Summary

Assault injury cases are those classified in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision, Australian Modification (ICD 10 AM) (NCCH 2012) as Assault (X85–Y09) or Legal intervention and operations of war (Y35–Y36). This includes all cases in which a person, or more than 1 person, intentionally injured another person. It does not include cases where the intent was unspecified, unstated or could not be determined.

Just as not all offences are reported to police, not all hospitalised assault cases will be identified as assaults. This may be particularly the case for acts of domestic violence or sexual assault, where victims can be reluctant to report an incident to hospital personnel or to identify a perpetrator for hospital records. As a result, this fact sheet probably underestimates the incidence of hospitalised assault.

Quick facts

Nearly 6,500 women and girls were hospitalised due to assault in Australia in 2013–14.

When place of occurrence was specified, 69% of assaults against women and girls took place in the home.

Nearly 60% of hospitalised assaults against women and girls were perpetrated by a spouse or domestic partner.