Among the most vulnerable were women who were Indigenous, young or pregnant

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

One in six Australian women have experienced physical or sexual violence from a current or former partner, a new report has found.

The research, released on Wednesday by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, paints a damning picture of the extent of physical and sexual violence in Australia.

The report confirms violence is committed disproportionately against women.



One woman was killed every week at the hands of a partner or former partner in 2012–13 and 2013–14, compared with one a month for men.

One in six women have suffered family violence, physical or sexual, at the hands of a former and current partner whom they lived with since the age of 15.

The White Ribbon chief executive officer, Libby Davies, described the findings as “devastating”, but said “sadly it is not surprising”.



“Disrespect and violence against women is pervasive in our community and needs to be addressed as a national priority,” Davies told Guardian Australia.

“This figure also underlines the significant investment needed by governments, business and community to reverse this trend immediately.”

More than half of women who have experienced family violence do so repeatedly.

About eight women and two men a day were hospitalised due to family violence on average in 2014-15.

Police record an average of 52 sexual assaults against women every day.

Some groups were found to be highly vulnerable. Indigenous Australians were far more likely to be affected by family violence, as were young women, pregnant women, women experiencing financial difficulty, and women with a disability.



Indigenous women were killed more often in family violence, and were 32 times more likely than non-Indigenous women to be hospitalised.

There were also clear intergenerational links identified in the research. Boys and girls who witnessed domestic violence before they turned 15 were more at risk of family violence later in life.

About 2.1 million had witnessed violence towards their mother by a partner, and 820,000 towards their father, the report found. Those children were then two to four times more likely to experience partner violence themselves as adults.

The cost of family violence to the nation is enormous, the report found. In 2015–16, violence against women and their children was estimated at $22bn.

That includes direct costs like healthcare, counselling, and child and welfare support, and indirect costs such as lost wages, productivity, and potential earnings.

AIHW spokeswoman Louise York said the impact of family violence on individuals was profound. It is the leading cause of homelessness, and causes more illness, disability and deaths than any other risk factor for women aged 25 to 44.

“People who experience domestic violence are likely to need time off work as a result, and women affected by domestic violence experience significantly poorer health and mental health than other women,” York said.

The report found significant gaps in the available data on family violence. The institute warned there was insufficient data on children’s experiences of family violence, and the impact on at-risk groups, including Indigenous Australians and the LGBTIQ community.



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Little is also known about the effect of key risk factors, like socioeconomic status, employment, income, and geographical location.

The institute’s chief executive officer, Barry Sandison, said a “comprehensive source of evidence and analysis” was crucial to addressing the complex issue of family violence.

“It’s important to note that, while looking only at the numbers can at times appear to depersonalise the pain and suffering that sits behind the statistics, the seriousness of these issues cannot be overstated,” Sandison said.

White Ribbon said more coordinated investment was needed in frontline services and primary prevention programs.

“We will continue to advocate to the government to put in place more resources and funding to tackle one the of Australia’s critical social issues,” Davies said.

