•
From
the
Australian
Institute
of
Criminology
•
One quarter of young people in Australia witness domestic violence
A study of 5,000 Australians aged between 12 and 20 has found that up to one quarter have
witnessed physical domestic violence against their mother or stepmother. In the study, physical
domestic violence was defined as including ‘threw something at’, ‘tried to hit’, ‘hit in defence’, ‘hit
when unprovoked’, ‘threatened with knife or gun’ and ‘used knife or gun’. The study is the largest
research project of its kind in Australia. It was undertaken by the Crime Research Centre at the
University of Western Australia and NFO Donovan Research, and funded by National Crime
Prevention and the Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs. The study also identifies
attitudes towards violence among young people and the relationship between socioeconomic status,
age, gender, Indigenous status and history of domestic violence. “Witnessing parental domestic
violence has emerged as the strongest predictor of perpetration of violence in young people’s own
intimate relationships” (p. 5).
Percentage of young Australians who witnessed one of seven physical forms of
violence against their mother/stepmother, by a male partner
20
Once or twice
More often
Percentage
15
10
5
0
Threatened to
hit
Thrown
something at
Tried to hit
Unprovoked
hitting
Hit her in
defence
Threatened Used knife/gun
with knife/gun
SOURCE: Indermaur, D. 2001, “Young Australians and Domestic Violence”, Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal
Justice, no. 195, Australian Institute of Criminology, Canberra.
Full report available on AIC web site: http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/ti195.pdf
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