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Violence Against Women

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Domestic Violence

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE is the physical, sexual, emotional or psychological abuse of trust and power between partners in a spousal relationship.

Most (85% to 98%) domestic violence is perpetrated by men against women.

Domestic Violence is:

• the leading cause of injury to women of reproductive age;

• the single most common trigger of female suicide;

• implicated in over 60% of the murders of women;

• a major cause of maternal mortality (death during pregnancy or in the months after childbirth).

Domestic Violence is associated with:

• poor obstetric outcomes, including low birth weight & foetal loss;

• high usage of tobacco, alcohol, minor tranquilizers and other substances which have a negative impact on health;

• depression and other mental health problems;

• somatic conditions which are difficult to diagnose & treat;

• unexplained abdominal or pelvic pain;

• gastrointestinal conditions.

Domestic violence often involves sexual abuse.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE can have a severe impact on the health and development of children even if they do not seem to be directly involved.

It is estimated that approximately 23% of Australian women ever in a spousal relationship will experience domestic violence. This violence occurs across all groups in society, though young women, Indigenous women and those who live in rural areas are at higher risk and there is more evidence of it in lower socio-economic groups. Alcohol and unemployment are often associated with domestic violence. However, though these and other factors can trigger or exacerbate violence against women, they do not cause it. Its roots lie deep in complex power relationships embedded in most societies and cultures.

Women's Safety Australia 1996, a report of a national household survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, indicated that 5.9% of the 6,300 respondents had experienced violence in the previous 12 months and 1.5% of them had suffered sexual violence. However, the rate was much higher among the younger women (those aged between 18 and 24), 5% of whom had experienced sexual violence.

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© The State of Queensland (Queensland Health) 2008.

Queensland Government