Australian Bureau of Statistics
Celebrating the International Year of Statistics 2013

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WEAPON USE AND LOCATION OF OFFENCE

Assault victims in the selected five states and territories were all most likely to be assaulted without a weapon than with a weapon.

• In New South Wales, 93% without a weapon compared to 7.1% with a weapon;
• In South Australia, 78% without a weapon compared to 22% without a weapon;
• In Western Australia, 88% without a weapon compared to 11% with a weapon;
• In the Northern Territory, 61% without a weapon compared to 39% with a weapon; and
• In the Australian Capital Territory, 85% without a weapon compared to 15% with a weapon.

For female victims, the most common location for assaults was in residential locations for New South Wales (64% or 20,456), South Australia (62% or 4,763 victims) and the Australian Capital Territory (56% or 532 victims). This was followed by community areas for New South Wales (22% or 7,021 victims), South Australia (25% or 1,916) and the Australian Capital Territory (32% or 310 victims). The most common location for assault for female victims in the Northern Territory was in community areas (40% or 1,739 victims), followed by residential locations (37% or 1,584 victims).

In contrast the most common location for assault for both male and female victims in Western Australia was in residential locations (39% or 4,027 male victims compared to 66% or 7,221 of female victims), followed by community areas (38% or 3,913 of male victims compared to 23% or 2,478 of female victims).