This publication presents results from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) 2016 Personal Safety Survey (PSS), conducted from November 2016 to June 2017. The survey was conducted in all states and territories and across urban, rural and remote (excl. very remote) areas of Australia, and included approximately 21,250 people.

The survey collected information from men and women aged 18 years and over about the nature and extent of violence experienced since the age of 15. It also collected detailed information about men's and women's experience of:

current and previous partner violence and emotional abuse since the age of 15

stalking since the age of 15

physical and sexual abuse before the age of 15

witnessing violence between a parent and partner before the age of 15

lifetime experience of sexual harassment

general feelings of safety.



This was the third time the PSS has been conducted. The PSS was last run by the ABS in 2012, and prior to that in 2005. The PSS is based on the design of the Women's Safety Survey (cat. no. 4128.0) which was conducted in 1996, and has been adapted to include men's experience of violence. This publication includes some comparisons with PSS 2005, 2012 and WSS 1996 data where appropriate.

The 2016 PSS meets the need for updated information on the nature and extent of violence experienced by men and women in Australia and other related information regarding people's safety at home and in the community that has not been collected since 2012.

The need for data on the prevalence of violence and sexual assault is discussed in The National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children 2010-2022, and in the following ABS Information Papers:

The statistics presented in this publication are indicative of the extensive range of data available from the survey and demonstrate the analytical potential of the survey results. Full details about all the information collected in the 2016 PSS are provided in the Data Item List which can be accessed in the data downloads section of the Personal Safety Survey, Australia: User Guide 2016 (cat. no. 4906.0.55.003). Additional information may be made available by request, on a fee for service basis, through the National Information and Referral Service (NIRS), or on the Microdata products proposed to be released early in 2018.

For further details on the content and conduct of the survey please refer to the Personal Safety Survey, Australia: User Guide 2016 (cat. no. 4906.0.55.003). This guide includes information to assist users with interpreting and using the results of the survey, descriptions of the survey design and collection, and information on data quality.