Target 13
By 2031, the rate of all forms of family violence and abuse against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children is reduced at least by 50%, as progress towards zero.
Nationally in 2018-19, 8.4% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander females aged 15 years and over experienced domestic physical or face-to-face threatened physical harm (figure CtG13.1).
There is no new data since the baseline year of 2018-19. Please refer to the How to interpret the data page for more information.
Historical and ongoing target context
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are based on complex kinship connections which influence all aspects of life (Dudgeon et al. 2021). These kinship systems are essential for social and emotional wellbeing, particularly for children (Bourke et al. 2018; Miller et al. 2020). Family and kinship systems provide each person with defined roles that are centred on principles of equality and link people through a duty to care (Salmon et al. 2019, p. 21). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people maintain these deep connections, building strong families which are safe and resilient (Dudgeon et al. 2021).
Most Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and children live in safe environments (Lohoar et al. 2014; Martin 2017), but not all families are safe. Family violence has been acknowledged as an issue in Australia, both generally and among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (Al-Yaman et al. 2006). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are overrepresented as both victim-survivors and perpetrators of family and domestic violence (AIHW 2024). In particular, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women experience exceedingly high rates of family and domestic violence (AIHW 2024; Our Watch 2018).
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities, the effects of colonisation continue to do harm. Dispossession, cultural dislocation, the imposition of foreign gender hierarchies and roles and dislocation of families through policies of forced removals result in intergenerational trauma, which has been linked with increased rates of family violence (Cripps 2008; Cripps and Adams 2014; SNAICC 2024). Intergenerational trauma can be compounded by additional factors, including marginalisation as a minority, mental ill-health, unemployment, past history of abuse, and coping behaviours and addictions (Cripps and Adams 2014; SNAICC 2024). These factors are not unique to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, but are associated with the ongoing impacts of colonisation (Cripps and Adams 2014).
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities have been active in identifying the drivers of family violence and culturally responsive solutions. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have been leading and advocating for strengths-based and community–driven responses to family violence for decades. Factors that may help reduce family and domestic violence include:
- Addressing institutional racism and ensuring action is taken when help is sought. Improving the cultural safety of the service provided by first responders would help address underreporting to mainstream services and police (SNAICC 2024).
- Reducing the misidentification of victim-survivors as perpetrators, which can lead to incarceration and interaction with the child protection system (SNAICC 2024).
- Access to culturally safe legal supports, which are trustworthy, flexible and responsive to clients with strong referral pathways to other services (Langton et al. 2020; SNAICC 2024).
- Access to affordable, safe and secure housing for women and children escaping violence. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, facing homelessness can compound experiences of social exclusion and disadvantage (DSS 2022).
- Self-determination in the design and delivery of family and domestic violence policies and programs. Community-led initiatives can build effective pathways for both victim-survivors and perpetrators of family and domestic violence (DSS 2022).
- Strengthening connection to culture, language, knowledge and identity, which can act as a protective factor. For victim-survivors, cultural practice and a strong cultural identity can serve as sources of resilience and strength (Cripps 2023; DSS 2022).
- Access to culturally safe and responsive support services that help prevent family and domestic violence occurring (SNAICC 2017).
References
AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) 2024, Family, domestic and sexual violence: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Al-Yaman, F, Van Doeland, M and Wallis, M 2006, Family violence among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Canberra.
Cripps, K 2008, ‘Indigenous family violence: A statistical challenge’, Injury, vol. 39, pp. S25–S35.
—— and Adams, M 2014, ‘Family violence: pathways forward’, Working together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and wellbeing principles and practice, 2nd edn, Commonwealth of Australia, pp. 399–416.
DSS (Australian Government Department of Social Services) 2022, National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032: ending gender-based violence in one generation, Department of Social Services, Australia.
Dudgeon, P, Blustein, S, Bray, A, Calma, T, McPhee, R and Ring, I 2021, Connection between family, kinship and social and emotional wellbeing, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Langton, M, Smith, K, Eastman, T, O’Neill, L, Cheesman, E and Rose, M 2020, Improving family violence legal and support services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety, p. 148.
Lohoar, S, Butera, N and Kennedy, E 2014, ‘Strengths of Australian Aboriginal cultural practices in family life and child rearing’, Child Family Community Australia, vol. Paper No. 25.
Martin, K 2017, ‘Culture and Identity: LSIC Parents’ Beliefs and Values and Raising Young Indigenous Children in the Twenty-First Century’, Indigenous Children Growing Up Strong: A Longitudinal Study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Families, pp. 79–99.
Our Watch 2018, Our Watch: A national resource to support the prevention of violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their children, Melbourne.
Salmon, M, Doery, K, Chapman, J, Gilbert, R, Williams, R and Lovett, R 2019, Defining the indefinable: descriptors of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ cultures and their links to health and wellbeing, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Canberra, p. 56.
SNAICC 2017, Strong families, safe kids: Family violence response and prevention for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families, p. 32.
—— (SNAICC) 2024, Our Ways – Strong Ways – Our Voices: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Safety Plan Engagement Public Submissions Discussion Paper.
Target data specifications
Outcome: | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and households are safe. |
|---|---|
Target: | By 2031, the rate of all forms of family violence and abuse against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children is reduced at least by 50%, as progress towards zero. |
Indicator: | Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander females aged 15 years or over who experienced domestic physical harm or face‑to‑face threatened physical harm in the last 12 months. |
Measure: | This measure is defined as: Numerator — number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander females aged 15 years or over who experienced physical harm and/or face‑to‑face threatened physical harm in the last 12 months where the perpetrator was a family member Denominator — total number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander females aged 15 years or over and is presented as a percentage. |
Target established: | National Agreement on Closing the Gap July 2020; revised April 2021 |
Latest dashboard update: | 23 June 2021 |
Indicator type: | Target |
Interpretation of change: | A low or decreasing proportion is desirable. |
Data source(s): | Name: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS) Frequency: Periodic Documentation (links): https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-peoples/national-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-health-survey/2018-19 |
Data provider: | Provider name: Australian Bureau of Statistics Provider area: Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Statistics |
Baseline year: | 2018–19 |
Target year: | 2030–31 |
Disaggregations: | State and territory and Australia. |
Computation: | Numerator divided by Denominator multiplied by 100. Counting rules The data is for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were usual residents of private dwellings in Australia and were present at the survey interview. Geographical variables are based on the location of the household. ‘Physical harm’ refers to any incident where a person was physically hurt or harmed by someone on purpose, including physical fights. Other forms of abuse (for example: sexual, emotional, psychological) are not included. ‘Face‑to‑face threatened physical harm’ refers to threats of physical harm that occurred face‑to‑face. ‘Family/domestic violence (physical or threatened harm)’ includes perpetrators who are a current partner, previous partner, boyfriend, girlfriend, date, ex‑boyfriend, ex‑girlfriend, parent, child, sibling or other family member. Excludes (numerator):
Supporting calculations
See How to interpret the data for further information. |
Data quality considerations: | See NATSIHS methodology for further information: https://www.abs.gov.au/methodologies/national-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-health-survey-methodology The data has been randomly adjusted using perturbation to avoid the release of confidential data. Discrepancies may occur between sums of the component items and totals. The data does not measure experience of violence for children. Experiences of harm are likely to be under‑reported. Due to the sensitive nature of the questions, responses were not compulsory, and a person may have chosen not to answer some or any of the questions. The physical and threatened physical harm data collected in the 2018–19 NATSIHS is not comparable to other ABS data sources collecting similar data, including data from: the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey; the General Social Survey; the Personal Safety Survey; or, Recorded Crime – Victims. Estimates that have a relative standard error between 25% and 50% should be used with caution. Estimates with a relative standard error of 50% or more are considered too unreliable for general use. |
Future reporting: | Future reporting will seek to include the following additional disaggregations:
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Supporting indicators
Driver
- Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women self-reporting physical violence experience
By relationship to perpetrator
- Rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child protection substantiations related to family violence
- Rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children entering out-of-home care and receiving protection orders, where family violence is indicated
- Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women reporting family violence is common in their communities
- Rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community awareness of what constitutes family violence
Physical and non-physical violence: sexual, emotional, psychological and economic abuse and violence
- Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people identifying certain behaviours as forms of family violence
Physical, sexual, emotional, psychological and financial control
- Rate of community attitudinal support (acceptance) of violence against women and children
Justifying, excusing, minimising, hiding or shifting blame for family violence
- Rates of hospitalisation for family violence assaults for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children
By relationship to perpetrator
- Rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children homicide victim rates
By victim-offender relationship
Contextual information
- Rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children victims of family and domestic violence recorded by police
Data available for NSW, SA & NT
- Rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children victims of sexual assault, by victim-offender relationship
Data available for NSW, QLD, SA & NT
- Rates of hospitalisation for family violence assaults for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children
By relationship to perpetrator
- Rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children homicide victim rates
By victim-offender relationship
- Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women reporting to have sought help from support services
Police, legal, counselling, housing, etc., by service type
- Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women reporting barriers in seeking help from support services
By barrier type
- Rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women seeking assistance from Specialist Homelessness Services for reasons of family violence
Admin data based; AIHW Specialist Homelessness Services database
- Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons accompanied with children seeking assistance from Specialist Homelessness Services for reasons of family violence
AIHW Specialist Homelessness Services database
Material for download
- Families and households are safe data tables (XLSX - 61 Kb)
- Families and households are safe dataset (CSV - 112 Kb)
To assist with interpretation of the data provided (Excel data tables and CSV dataset) please refer to the target data specification (above) and the indicator data specifications (provided in each supporting indicator page – linked above).