Experience of domestic violence

Population groups and characteristics of violence

• Age group

  Does the proportion of women with disability who experienced family or domestic violence vary by age?

  The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of women with disability (aged 18 and over) who have experienced family or domestic violence since age 15, compared with women without disability, grouped by age. In 2021–22, 57% of women with disability aged 25–44 reported they had experienced family or domestic violence since age 15, compared with 35% of those aged 65 and over.

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  Age group	With disability	95% Confidence Interval	Without disability	95% Confidence Interval
  18–24	#39%	(25.1%–52.7%)	20%	(15.3%–24.9%)
  25–44	57%	(52.3%–61.7%)	30%	(27.9%–32.5%)
  45–64	54%	(50.8%–58.0%)	35%	(32.5%–37.3%)
  65 and over	35%	(32.3%–37.7%)	24%	(20.8%–26.2%)
  All ages	47%	(44.9%–49.7%)	29%	(28.1%–30.7%)

  Notes

  • # Should be used with caution: proportion has a Margin of Error (MoE) >10 percentage points and/or proportion ± MoE equals <0% or >100%.

  1. Restricted to females aged 18 and over.
  2. Family or domestic violence is defined as: emotional or economic abuse by cohabiting partner; and/or physical or sexual violence by family member (parent, child, sibling, other relative or in-law) or intimate partner (cohabiting partner; boyfriend, girlfriend or date; ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend).
  3. With disability includes those with disability or restrictive long-term health condition.
  4. Disability status is recorded as at the time of interview, not at the time violence occurred.
  5. Data have been randomly adjusted to avoid the release of confidential data.

  Source: ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) (2024) Personal Safety Survey, Australia, ABS, customised data consultancy for AIHW, accessed 14 October 2024.

  # Should be used with caution: proportion has a Margin of Error (MoE) >10 percentage points and/or proportion ± MoE equals <0% or >100%.

  Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics – Personal Safety Survey (PSS) | Data source overview
  

• Cultural and linguistic diversity status

  Does the proportion of women with disability who experienced family and domestic violence vary by cultural and linguistic diversity background?

  The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of women with disability (aged 18 and over) who have experienced family or domestic violence since age 15, compared with women without disability, by culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) status. In 2021–22, 40% of women with disability from CALD backgrounds reported that they experienced family or domestic violence since age 15, compared with 49% among the non-CALD group.

  More detailed data by age group are shown in the table.

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  Cultural and linguistic diversity status	With disability	95% Confidence Interval	Without disability	95% Confidence Interval
  Aged 18–64
  CALD	44%	(34.6%–52.6%)	20%	(17.4%–22.4%)
  Non-CALD	56%	(52.5%–59.5%)	34%	(32.3%–35.7%)
  All persons	54%	(50.6%–57.2%)	30%	(28.8%–31.8%)
  Aged 65 and over
  CALD	#30%	(20.0%–40.0%)	19%	(12.9%–24.5%)
  Non-CALD	36%	(32.6%–38.6%)	25%	(21.4%–27.6%)
  All persons	35%	(32.3%–37.7%)	24%	(20.8%–26.2%)
  Aged 18 and over
  CALD	40%	(32.9%–46.3%)	20%	(17.4%–22.0%)
  Non-CALD	49%	(46.2%–51.2%)	32%	(31.0%–33.8%)
  All persons	47%	(44.9%–49.7%)	29%	(28.1%–30.7%)

  Notes

  • # Should be used with caution: proportion has a Margin of Error (MoE) >10 percentage points and/or proportion ± MoE equals <0% or >100%.

  1. Restricted to females aged 18 and over.
  2. Family or domestic violence is defined as: emotional or economic abuse by cohabiting partner; and/or physical or sexual violence by family member (parent, child, sibling, other relative or in-law) or intimate partner (cohabiting partner; boyfriend, girlfriend or date; ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend).
  3. With disability includes those with disability or restrictive long-term health condition.
  4. Disability status is recorded as at the time of interview, not at the time violence occurred.
  5. Data have been randomly adjusted to avoid the release of confidential data.
  6. Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) cohort includes people not born in a main English-speaking country and/or who mainly speak a language other than English at home.

  Source: ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) (2024) Personal Safety Survey, Australia, ABS, customised data consultancy for AIHW, accessed 14 October 2024.

  # Should be used with caution: proportion has a Margin of Error (MoE) >10 percentage points and/or proportion ± MoE equals <0% or >100%.

  Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics – Personal Safety Survey (PSS) | Data source overview
  

• Remoteness

  Does the proportion of women with disability who experienced family and domestic violence vary by remoteness?

  The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of women with disability (aged 18 and over) who have experienced family or domestic violence since age 15, compared with women without disability, grouped by remoteness. In 2021–22, 51% of women with disability living in inner regional areas reported they had experienced family or domestic violence since age 15, compared with 46% of women with disability living in major cities.

  More detailed data by age group are shown in the table.

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  Remoteness	With disability	95% Confidence Interval	Without disability	95% Confidence Interval
  Aged 18–64
  Major cities	51%	(46.9%–54.7%)	29%	(27.1%–30.9%)
  Inner regional	62%	(56.9%–67.7%)	35%	(30.2%–39.6%)
  Outer regional and remote	56%	(50.2%–61.6%)	33%	(30.0%–36.2%)
  All areas	54%	(50.6%–57.2%)	30%	(28.8%–31.8%)
  Aged 65 and over
  Major cities	35%	(30.9%–39.3%)	23%	(18.8%–26.2%)
  Inner regional	35%	(28.9%–41.5%)	27%	(22.2%–32.6%)
  Outer regional and remote	33%	(24.4%–42.2%)	18%	(11.3%–24.9%)
  All areas	35%	(32.3%–37.7%)	24%	(20.8%–26.2%)
  Aged 18 and over
  Major cities	46%	(42.6%–49.4%)	28%	(26.5%–29.9%)
  Inner regional	51%	(45.3%–55.9%)	34%	(30.3%–36.9%)
  Outer regional and remote	47%	(40.7%–52.7%)	30%	(26.6%–33.4%)
  All areas	47%	(44.9%–49.7%)	29%	(28.1%–30.7%)

  Notes

  1. Restricted to females aged 18 and over.
  2. Family or domestic violence is defined as: emotional or economic abuse by cohabiting partner; and/or physical or sexual violence by family member (parent, child, sibling, other relative or in-law) or intimate partner (cohabiting partner; boyfriend, girlfriend or date; ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend).
  3. With disability includes those with disability or restrictive long-term health condition.
  4. Disability status is recorded as at the time of interview, not at the time violence occurred.
  5. Data have been randomly adjusted to avoid the release of confidential data.
  6. Remoteness is classified according to Accessibility and Remoteness Index of Australia. Data source does not cover very remote areas.

  Source: ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) (2024) Personal Safety Survey, Australia, ABS, customised data consultancy for AIHW, accessed 14 October 2024.

  Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics – Personal Safety Survey (PSS) | Data source overview
  

• Disability group

  Does the proportion of women with disability who experienced family and domestic violence vary by disability group?

  The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of women with disability (aged 18 and over) who have experienced family or domestic violence since age 15, compared with women without disability, by disability group. In 2021–22, 68% of women with psychosocial disability reported they had experienced family or domestic violence since age 15, compared with 42% of those with sensory or speech disability.

  More detailed data by age group are shown in the table.

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  Disability group	% of women who experienced family and domestic violence since age 15	95% Confidence Interval
  Aged 18–64
  Sensory and speech	51%	(47.2%–54.2%)
  Learning and understanding	61%	(54.7%–67.9%)
  Physical restriction	57%	(52.7%–60.3%)
  Psychosocial	69%	(63.2%–75.4%)
  Head injury, stroke or acquired brain injury	#71%	(53.3%–89.3%)
  Other	62%	(57.8%–65.2%)
  All with disability	54%	(50.6%–57.2%)
  Without disability	30%	(28.8%–31.8%)
  Aged 65 and over
  Sensory and speech	32%	(28.1%–36.7%)
  Learning and understanding	#44%	(30.2%–57.8%)
  Physical restriction	36%	(32.9%–39.9%)
  Psychosocial	#57%	(36.2%–78.2%)
  Head injury, stroke or acquired brain injury	#54%	(20.9%–87.7%)
  Other	38%	(32.7%–43.9%)
  All with disability	35%	(32.3%–37.7%)
  Without disability	24%	(20.8%–26.2%)
  Aged 18 and over
  Sensory and speech	42%	(38.2%–44.8%)
  Learning and understanding	56%	(48.9%–63.1%)
  Physical restriction	49%	(45.9%–51.3%)
  Psychosocial	68%	(62.0%–73.0%)
  Head injury, stroke or acquired brain injury	#68%	(49.7%–85.9%)
  Other	53%	(48.8%–56.4%)
  All with disability	47%	(44.9%–49.7%)
  Without disability	29%	(28.1%–30.7%)

  Notes

  • # Should be used with caution: proportion has a Margin of Error (MoE) >10 percentage points and/or proportion ± MoE equals <0% or >100%.

  1. Restricted to females aged 18 and over.
  2. Family or domestic violence is defined as: emotional or economic abuse by cohabiting partner; and/or physical or sexual violence by family member (parent, child, sibling, other relative or in-law) or intimate partner (cohabiting partner; boyfriend, girlfriend or date; ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend).
  3. With disability includes those with disability or restrictive long-term health condition.
  4. Disability status is recorded as at the time of interview, not at the time violence occurred.
  5. Data have been randomly adjusted to avoid the release of confidential data.
  6. Components will not add to total as people may report impairments related to more than one disability group. In such cases, people are counted separately for each disability group but are only counted once in the aggregated total.

  Source: ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) (2024) Personal Safety Survey, Australia, ABS, customised data consultancy for AIHW, accessed 14 October 2024.

  # Should be used with caution: proportion has a Margin of Error (MoE) >10 percentage points and/or proportion ± MoE equals <0% or >100%.

  Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics – Personal Safety Survey (PSS) | Data source overview
  

• Severity of disability

  Does the proportion of women with disability who experienced family and domestic violence vary by severity of disability?

  The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of women with disability (aged 18 and over) who have experienced family or domestic violence since age 15, compared with women without disability, grouped by disability severity. In 2021–22, 56% of women with severe or profound disability experienced family or domestic violence since age 15, compared with 46% for women with other disability status.

  More detailed data by age group are shown in the table.

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  Severity of disability	% of women who experienced family and domestic violence since age 15	95% Confidence Interval
  Aged 18–64
  Severe or profound disability	64%	(57.0%–71.4%)
  Other disability status	53%	(48.8%–56.4%)
  All with disability	54%	(50.6%–57.2%)
  Without disability	30%	(28.8%–31.8%)
  Aged 65 and over
  Severe or profound disability	#41%	(30.0%–51.2%)
  Other disability status	35%	(31.9%–37.3%)
  All with disability	35%	(32.3%–37.7%)
  Without disability	24%	(20.8%–26.2%)
  Aged 18 and over
  Severe or profound disability	56%	(49.6%–62.6%)
  Other disability status	46%	(43.4%–48.8%)
  All with disability	47%	(44.9%–49.7%)
  Without disability	29%	(28.1%–30.7%)

  Notes

  • # Should be used with caution: proportion has a Margin of Error (MoE) >10 percentage points and/or proportion ± MoE equals <0% or >100%.

  1. Restricted to females aged 18 and over.
  2. Family or domestic violence is defined as: emotional or economic abuse by cohabiting partner; and/or physical or sexual violence by family member (parent, child, sibling, other relative or in-law) or intimate partner (cohabiting partner; boyfriend, girlfriend or date; ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend).
  3. With disability includes those with disability or restrictive long-term health condition.
  4. Disability status is recorded as at the time of interview, not at the time violence occurred.
  5. Data have been randomly adjusted to avoid the release of confidential data.
  6. Severe or profound disability means always or sometimes needing assistance or supervision with self-care, mobility, and/or communication.

  Source: ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) (2024) Personal Safety Survey, Australia, ABS, customised data consultancy for AIHW, accessed 14 October 2024.

  # Should be used with caution: proportion has a Margin of Error (MoE) >10 percentage points and/or proportion ± MoE equals <0% or >100%.

  Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics – Personal Safety Survey (PSS) | Data source overview
  

• Education

  Does the proportion of women with disability who experienced family and domestic violence vary by education level?

  The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of women with disability (aged 18 and over) who have experienced family or domestic violence since age 15, compared with women without disability, by highest level of education. In 2021–22, 55% of women with disability who completed a certificate III/IV or diploma experienced family or domestic violence since age 15, compared with 41% for women who completed Year 12.

  More detailed data by age group are shown in the table.

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  Education	With disability	95% Confidence Interval	Without disability	95% Confidence Interval
  Aged 18–64
  Year 11 or below	59%	(51.4%–66.0%)	35%	(29.4%–40.6%)
  Year 12	#41%	(29.6%–52.2%)	24%	(20.2%–27.6%)
  Certificate III/IV or Diploma	60%	(55.7%–64.5%)	36%	(32.3%–39.5%)
  Bachelor Degree or higher	49%	(44.1%–53.5%)	29%	(27.1%–30.9%)
  All persons	54%	(50.6%–57.2%)	30%	(28.8%–31.8%)
  Aged 65 and over
  Year 11 or below	31%	(26.7%–35.7%)	18%	(13.8%–22.4%)
  Year 12	#34%	(24.2%–44.2%)	16%	(7.6%–24.2%)
  Certificate III/IV or Diploma	40%	(34.1%–46.3%)	23%	(17.5%–28.5%)
  Bachelor Degree or higher	36%	(29.1%–43.3%)	34%	(27.5%–39.7%)
  All persons	35%	(32.3%–37.7%)	24%	(20.8%–26.2%)
  Aged 18 and over
  Year 11 or below	42%	(37.2%–46.2%)	27%	(23.3%–30.1%)
  Year 12	41%	(31.7%–49.3%)	24%	(19.9%–27.1%)
  Certificate III/IV or Diploma	55%	(50.8%–58.8%)	34%	(31.1%–37.5%)
  Bachelor Degree or higher	46%	(42.3%–50.1%)	29%	(27.5%–31.1%)
  All persons	47%	(44.9%–49.7%)	29%	(28.1%–30.7%)

  Notes

  • # Should be used with caution: proportion has a Margin of Error (MoE) >10 percentage points and/or proportion ± MoE equals <0% or >100%.

  1. Restricted to females aged 18 and over.
  2. Family or domestic violence is defined as: emotional or economic abuse by cohabiting partner; and/or physical or sexual violence by family member (parent, child, sibling, other relative or in-law) or intimate partner (cohabiting partner; boyfriend, girlfriend or date; ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend).
  3. With disability includes those with disability or restrictive long-term health condition.
  4. Disability status is recorded as at the time of interview, not at the time violence occurred.
  5. Data have been randomly adjusted to avoid the release of confidential data.

  Source: ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) (2024) Personal Safety Survey, Australia, ABS, customised data consultancy for AIHW, accessed 14 October 2024.

  # Should be used with caution: proportion has a Margin of Error (MoE) >10 percentage points and/or proportion ± MoE equals <0% or >100%.

  Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics – Personal Safety Survey (PSS) | Data source overview
  

• Sexual orientation

  Does the proportion of women with disability who experienced family and domestic violence vary by sexual orientation?

  The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of women with disability (aged 18 and over) who have experienced family or domestic violence since age 15, compared with women without disability, by sexual orientation. In 2021–22, 46% of straight (heterosexual) women with disability experienced family or domestic violence since age 15, compared with 65% for women whose sexual orientation was gay, lesbian, bisexual, or other.

  More detailed data by age group are shown in the table.

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  Sexual orientation	With disability	95% Confidence Interval	Without disability	95% Confidence Interval
  Aged 18–64
  Straight (heterosexual)	53%	(49.5%–55.9%)	30%	(28.0%–31.2%)
  Gay, lesbian, bisexual, or different term	64%	(54.5%–74.3%)	56%	(46.1%–65.9%)
  All persons	54%	(50.6%–57.2%)	30%	(28.8%–31.8%)
  Aged 65 and over
  Straight (heterosexual)	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.
  Gay, lesbian, bisexual, or different term	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.
  All persons	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.
  Aged 18 and over
  Straight (heterosexual)	46%	(43.6%–48.4%)	29%	(27.2%–30.0%)
  Gay, lesbian, bisexual, or different term	65%	(56.5%–74.3%)	55%	(45.8%–64.6%)
  All persons	47%	(44.9%–49.7%)	29%	(28.1%–30.7%)

  Notes

  • n.p. (not published) Data not provided due to data quality concerns.

  1. Restricted to females aged 18 and over.
  2. Family or domestic violence is defined as: emotional or economic abuse by cohabiting partner; and/or physical or sexual violence by family member (parent, child, sibling, other relative or in-law) or intimate partner (cohabiting partner; boyfriend, girlfriend or date; ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend).
  3. With disability includes those with disability or restrictive long-term health condition.
  4. Disability status is recorded as at the time of interview, not at the time violence occurred.
  5. Data have been randomly adjusted to avoid the release of confidential data.
  6. While data for persons who described their sexual orientation as gay or lesbian, bisexual, or used a different term such as asexual, pansexual or queer have been combined into a single output category, experiences of violence may vary across each group.

  Source: ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) (2024) Personal Safety Survey, Australia, ABS, customised data consultancy for AIHW, accessed 14 October 2024.

  n.p. (not published) Data not provided due to data quality concerns.

  Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics – Personal Safety Survey (PSS) | Data source overview
  

• Type of family and domestic violence

  What types of family and domestic violence did women with disability experience?

  The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of women with disability (aged 18 and over) who experienced specific types of family and domestic violence (FDV) since age 15, compared with women without disability. In 2021–22, 33% of women with disability reported that they had experienced emotional abuse by a cohabiting partner since age 15 and 19% reported they had experienced sexual violence by an intimate partner or family member.

  More detailed data by age group are shown in the table.

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  Types of family and domestic violence	With disability	95% Confidence Interval	Without disability	95% Confidence Interval
  Aged 18–64
  Sexual violence by an intimate partner or family member	23%	(19.6%–26.0%)	11%	(9.8%–12.0%)
  Physical violence by an intimate partner or family member	38%	(34.1%–41.3%)	19%	(17.4%–20.2%)
  Emotional abuse by a cohabiting partner	37%	(34.3%–39.9%)	19%	(17.1%–19.9%)
  Economic abuse by a cohabiting partner	29%	(26.2%–31.4%)	12%	(10.9%–13.1%)
  All types of family or domestic violence	54%	(50.6%–57.2%)	30%	(28.8%–31.8%)
  Aged 65 and over
  Sexual violence by an intimate partner or family member	11%	(8.5%–12.5%)	5.1%	(3.5%–6.7%)
  Physical violence by an intimate partner or family member	22%	(19.0%–24.0%)	13%	(10.9%–15.9%)
  Emotional abuse by a cohabiting partner	25%	(22.5%–27.9%)	16%	(13.5%–18.1%)
  Economic abuse by a cohabiting partner	19%	(17.0%–21.8%)	11%	(9.2%–13.0%)
  All types of family or domestic violence	35%	(32.3%–37.7%)	24%	(20.8%–26.2%)
  Aged 18 and over
  Sexual violence by an intimate partner or family member	19%	(16.2%–20.8%)	10%	(9.0%–11.0%)
  Physical violence by an intimate partner or family member	32%	(29.6%–34.6%)	18%	(16.9%–19.1%)
  Emotional abuse by a cohabiting partner	33%	(31.1%–35.3%)	18%	(16.9%–19.3%)
  Economic abuse by a cohabiting partner	26%	(23.7%–27.3%)	12%	(10.9%–12.9%)
  All types of family or domestic violence	47%	(44.9%–49.7%)	29%	(28.1%–30.7%)

  Notes

  1. Restricted to females aged 18 and over.
  2. Family or domestic violence is defined as: emotional or economic abuse by cohabiting partner; and/or physical or sexual violence by family member (parent, child, sibling, other relative or in-law) or intimate partner (cohabiting partner; boyfriend, girlfriend or date; ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend).
  3. Data on emotional abuse and economic abuse are collected in regard of current and previous cohabiting partners only, and not for other intimate partners, family members or relatives.
  4. Components will not add to total as people may report more than one type of family or domestic violence. In such cases, people are counted separately for each violence type but are only counted once in the aggregated total.
  5. With disability includes those with disability or restrictive long-term health condition.
  6. Disability status is recorded as at the time of interview, not at the time violence occurred.
  7. Data have been randomly adjusted to avoid the release of confidential data.

  Source: ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) (2024) Personal Safety Survey, Australia, ABS, customised data consultancy for AIHW, accessed 14 October 2024.

  Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics – Personal Safety Survey (PSS) | Data source overview
  

• Relationship to perpetrator

  Who were the perpetrators of violence by intimate partner or family member experienced by women with disability?

  The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of women with disability (aged 18 and over) who experienced violence by an intimate partner or family member since age 15, compared with women without disability, grouped by relationship to the perpetrator. In 2021–22, 23% of women with disability reported that they had experienced violence perpetrated by a previous partner and 1.5% reported they had experienced violence perpetrated by a son or daughter.

  More detailed data by age group are shown in the table.

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  Perpetrator types of violence by an intimate partner or family member	With disability	95% Confidence Interval	Without disability	95% Confidence Interval
  Aged 18–64
  Current partner	3.1%	(2.2%–4.0%)	1.4%	(1.1%–1.7%)
  Previous partner	26%	(24.1%–28.7%)	13%	(11.4%–13.6%)
  Boyfriend or girlfriend or date	14%	(11.4%–15.8%)	8.9%	(8.1%–9.7%)
  Ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend	3.0%	(2.0%–4.0%)	1.3%	(0.9%–1.7%)
  Father/mother	9.6%	(7.9%–11.3%)	3.3%	(2.6%–4.0%)
  Son/daughter	1.3%	(0.6%–2.0%)	0.2%	(0.1%–0.3%)
  Brother/sister	4.7%	(3.6%–5.8%)	1.4%	(1.0%–1.8%)
  Other relative or in-law	4.2%	(2.7%–5.7%)	1.8%	(1.4%–2.2%)
  All types of intimate partner or family member perpetrators	44%	(40.2%–47.2%)	24%	(22.8%–25.4%)
  Aged 65 and over
  Current partner	1.4%	(0.7%–2.1%)	1.4%	(0.5%–2.3%)
  Previous partner	16%	(13.7%–18.7%)	9.0%	(7.0%–11.0%)
  Boyfriend or girlfriend or date	4.9%	(3.6%–6.2%)	1.9%	(0.9%–2.9%)
  Ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.
  Father/mother	3.8%	(2.4%–5.2%)	2.3%	(1.2%–3.4%)
  Son/daughter	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.
  Brother/sister	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.
  Other relative or in-law	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.	n.p.
  All types of intimate partner or family member perpetrators	25%	(22.6%–28.0%)	15%	(12.5%–17.9%)
  Aged 18 and over
  Current partner	2.4%	(1.8%–3.0%)	1.4%	(1.1%–1.7%)
  Previous partner	23%	(21.1%–24.7%)	12%	(11.0%–13.0%)
  Boyfriend or girlfriend or date	11%	(8.9%–12.1%)	7.9%	(7.1%–8.7%)
  Ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend	2.1%	(1.5%–2.7%)	1.2%	(0.9%–1.5%)
  Father/mother	7.5%	(6.3%–8.7%)	3.2%	(2.6%–3.8%)
  Son/daughter	1.5%	(0.9%–2.1%)	0.2%	(0.0%–0.4%)
  Brother/sister	3.3%	(2.6%–4.0%)	1.3%	(1.0%–1.6%)
  Other relative or in-law	3.3%	(2.3%–4.3%)	1.7%	(1.4%–2.0%)
  All types of intimate partner or family member perpetrators	37%	(34.7%–39.7%)	23%	(21.5%–23.9%)

  Notes

  • n.p. (not published) Category has been suppressed to avoid identifying individual people.

  1. Restricted to females aged 18 and over.
  2. Data are restricted to experiences of physical or sexual violence by a family member (parent, child, sibling, other relative or in-law) or intimate partner (cohabiting partner; boyfriend, girlfriend or date; ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend).
  3. Components will not add to total as people may report more than one type of perpetrator. In such cases, people are counted separately for each perpetrator type but are only counted once in the aggregated total.
  4. With disability includes those with disability or restrictive long-term health condition.
  5. Disability status is recorded as at the time of interview, not at the time violence occurred.
  6. Data have been randomly adjusted to avoid the release of confidential data.

  Source: ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) (2024) Personal Safety Survey, Australia, ABS, customised data consultancy for AIHW, accessed 14 October 2024.

  n.p. (not published) Data not provided due to data quality concerns.

  Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics – Personal Safety Survey (PSS) | Data source overview
  

  Who were the perpetrators of partner violence and abuse experienced by women with disability?

  The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of women with disability (aged 18 and over) who experienced violence or abuse by a cohabiting partner since age 15, compared with women without disability, grouped by relationship to the perpetrator. In 2021–22, 7.1% of women with disability reported that they had experienced violence or abuse by a current cohabiting partner and 34% reported they had experienced violence or abuse by a previous partner.

  More detailed data by age group are shown in the table.

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  Perpetrator types of violence or abuse by a cohabiting partner	With disability	95% Confidence Interval	Without disability	95% Confidence Interval
  Aged 18–64
  Current partner	8.3%	(6.8%–9.8%)	4.4%	(3.8%–5.0%)
  Previous partner	38%	(35.4%–41.0%)	19%	(17.5%–19.9%)
  All types of cohabiting partner perpetrators	44%	(41.0%–46.2%)	22%	(20.5%–23.3%)
  Aged 65 and over
  Current partner	4.3%	(2.9%–5.7%)	4.0%	(2.5%–5.5%)
  Previous partner	27%	(24.1%–29.5%)	17%	(15.1%–19.5%)
  All types of cohabiting partner perpetrators	30%	(27.4%–33.0%)	20%	(17.9%–22.5%)
  Aged 18 and over
  Current partner	7.1%	(6.1%–8.1%)	4.3%	(3.8%–4.8%)
  Previous partner	34%	(32.1%–36.3%)	18%	(17.4%–19.4%)
  All types of cohabiting partner perpetrators	39%	(37.1%–41.1%)	22%	(20.6%–22.8%)

  Notes

  1. Restricted to females aged 18 and over.
  2. Data are restricted to experiences of physical violence, sexual violence, emotional abuse, or economic abuse by a cohabiting partner.
  3. Components will not add to total as people may report more than one type of perpetrator. In such cases, people are counted separately for each perpetrator type but are only counted once in the aggregated total.
  4. With disability includes those with disability or restrictive long-term health condition.
  5. Disability status is recorded as at the time of interview, not at the time violence occurred.
  6. Data have been randomly adjusted to avoid the release of confidential data.

  Source: ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) (2024) Personal Safety Survey, Australia, ABS, customised data consultancy for AIHW, accessed 14 October 2024.

  Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics – Personal Safety Survey (PSS) | Data source overview