Experience of violence

What is being tracked?

Measure: Proportion of adults with disability aged 18 years and over who have experienced violence since age 15, compared with adults without disability

The Strategy would like to see the following tracked – proportion of people with disability aged 15 years and over who have experienced violence, compared with people without disability. Available data do not currently allow this.

This measure is part of the Safety from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation priority of the Strategy. This priority is about making sure services for people with disability are high quality and safe, and that people with disability are safe.

The desired outcome is that the gap between the proportion of people with and without disability who experienced violence is reduced.

Last updated:

Outcome area: Safety, rights and justice Priority: Safety from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation

  • Baseline value

    47%with disability in 2016

    36%without disability in 2016

  • Latest value

    47%with disability in 2016

    36%without disability in 2016

Status not known yet more data from after the Strategy started are needed

View the data source

Has the proportion of people with disability who experienced violence changed over time?

The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of adults with disability (aged 18 and over) who have experienced violence since age 15, compared with adults without disability. Data from 2012 and 2016 are used. In 2016, the proportion of adults with disability who had reported experience of violence was 47%, compared with 36% for adults without disability.

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

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

State and territory

Does the proportion of people with disability who have experienced violence vary between states and territories?

The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of adults with disability (aged 18 and over) who have experienced violence since age 15, compared with adults without disability, grouped by Australian states and territories. In 2016, 59% of adults with disability in both Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory reported they had experienced violence since age 15, compared with 43% in South Australia (please note that the proportion for Tasmania has a high margin of error and should be used with caution).

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

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

Population groups and characteristics of violence

How this measure varies by…

  • Does the proportion of people with disability who have experienced violence vary by sex?

    The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of adults with disability (aged 18 and over) who have experienced violence since age 15, compared with adults without disability, for males and females. In 2016, 48% of men with disability reported that they had experienced violence since age 15, as did 46% of women.

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

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

  • Does the proportion of people with disability who have experienced violence vary by age?

    The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of adults with disability (aged 18 and over) who have experienced violence since age 15, compared with adults without disability, grouped by age. In 2016, 62% of people with disability aged 25–44 reported they had experienced violence since age 15, compared with 31% for those aged 65 and over.

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

  • Does the proportion of people with disability who have experienced violence vary by cultural and linguistic diversity background?

    The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of adults with disability (aged 18 and over) who have experienced violence since age 15, compared with adults without disability, by culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) status. In 2016, 32% of people from CALD backgrounds with disability reported they had experienced violence since age 15, compared with 50% among the non-CALD group.

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

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

  • Does the proportion of people with disability who have experienced violence vary by remoteness?

    The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of adults with disability (aged 18 and over) who have experienced violence since age 15, compared with adults without disability, grouped by remoteness. In 2016, 53% of adults with disability living in outer regional and remote areas reported they had experienced violence since age 15, compared with 45% for those living in major cities.

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

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

  • Does the proportion of people with disability who have experienced violence vary by disability group?

    The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of adults with disability (aged 18 and over) who have experienced violence since age 15, compared with adults without disability, by disability group. In 2016, 65% of people with psychological disability reported they had experienced violence since age 15, compared with 46% of people with sight, hearing or speech disability.

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

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

  • Does the proportion of people with disability who have experienced violence vary by severity of disability?

    The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of adults with disability (aged 18 and over) who have experienced violence since age 15, compared with adults without disability, grouped by disability severity. In 2016, 49% of people with severe or profound disability and 47% of people with other disability status reported they had experienced violence since age 15.

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

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

  • What types of violence did people with disability experience?

    The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of adults with disability (aged 18 and over) who experienced specific types of violence since age 15, compared with those without disability. In 2016, 43% of adults with disability reported that they had experienced physical violence since age 15, and 16% reported they had experienced sexual violence.

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

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

  • Have people with disability experienced single or multiple incidents of violence?

    The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of adults with disability (aged 18 and over) who experienced violence since age 15, compared with those without disability, grouped by the number of incidents of violence. In 2016, 12% of adults with disability reported that they had experienced violence once, and 35% reported they had experienced violence more than once.

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

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

  • Who were the perpetrators of violence experienced by people with disability?

    The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of adults with disability (aged 18 and over) who experienced violence since age 15, compared with those without disability, grouped by perpetrator type. In 2016, 30% of adults with disability reported that they had experienced violence perpetrated by a member of their community, 27% reported they had experienced violence perpetrated by a family member, and 8.0% reported they had experienced violence by someone at their workplace or a service provider.

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

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

Where did these data come from?

Data on experience of violence come from survey data collected by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Learn more about these data
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