Family and domestic violence in Australia: is enough progress being made?

Family and domestic violence (FDV) is one of the most pervasive and significant social, health and welfare challenges in the society we live in, not just in Australia but across the world.

Reports of femicide or violence against women are tragically all too common, and yet such reports only hint at the scale of the problem, with most instances of abuse still going unreported.

The impacts of family and domestic violence on victims and their families and loved ones are profound, life changing – and in some tragic cases, life-ending.

But despite an ever-greater public awareness of the crisis of violence against women, and growing calls for action, prevalence rates in Australia remain unacceptably high.

This BCEC Federal Election research brief takes stock of the current incidence and changing nature of family and domestic violence in Australia.

The brief reflects on the impacts of FDV, and explores what businesses, governments, families and communities are doing – and what they should be doing – to affect change.

Key insights

• Up to 2.3 million Australian women report some form of emotional abuse since the age of 15.
• Around 17 per cent of women in Australia have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from their cohabiting partner since the age of 15.
• Rising counts of FDV-related homicides invite questions on whether Australia is making enough progress to reduce the incidence of femicide.
• Rising police reporting rates are alarming but could also reflect better police processes, greater public awareness, and improved legal protections for IPV victims.
• Governments must commit sufficient resources and ensure better coordination of policy to achieve the National Plan target to end gendered violence within a generation.
• Consistent collection of detailed FDV data over time and across state jurisdictions is essential if we are to learn more about the drivers of intimate partner violence and reduce IPV prevalence.