher proportion from a partner) vs. 5.9% (from a boyfriend/girlfriend/date).

Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS) Findings

  • ACMS reported that:

    • More than 2 in 5 (45% or nearly 3,200) participants who ever partnered experienced IPV since age 16.

    • Specific types of IPV experiences include:

    • Psychological Violence: 41%

    • Physical Violence: 29%

    • Sexual Violence: 12%

Gender Differences in IPV

  • Higher proportions of IPV experienced by women compared to men:

    • Overall IPV: 48% women vs. 40% men.

    • Psychological Violence: 45% vs. 37%.

    • Physical Violence: 32% vs. 25%.

    • Sexual Violence: 18% vs. 4%.

    • Experienced 2 or more types of IPV: 34% women vs. 23% men.

    • Severe forms of violence: Choking (12% women vs. 3.8% men); weapon threats (10% women vs. 7.5% men).

Demographic Variations in IPV Reporting

  • Non-Heterosexual Participants: 70% experienced IPV compared to 43% heterosexual participants.

  • Age Groups at Highest Risk:

    • Ages 16–24: 48%

    • Ages 25–44: 51%

    • Ages 45+: 40%

  • Specifically for sexual violence:

    • Ages 16–24: 18%

    • Ages 25–44: 14%

    • Ages 45+: 9.3%

Partner Violence as a Form of IPV

  • Definition: Partner violence relates specifically to individuals in domestic arrangements or formerly living together (cohabiting partners).

  • 2021–22 PSS data highlight:

    • Women: 1 in 6 (17% or 1.7 million) experienced violence from a current or former partner.

    • Men: About 1 in 18 (5.5% or 527,000) experienced the same.

Characteristics of Partner Violence

  • Differentiation in experiences between partners:

    • Previous Partner: 40% experienced violence within 2 years of the relationship.

    • Current Partner: 24% experienced violence within 2 years of the relationship.

  • Of the estimated 1.5 million women reporting previous partner violence:

    • 67% experienced multiple incidents: All the time (3.8%), Most of the time (17%), Some of the time (28%), A little of the time (18%).

  • Women’s experiences with current partners:

    • Among approximately 173,000 women, 41% experienced multiple incidents.

  • Among approximately 425,000 men:

    • 52% experienced multiple incidents. 71% had their first incident within the first 10 years.

Women’s Choices in Violent Relationships

  • Approximately 70% of women who experienced violence from current partners while living together did not separate (estimated 122,000 women).

  • 46% expressed no desire to leave their current partner.

  • Temporary separations from previous partners resulted in varied experiences of subsequent violence:

    • 43% (584,000 women) had temporarily separated from a violent partner.

    • Post-separation experiences:

    • 7.9% experienced violence for the first time.

    • 25% continued to face violence.

    • 14% endured increased violence.

  • Women’s temporary separation accommodations:

    • 63% moved away from home; 78% stayed with friends or relatives.

  • Reasons for returning to violent partners:

    • Desire to reconcile (91% current, 57% previous).

    • Continued affection (55% current, 45% previous).

    • Promises to cease violence (26% current, 51% previous).

Impact of IPV on Women

  • Statistic on dislocation due to violence:

    • 64% (867,000 women) moved away from violent home circumstances.

    • Of those, 69% left behind assets or property.

Emotional and Economic Abuse

Emotional Abuse

  • 2021–22 Statistics:

    • 23% of women (2.3 million) and 14% of men (1.3 million) experienced emotional abuse.

  • Nature of emotional abuse experiences:

    • Most frequent behaviors: Threatening/degrading (85% current partners, 90% previous partners).

    • Recurrence of incidents (90% for current partners, 94% previous partners).

    • 24% also experienced violence (current), 47% (previous women), and 25% (previous men).

Economic Abuse

  • 2021–22 Statistics:

    • 16% of women (1.6 million) and 7.8% of men (745,000) encountered economic abuse.

  • Common economic behaviors:

    • Current partner abuse: 62% experienced economic restriction (control of financial access).

    • Previous partner abuse: 44% of women and 50% of men encountered economic sabotage.

Intersection of IPV and Other Forms of Abuse

  • Combined Prevalence:

    • 1 in 5 (21% or 4.2 million) aged 18+ experienced violence, emotional or economic abuse from a partner since age 15.

  • Breakdown by gender:

    • 27% (2.7 million) women vs. 15% (1.5 million) men.

Technology-Facilitated Abuse (TFA)

  • Definition: TFA encompasses stalking, tracking, threats, harassment, and sharing intimate images without consent, leveraging technology.

  • Increased risk associated with modern living and hybrid work models.

  • TFA seen as instruments of IPV rather than separate forms of violence.

  • Difficulties in estimating TFA prevalence from surveys.

  • ANROWS Research (2022) provides insights on TFA's complex relation to IPV.

Risk Factors for IPV Perpetrators

  • Perpetration is influenced by individual, family, community, and broader social factors, with potential for intergenerational violence.

Responses to IPV

  • Many victims do not disclose their experience; informal support is common, but barriers exist for seeking formal help.

  • Formal support avenues include:

    • Health services (e.g. GPs, emergency services)

    • Police/legal response (criminal and civil proceedings)

    • Specialist homelessness services

    • Specialist perpetrator interventions

Health Services

  • Types include GP, mental health services, emergencycare, and substance abuse services.

  • Data Sources: AIHW National Hospital Morbidity Database—information on hospital admissions for IPV-related injuries.

Police and Legal Responses

  • Criminal offenses documented by police; civil proceedings can lead to protective domestic violence orders.

Impacts of IPV

Physical and Mental Health

  • Long-term impacts include physical, mental health challenges, and potential fatal outcomes.

  • Economic outcomes deriving from IPV include:

    • Separation-related costs (moving, legal fees, healthcare) and their long-term effects on education, housing, and employment.

Homicide Data

  • Domestic Homicide: Unlawful killings in domestic circumstances captured in multiple data sources.

Temporal Changes in IPV

  • Analysis shows changes over time in IPV rates:

    • Decrease in prevalence from 2016 to 2021–22:

    • IPV 12-month rates: 1.8% (2016) to 1.1% (2021–22).

    • Partner violence rates for women: 1.7% (2016) to 0.9% (2021–22).

    • Emotional abuse rates decrease: Women from 4.8% (2016) to 3.9% (2021–22); men from 4.2% (2016) to 2.5% (2021–22).

Socio-Demographic Considerations

  • Certain population groups demonstrate heightened risks or different experiences of IPV. Refer to Population Groups for further information.