This release presents information from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) 2016 Personal Safety Survey (PSS).
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.
Experiences of violence
Prevalence of violence since the age of 15
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Two in five people (39% or 7.2 million) aged 18 years and over experienced an incident of physical or sexual violence since the age of 15, including 42% of men (3.8 million) and 37% of women (3.4 million).
Four in ten men (41% or 3.7 million) and three in ten women (31% or 2.9 million) experienced physical violence.
One in five women (18% or 1.7 million) and one in twenty men (4.7% or 428,800) experienced sexual violence.
For a definition of violence see Endnote 1.
Changes in violence prevalence rates over time
The proportion of Australians experiencing violence in the last 12 months, has declined over the last decade, decreasing from 8.3% in 2005 to 5.4% in 2016. This decline was driven by a drop in experiences of physical violence, falling from 7.5% in 2005 to 4.5% in 2016.
For men the proportion experiencing physical violence in the last 12 months has almost halved since 2005, decreasing from 10% in 2005 to 5.4% in 2016. For women, the proportion has fallen from 4.7% in 2005 to 3.5% in 2016.
Over a shorter time period, since 2012, the proportion of men experiencing physical violence in the last 12 months decreased, falling from 8.5% in 2012 to 5.4% in 2016. The proportion of women experiencing physical violence in the last 12 months decreased from 4.6% in 2012 to 3.5% in 2016.
The proportion of women experiencing sexual violence in the last 12 months has remained steady between 2005 and 2016 (1.6% in 2005 compared to 1.8% in 2016). However since 2012, there has been an increase, from 1.2% in 2012 to 1.8% in 2016.
Prevalence of violence since the age of 15 - relationship to perpetrator
More than one in three Australians experienced violence by a male perpetrator since the age of 15 (36% or 6.7 million), compared to one in ten by a female perpetrator (11% or 2 million).
Approximately one in four women (23% or 2.2 million) experienced violence by an intimate partner, compared to one in thirteen men (7.8% or 703,700). Endnote 2
More than one in four men (27% or 2.5 million) experienced violence by a stranger, compared to one in eleven women (9.4% or 880,800).
Most recent incident of violence experienced since the age of 15
Detailed information was collected on the most recent incident for some types of violence, but only if the incident occurred less than 10 years prior to the survey.
Men’s and women’s most recent incident of physical assault by a male
- In the most recent incident of physical assault by a male, men were most likely to be physically assaulted by a male stranger (66% or 873,100).
- The location of the incident was most likely to be either a place of entertainment or recreation venue (28% or 370,700) or an outside location (28% or 370,500).
- In the most recent incident of physical assault by a male, women were most likely to be physically assaulted by a male that they knew (92% or 977,600).
- The location of the most recent incident was most likely to be in their home (65% or 689,800).
- Two-thirds of men and women who experienced physical assault by a male did not report the most recent incident to police (69% or 908,100 for men and 69% or 734,500 for women).
Men’s and women’s most recent incident of physical assault by a female
- For both men and women who were physically assaulted by a female, the most common location where the most recent incident occurred was in their home (55% or 286,200 for men and 30% or 98,700 for women).
Women’s most recent incident of sexual assault by a male
- In the most recent incident of sexual assault by a male, women were most likely to experience sexual assault by a male they knew (87% or 553,700).
- The location of the most recent incident was most likely to be in the respondent’s home (40% or 252,400) or in the perpetrator’s home (17% or 109,400).
- The majority of women (9 out of 10) did not contact the police (87% or 553,900).
Partner violence
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In-depth information about men’s and women’s experience of violence by a partner since the age of 15 was collected in the PSS. Endnote 3
- Women were nearly three times more likely to have experienced partner violence than men, with approximately one in six women (17% or 1.6 million) and one in sixteen men (6.1% or 547,600) having experienced partner violence since the age of 15.
- One in six women (16% or 1.5 million) and one in seventeen men (5.9% or 528,800) experienced physical violence by a partner.
- Women were eight times more likely to experience sexual violence by a partner than men (5.1% or 480,200 women compared to 0.6% or *53,000 men).
* Estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution.
Changes in partner violence prevalence rates over time
The proportion of women who experienced partner violence in the previous 12 months has remained relatively stable over the last decade. In 2005, approximately 1.5% of women aged 18 years and over experienced partner violence in the previous 12 months, whilst in 2016 the figure was 1.7%.
The proportion of men who experienced partner violence in the previous 12 months increased between 2005 and 2016. In 2005, approximately 0.4% of men aged 18 years and over experienced partner violence in the previous 12 months, whilst in 2016 the figure was 0.8%. However since the survey was last conducted in 2012, there was no significant change in the proportion of men who experienced partner violence (0.6%).
Partner emotional abuse
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The 2016 PSS collected information about men’s and women’s experiences of emotional abuse by a current and/or previous partner since the age of 15. Endnote 4
- One in four women (23% or 2.2 million) and one in six men (16% or 1.4 million) reported experiencing emotional abuse by a current and/or previous partner since the age of 15.
Abuse before the age of 15
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The 2016 PSS collected information about men’s and women’s experiences of physical and/or sexual abuse before the age of 15 years by any adult (male or female), including the person’s parents.
- One in six women (16% or 1.5 million) and one in ten men (11% or 991,600) aged 18 years and over experienced abuse before the age of 15.
Witnessed violence before the age of 15
The 2016 PSS asked respondents if they ever heard or saw violence (physical assault) being directed at one parent by another before the age of 15.
- One in ten men witnessed violence towards their mother by a partner before the age of 15 (10% or 896,700) and one in twenty-five men witnessed violence towards their father by a partner before the age of 15 (4% or 380,000).
- One in eight women witnessed violence towards their mother by a partner before the age of 15 (13% or 1.2 million) and one in twenty women witnessed violence towards their father by a partner before the age of 15 (4.7% or 440,900).
Sexual harassment
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The 2016 PSS collected information about men’s and women’s lifetime experiences of sexual harassment. Endnote 5
- Two in five people (39% or 7.2 million) aged 18 years and over experienced sexual harassment during their lifetime.
- One in two women (53% or 5 million) and one in four men (25% or 2.2 million) had experienced sexual harassment during their lifetime.
- In the last 12 months, one in six women (17% or 1.6 million) and one in eleven men (9.3% or 836,700) experienced sexual harassment.
- For both men and women, younger age groups were more likely than older persons to experience sexual harassment in the 12 months. Approximately 38% of women (421,400) and 16% of men (185,200) aged 18-24 years had experienced sexual harassment in the 12 months prior to the survey.
Changes since 2012 (endnote 6)
- The proportion of women experiencing sexual harassment in the 12 months prior to the survey has increased from 15% in 2012 to 17% in 2016.
- The proportion of men experiencing sexual harassment in the 12 months prior to the survey has increased from 6.6% in 2012 to 9.3% in 2016.
Stalking
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The 2016 PSS collected information about men’s and women’s experiences of stalking since the age of 15. Endnote 7
- The 2016 PSS found that one in six women (17% or 1.6 million) and one in fifteen men (6.5% or 587,000) experienced an episode of stalking since the age of 15.
Endnotes
Endnote 1
The Personal Safety Survey defines violence as any incident involving the occurrence, attempt or threat of either physical or sexual assault experienced by a person since the age of 15.
Endnote 2
The term ‘intimate partner’ is used to describe a current partner (living with), previous partner (lived with), boyfriend/girlfriend/date and ex-boyfriend/girlfriend (did not live with).
Endnote 3
The term 'partner' is used to describe a person the respondent lives with, or lived with at some point, in a married or de facto relationship.
For more information about current and previous partner definitions used in the survey refer to the Glossary in this publication.
Endnote 4
Emotional abuse occurs when a person is subjected to certain behaviours or actions that are aimed at preventing or controlling their behaviour, causing them emotional harm or fear.
Endnote 5
Sexual harassment is considered to have occurred when a person has experienced or been subjected to one or more selected behaviours which they found improper or unwanted, which made them feel uncomfortable, and were offensive due to their sexual nature.
Endnote 6
In order to accurately capture the emerging trends in experiences of sexual harassment (such as the use of information and communications technology), new sexual harassment behaviours have been specifically included in the 2016 PSS. Although these behaviours may have previously been collected as part of other categories, this should be considered when comparing sexual harassment prevalence rates between the 2012 and 2016 iterations of the survey.
Endnote 7
Stalking involves various behaviours, such as loitering and following, which the person believed were being undertaken with the intent to cause them fear or distress. To be classified as stalking more than one type of behaviour had to occur, or the same type of behaviour had to occur on more than one occasion.
Notes
For more detailed information about the definitions used in the survey refer to the Glossary in this publication.
Key findings - current state or territory of residence
This release provides information from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) 2016 Personal Safety Survey (PSS) for states and territories and includes data on experiences of:
- violence
- partner violence and partner emotional abuse
- sexual harassment
- feelings of general safety.
Where appropriate, data are presented for 2016 as well as in comparison to 2005 and/or 2012.
The PSS collects information about a person’s state or territory of usual residence at the time of interview although this is not necessarily the state or territory in which the experience took place. The reference period presented for all state and territory estimates is experiences in the 12 months prior to interview.
Although the PSS was not designed to produce estimates at the state and territory level for men, some data was able to be produced for the larger population states (New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia). Care should still be used when interpreting this data. Endnote 1 For more information on Sample Design, refer to the Methodology page in the Personal Safety Survey, Australia: User Guide, 2016 (cat. no. 4906.0.55.003).
Feelings of general safety in the last 12 months
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Women who used public transport alone after dark in the last 12 months (endnote 2)
- In 2016, the proportion of women who felt safe using public transport alone after dark in the last 12 months across all states and territories was similar to the proportion of women who felt safe nationally (77%).
- Between 2005 and 2016, the proportion of women who felt safe using public transport alone after dark in the last 12 months increased in New South Wales (from 67% to 78%) and Victoria (from 65% to 74%).
Men who used public transport alone after dark in the last 12 months (endnote 2)
- In 2016, the proportion of men in Queensland who felt safe using public transport alone after dark in the last 12 months was higher than the proportion of men who felt safe nationally (95% compared to 91% respectively).
- Between 2005 and 2016, the proportion of men who felt safe using transport alone after dark in the last 12 months increased in New South Wales (from 83% to 91%) and Queensland (from 88% to 95%).
Women who did not use public transport alone after dark in the last 12 months (endnote 3)
- In 2016, Victoria (18%) and Western Australia (19%) had a higher proportion of women who did not use public transport alone after dark due to feeling unsafe, compared to the proportion of women who felt unsafe nationally (14%). In contrast, the proportions in Australian Capital Territory (14%), Queensland (10%) and Tasmania (7.8%) were lower than the proportion who felt unsafe nationally.
- Between 2005 and 2016, there was a decrease in the proportion of women who did not use public transport alone after dark due to feeling unsafe in the following states:
- New South Wales (from 18% to 13%)
- Queensland (from 16% to 10%)
- South Australia (from 21% to 13%)
- Tasmania (from 15% to 7.8%)
- Victoria (from 21% to 18%)
- Western Australia (from 26% to 19%).
Men who did not use public transport alone after dark in the last 12 months (endnote 3)
- In 2016, the proportion of men who did not use public transport alone after dark due to feeling unsafe was lower in Queensland compared to the proportion of men who felt unsafe nationally (1.7% compared to 2.8% respectively).
- Between 2005 and 2016, there was a decrease in the proportion of men who did not use public transport alone after dark due to feeling unsafe in New South Wales and Queensland:
- New South Wales (from 4.5% to 2.9%)
- Queensland (from 3.7% to 1.7%).
Experience of violence in the last 12 months (endnote 4)
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Women’s experience of violence in the last 12 months
- In 2016, women in the Northern Territory experienced higher rates of violence in the last 12 months compared to the national rate (6.3% compared to 4.7% nationally).
- Since 2005, the proportion of women who experienced violence in the last 12 months remained steady across all states and territories, except in Victoria which declined from 6.5% to 4.6%.
Men’s experience of violence in the last 12 months
- In 2016, across states where data is available, men in Western Australia experienced a lower rate of violence in the last 12 months compared to the national rate (3.2% compared to 6.0% respectively).
- Since 2005, where data is available, all states expect South Australia had a decline in the proportion of men experiencing violence in the last 12 months:
- New South Wales (10% in 2005 to 6.9% in 2016)
- Victoria (11% in 2005 to 5.7% in 2016)
- Queensland (12% in 2005 to 4.7% in 2016)
- Western Australia (11% in 2005 to 3.2% in 2016).
Experience of partner violence in the last 12 months (endnote 5)
Women’s experience of partner violence in the last 12 months
- In 2016, across all states and territories the proportion of women who experienced partner violence in the last 12 months was similar to the national rate (1.7%).
- Between 2005 and 2016, the proportion of women experiencing partner violence in the last 12 months remained stable across all states and territories.
Experience of emotional abuse by a partner in the last 12 months (endnote 5 endnote 6)
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Women’s experience of emotional abuse by a partner in the last 12 months
- In 2016, across all states and territories, the proportion of women who experienced emotional abuse by a partner in the last 12 months was similar to the national rate (4.8%).
- Between 2012 and 2016, the proportion of women who experienced emotional abuse by a partner in the last 12 months remained steady in most states and territories, except Western Australia, where it increased from 3.3% in 2012 to 5.3% in 2016.
Men’s experience of emotional abuse by a partner in the last 12 months
- In 2016, across states where data is available, the proportion of men who experienced emotional abuse by a partner in the last 12 months was similar to the national rate (4.2%).
- Since 2012, New South Wales saw an increase in the proportion of men who experienced emotional abuse by a partner in the last 12 months (from 2.4% in 2012 to 3.9% in 2016).
Experience of sexual harassment in the last 12 months (endnote 7)
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Women’s experience of sexual harassment in the last 12 months
- In 2016, the Northern Territory (22%) and Victoria (20%) had a higher proportion of women who experienced sexual harassment in the last 12 months compared to the national rate (17%). The proportion of women who experienced sexual harassment in the last 12 months was lower in South Australia (15%) compared to the national rate.
- Since 2012, the proportion of women who experienced sexual harassment in the last 12 months remained steady across all states and territories, except for Victoria where there was an increase from 14% in 2012 to 20% in 2016. (Endnote 8)
Men’s experience of sexual harassment in the last 12 months
- In 2016, across the states where data is available, the proportion of men who experienced sexual harassment in the last 12 months was similar to the national rate (9.3%).
- Since 2012, New South Wales and South Australia saw an increase in the proportion of men experiencing sexual harassment in the last 12 months:
- New South Wales (5.4% in 2012 to 8.8% in 2016)
- South Australia (6.2% in 2012 to 13% in 2016). Endnote 9
Endnotes
Endnote 1
While data for men has been produced for the larger population states (New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia), the reliability of this data may vary, and users should remain aware of RSEs and/or MoEs when interpreting this data.
Endnote 2
Proportions of women/men who used public transport alone after dark in the last 12 months. Public transport includes buses, trains, trams, taxis, and ferries.
Endnote 3
Proportions of all women/men.
Endnote 4
Violence includes any incident involving the occurrence, attempt or threat of either physical or sexual assault experienced by a person in the 12 months prior to the survey.
Endnote 5
The term 'partner' is used to describe a person the respondent lives with, or lived with at some point, in a married or de facto relationship.
Endnote 6
Emotional abuse occurs when a person is subjected to certain behaviours or actions that are aimed at preventing or controlling their behaviour, causing them emotional harm or fear.
Endnote 7
Sexual harassment is considered to have occurred when a person has experienced or been subjected to one or more selected behaviours which they found improper or unwanted, which made them feel uncomfortable, and were offensive due to their sexual nature.
Endnote 8
In order to accurately capture emerging trends in experiences of partner emotional abuse (such as the use of information and communication technology), new partner emotional abuse behaviours have been specifically included in the 2016 PSS. Although these behaviours have been previously collected as part of other categories, this should be considered when comparing partner emotional abuse prevalence rates between 2012 and 2016 iterations of the survey.
Endnote 9
In order to accurately capture the emerging trends in experiences of sexual harassment (such as the use of information and communications technology), new sexual harassment behaviours have been specifically included in the 2016 PSS. Although these behaviours may have previously been collected as part of other categories, this should be considered when comparing sexual harassment prevalence rates between the 2012 and 2016 iterations of the survey.
For more detailed information about the definitions used in the survey refer to the Glossary in this publication.