A new survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics indicates that 16% of Australian women have experienced violence from their partners. The survey is part of the Personal Safety Study (PSS), which collected data on experiences of violence from 21,000 people across Australia.

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Violence Against Women
in Australia Still Rampant,
Study

2. A new survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics indicates that 16% of Australian women
have experienced violence from their partners. The survey is part of the Personal Safety Study (PSS),
which collected data on experiences of violence from 21,000 people across Australia.
Since the PSS’s last runs in 2012 and 2005, the most recent survey makes it possible to highlight
significant comparisons in that span of time.
The Data on Partner Violence Towards Women
The combined data from the previous studies show mixed results: Australians who report violence in the
past year went down from 8.3% in 2005 to 5.4% in 2016. Violence inflicted by partners on women,
however, remains high.
Estimates show that one in six women (approximately 1.5 million) suffer physical violence from a
partner, with one in seventeen men experiencing the same. The likelihood of physical violence from a
previous partner is higher than from a current one: 2.9% of women experienced violence from their
current partners, while 14.6% reported violence from former partners. These figures have seen little
change from data gathered in 2005.

3. Culture, Attitudes, and Stigma
Despite the significant resources dedicated to reforming attitudes towards partner violence in recent
years, experts have yet to see the numbers go down.
One explanation points to cultural factors, where attitudes towards women and relationships are
decidedly out of date. Another answer comes in the form of the reduced stigma associated with openly
talking about domestic violence. As more people report violence, it keeps figures of partner violence the
same, which is only marginally better than figures increasing.
Seeking Protection
Response rates to domestic violence seem to fare better. The number of applications for protection orders
has seen a marked increase of 26% in Queensland (2012-13 to 2015-16 period), and a jump of 27% in
Victoria (2011-12 to 2015-16 period).
The stability of ABS statistics only means that much work needs to be done. Women should seek help
from both legal and social programs for prompt and appropriate support.

4. Sources:
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/4906.0~2016~Main%20Features~Pr
evalence%20of%20partner%20violence%20over%20time~19
https://theconversation.com/why-are-rates-of-domestic-violence-in-australia-still-so-high-87187
https://www.osheadyer.com.au/how-we-help/family-law/