Seeking support following assault

Population groups

• Sex and gender

  Does the proportion of people with disability who experienced physical assault by a male and sought advice or support vary by sex?

  The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of adults with disability (aged 18 and over) who experienced physical assault by a male in the past 10 years and sought advice or support after the most recent incident, for males and females. In 2021–22, 55% of men with disability reported seeking advice or support after the most recent incident of physical assault by a male, compared with 64% of women (please note that the proportion for men has a high margin of error and should be used with caution).

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  Sex	% of adults with disability who sought advice or support after physical assault by a male	95% Confidence Interval
  Males	#55%	(33.5%–75.7%)
  Females	64%	(57.9%–70.5%)
  All persons	#61%	(50.2%–71.4%)

  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 people with disability aged 18 and over who experienced physical assault by a male in the last 10 years.
  2. Reporting is for the most recent incident of physical assault by a male.
  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
  

• Age group

  Does the proportion of people with disability who experienced physical assault by a male and sought advice or support vary by age?

  The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of adults with disability (aged 18 and over) who experienced physical assault by a male in the past 10 years and sought advice or support after the most recent incident, grouped by age. In 2021–22, 62% of adults with disability aged 45 and over reported seeking advice or support after the most recent incident of physical assault by a male, as did 54% of those aged 18–24 (please note that all reported proportions have a high margin of error and should be used with caution).

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  Age group	% of adults with disability who sought advice or support after physical assault by a male	95% Confidence Interval
  18–24	#54%	(33.8%–74.2%)
  25–44	#59%	(44.4%–73.4%)
  45 and over	#62%	(38.2%–85.0%)
  All ages	#61%	(50.2%–71.4%)

  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 people with disability aged 18 and over who experienced physical assault by a male in the last 10 years.
  2. Reporting is for the most recent incident of physical assault by a male.
  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
  

  Does the proportion of women with disability who experienced sexual assault by a male and sought advice or support vary by age?

  The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of women with disability (aged 18 and over) who experienced sexual assault by a male in the past 10 years and sought advice or support after the most recent incident, grouped by age. In 2021–22, 80% of women with disability aged 18–24 reported seeking advice or support after the most recent incident of sexual assault by a male, as did 49% of those aged 25–44 (please note that proportions for all age sub-groups have a high margin of error and should be used with caution).

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  Age group	% of women with disability who sought advice or support after sexual assault by a male	95% Confidence Interval
  18–24	#80%	(61.0%–98.4%)
  25–44	#49%	(36.1%–62.5%)
  45 and over	#53%	(38.4%–66.8%)
  All ages	54%	(45.8%–61.2%)

  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 women with disability aged 18 and over who experienced sexual assault by a male in the last 10 years.
  2. Reporting is for the most recent incident of sexual assault by a male.
  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 on seeking support following sexual assault by a male are reported for women aged 18 and over only, and are not available for men due to data quality concerns.
  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.

  # 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 people with disability who experienced physical assault by a male and sought advice or support 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 experienced physical assault by a male in the past 10 years and sought advice or support after the most recent incident, by culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) status. In 2021–22, 48% of adults from CALD backgrounds with disability reported seeking advice or support after the most recent incident of physical assault by a male, as did 62% among the non-CALD group (please note that all reported proportions have a high margin of error and should be used with caution).

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  Cultural and linguistic diversity status	% of adults with disability who sought advice or support after physical assault by a male	95% Confidence Interval
  CALD	#48%	(9.7%–87.1%)
  Non-CALD	#62%	(51.4%–72.4%)
  All persons	#61%	(50.2%–71.4%)

  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 people with disability aged 18 and over who experienced physical assault by a male in the last 10 years.
  2. Reporting is for the most recent incident of physical assault by a male.
  3. Data on women seeking support following sexual assault by a male are not available by CALD status due to data quality concerns.
  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.
  7. 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 people with disability who experienced physical assault by a male and sought advice or support vary by remoteness?

  The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of adults with disability (aged 18 and over) who experienced physical assault by a male in the past 10 years and sought advice or support after the most recent incident, grouped by remoteness. In 2021–22, 64% of adults with disability in outer regional and remote areas reported seeking advice or support after the most recent incident of physical assault by a male, compared with 53% in inner regional areas (please note that all reported proportions have a high margin of error and should be used with caution).

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  Remoteness	% of adults with disability who sought advice or support after physical assault by a male	95% Confidence Interval
  Major cities	#61%	(46.9%–75.9%)
  Inner regional	#53%	(38.6%–68.0%)
  Outer regional and remote	#64%	(44.9%–82.7%)
  All areas	#61%	(50.2%–71.4%)

  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 people with disability aged 18 and over who experienced physical assault by a male in the last 10 years.
  2. Reporting is for the most recent incident of physical assault by a male.
  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.

  # 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
  

  Does the proportion of women with disability who experienced sexual assault by a male and sought advice or support vary by remoteness?

  The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of women with disability (aged 18 and over) who experienced sexual assault by a male in the past 10 years and sought advice or support after the most recent incident, grouped by remoteness. In 2021–22, 57% of women with disability in inner regional, outer regional and remote reported seeking advice or support after the most recent incident of sexual assault by a male, compared with 53% in major cities (please note that all reported proportions have a high margin of error and should be used with caution).

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  Remoteness	% of women with disability who sought advice or support after sexual assault by a male	95% Confidence Interval
  Major cities	#53%	(42.7%–62.9%)
  Inner regional, outer regional and remote	#57%	(44.9%–69.7%)
  All areas	54%	(45.8%–61.2%)

  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 women with disability aged 18 and over who experienced sexual assault by a male in the last 10 years.
  2. Reporting is for the most recent incident of sexual assault by a male.
  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 on seeking support following sexual assault by a male are reported for women aged 18 and over only, and are not available for men due to data quality concerns.
  6. Data have been randomly adjusted to avoid the release of confidential data.
  7. 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.

  # 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
  

• Disability group

  Does the proportion of people with disability who experienced physical assault by a male and sought advice or support 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 experienced physical assault by a male in the past 10 years and sought advice or support after the most recent incident, by disability group. In 2021–22, 58% of adults with physical restriction or psychosocial disability reported seeking advice or support after the most recent incident of physical assault by a male (please note that all reported proportions have a high margin of error and should be used with caution).

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  Disability group	% of adults with disability who sought advice or support after physical assault by a male	95% Confidence Interval
  Sensory and speech	#57%	(28.9%–84.9%)
  Learning and understanding	#57%	(22.8%–90.6%)
  Physical restriction	#58%	(47.4%–67.6%)
  Psychosocial	#58%	(43.9%–71.5%)
  Other (incl. Head injury, stroke or ABI)	#59%	(46.4%–71.0%)
  All with disability	#61%	(50.2%–71.4%)

  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 people with disability aged 18 and over who experienced physical assault by a male in the last 10 years.
  2. Reporting is for the most recent incident of physical assault by a male.
  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
  

  Does the proportion of women with disability who experienced sexual assault by a male and sought advice or support 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 experienced sexual assault by a male in the past 10 years and sought advice or support after the most recent incident, by disability group. In 2021–22, 60% of women with psychosocial disability reported seeking advice or support after the most recent incident of sexual assault by a male, as did 53% of women with physical restriction (please note that the proportion for psychosocial disability has a high margin of error and should be used with caution).

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  Disability group	% of women with disability who sought advice or support after sexual assault by a male	95% Confidence Interval
  Sensory and speech	#50%	(33.2%–66.6%)
  Learning and understanding	#50%	(26.9%–72.1%)
  Physical restriction	53%	(44.0%–62.8%)
  Psychosocial	#60%	(48.8%–70.2%)
  Other (incl. Head injury, stroke or ABI)	#41%	(28.9%–53.1%)
  All with disability	54%	(45.8%–61.2%)

  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 women with disability aged 18 and over who experienced sexual assault by a male in the last 10 years.
  2. Reporting is for the most recent incident of sexual assault by a male.
  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 on seeking support following sexual assault by a male are reported for women aged 18 and over only, and are not available for men due to data quality concerns.
  6. Data have been randomly adjusted to avoid the release of confidential data.
  7. 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 people with disability who experienced physical assault by a male and sought advice or support 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 experienced physical assault by a male in the past 10 years and sought advice or support after the most recent incident, grouped by disability severity. In 2021–22, 62% of people with severe or profound disability reported seeking advice or support after the most recent incident of physical assault by a male, compared with 60% for people with other disability status (please note that all reported proportions have a high margin of error and should be used with caution).

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  Severity of disability	% of adults with disability who sought advice or support after physical assault by a male	95% Confidence Interval
  Severe or profound disability	#62%	(39.0%–85.0%)
  Other disability status	#60%	(49.3%–71.3%)
  All with disability	#61%	(50.2%–71.4%)

  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 people with disability aged 18 and over who experienced physical assault by a male in the last 10 years.
  2. Reporting is for the most recent incident of physical assault by a male.
  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
  

  Does the proportion of women with disability who experienced sexual assault by a male and sought advice or support 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 experienced sexual assault by a male in the past 10 years and sought advice or support after the most recent incident, grouped by disability severity. In 2021–22, 53% of women with severe or profound disability reported seeking advice or support after the most recent incident of sexual assault by a male, compared with 55% for women with other disability status (please note that the proportion for severe or profound disability has a high margin of error and should be used with caution).

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  Severity of disability	% of women with disability who sought advice or support after sexual assault by a male	95% Confidence Interval
  Severe or profound disability	#53%	(34.5%–71.1%)
  Other disability status	55%	(46.9%–63.7%)
  All with disability	54%	(45.8%–61.2%)

  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 women with disability aged 18 and over who experienced sexual assault by a male in the last 10 years.
  2. Reporting is for the most recent incident of sexual assault by a male.
  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 on seeking support following sexual assault by a male are reported for women aged 18 and over only, and are not available for men due to data quality concerns.
  6. Data have been randomly adjusted to avoid the release of confidential data.
  7. 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 people with disability who experienced physical assault by a male and sought advice or support vary by education level?

  The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of adults with disability (aged 18 and over) who experienced physical assault by a male in the past 10 years and sought advice or support after the most recent incident, by highest level of education. In 2021–22, 60% of adults with disability who completed Certificate III/IV, Diploma, Bachelor Degree or higher reported seeking advice or support after the most recent incident of physical assault by a male, compared with 49% for people who completed Year 12 or below (please note that all reported proportions have a high margin of error and should be used with caution).

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  Education	% of adults with disability who sought advice or support after physical assault by a male	95% Confidence Interval
  Year 12 or below	#49%	(35.3%–61.7%)
  Certificate III/IV, Diploma, Bachelor Degree or higher	#60%	(46.6%–72.8%)
  All persons	#61%	(50.2%–71.4%)

  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 people with disability aged 18 and over who experienced physical assault by a male in the last 10 years.
  2. Reporting is for the most recent incident of physical assault by a male.
  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
  

  Does the proportion of women with disability who experienced sexual assault by a male and sought advice or support 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 experienced sexual assault by a male in the past 10 years and sought advice or support after the most recent incident, by highest level of education. In 2021–22, 60% of women with disability who completed Year 12 or below reported seeking advice or support after the most recent incident of sexual assault by a male, compared with 50% for women who completed Certificate III/IV, Diploma, Bachelor Degree or higher (please note that the proportion for the Year 12 or below group has a high margin of error and should be used with caution).

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  Education	% of women with disability who sought advice or support after sexual assault by a male	95% Confidence Interval
  Year 12 or below	#60%	(38.3%–82.5%)
  Certificate III/IV, Diploma, Bachelor Degree or higher	50%	(42.7%–56.9%)
  All persons	54%	(45.8%–61.2%)

  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 women with disability aged 18 and over who experienced sexual assault by a male in the last 10 years.
  2. Reporting is for the most recent incident of sexual assault by a male.
  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 on seeking support following sexual assault by a male are reported for women aged 18 and over only, and are not available for men due to data quality concerns.
  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.

  # 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 people with disability who experienced physical assault by a male and sought advice or support vary by sexual orientation?

  The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of adults with disability (aged 18 and over) who experienced physical assault by a male in the past 10 years and sought advice or support after the most recent incident, by sexual orientation. In 2021–22, 58% of straight (heterosexual) adults with disability reported seeking advice or support after the most recent incident of physical assault by a male, compared with 65% for people whose sexual orientation was gay, lesbian, bisexual, or other (please note that all reported proportions have a high margin of error and should be used with caution).

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  Sexual orientation	% of adults with disability who sought advice or support after physical assault by a male	95% Confidence Interval
  Straight (heterosexual)	#58%	(47.6%–68.2%)
  Gay, lesbian, bisexual, or different term	#65%	(47.6%–83.0%)
  All persons	#61%	(50.2%–71.4%)

  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 people with disability aged 18 and over who experienced physical assault by a male in the last 10 years.
  2. Reporting is for the most recent incident of physical assault by a male.
  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.

  # 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
  

  Does the proportion of women with disability who experienced sexual assault by a male and sought advice or support 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 experienced sexual assault by a male in the past 10 years and sought advice or support after the most recent incident, by sexual orientation. In 2021–22, 55% of straight (heterosexual) women with disability reported seeking advice or support after the most recent incident of sexual assault by a male, compared with 44% for women whose sexual orientation was gay, lesbian, bisexual, or other (please note that the proportion for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, or other group has a high margin of error and should be used with caution).

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  Sexual orientation	% of women with disability who sought advice or support after sexual assault by a male	95% Confidence Interval
  Straight (heterosexual)	55%	(46.4%–63.8%)
  Gay, lesbian, bisexual, or different term	#44%	(27.1%–60.7%)
  All persons	54%	(45.8%–61.2%)

  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 women with disability aged 18 and over who experienced sexual assault by a male in the last 10 years.
  2. Reporting is for the most recent incident of sexual assault by a male.
  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 on seeking support following sexual assault by a male are reported for women aged 18 and over only, and are not available for men due to data quality concerns.
  6. Data have been randomly adjusted to avoid the release of confidential data.
  7. 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.

  # 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
  

• Disability status

  Does the proportion of people who experienced physical assault by a male and sought advice or support vary by a person's disability status?

  The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of adults (aged 18 and over) who experienced physical assault by a male in the past 10 years and sought advice or support after the most recent incident, by the person's disability status. In 2021–22, 61% of adults with disability reported seeking advice or support after the most recent incident of physical assault by a male, as did 55% of adults without disability (please note that the proportion for adults with disability has a high margin of error and should be used with caution).

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  Disability status	% of adults who sought advice or support after physical assault by a male	95% Confidence Interval
  With disability	#61%	(50.2%–71.4%)
  Without disability	55%	(50.6%–58.6%)

  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 people aged 18 and over who experienced physical assault by a male in the last 10 years.
  2. Reporting is for the most recent incident of physical assault by a male.
  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 10 September 2025.

  # 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
  

  Does the proportion of women who experienced sexual assault by a male and sought advice or support vary by disability status?

  The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of women (aged 18 and over) who experienced sexual assault by a male in the past 10 years and sought advice or support after the most recent incident, by disability status. In 2021–22, 54% of women with disability reported seeking advice or support after the most recent incident of sexual assault by a male, as did 57% of women without disability.

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  Disability status	% of women who sought advice or support after sexual assault by a male	95% Confidence Interval
  With disability	54%	(45.8%–61.2%)
  Without disability	57%	(51.4%–61.6%)

  Notes

  1. Restricted to women aged 18 and over who experienced sexual assault by a male in the last 10 years.
  2. Reporting is for the most recent incident of sexual assault by a male.
  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 on seeking support following sexual assault by a male are reported for women aged 18 and over only, and are not available for men due to data quality concerns.
  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 10 September 2025.

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