Contrary to common beliefs, up to one in three victims of sexual assault and at least one in three victims of family violence and abuse are male (perhaps as many as one in two).

When reading the following quantitative statistics it should be remembered that family violence is extremely complex and doesn’t just boil down to ‘who does what to whom and how badly’. The context of the violence and abuse is extremely important. Abuse can occur without the use or threat of physical violence. Please refer to the frequently asked questions page for a more detailed and nuanced analysis of family violence and abuse.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics 4906.0 – Personal Safety, Australia, 2016 (2017)¹ is the largest and most recent survey of violence in Australia. It found that:

• DURING THE LAST 12 MONTHS²
  • Over 1 in 3 persons who experienced violence from an intimate partner were male (35.3%)
  • Almost 1 in 3 persons who experienced violence from a cohabiting partner were male (32.7%)
  • Almost 2 in 5 persons who experienced violence from a current partner were male (39.9%)
  • Over 1 in 3 persons who experienced violence from a boyfriend/girlfriend or date were male (34.3%)
  • Almost 1 in 5 persons who experienced violence from a previous partner were male (18.8%)
  • Almost half the persons who experienced violence from a known person were male (45.5%)
  • Almost half the persons who experienced emotional abuse by a partner were male (45.8%) (47.7% of persons who experienced it by a current partner and 43.4% by a previous partner)
  • Almost half of these males experienced anxiety or fear due to the emotional abuse (41.4% of males who experienced current partner abuse and 43.1% of males who experienced previous partner abuse)
  • 13.8% of men that experienced emotional abuse by a current partner had their partner deprive them of basic needs such as food, shelter, sleep, or assistive aids, compared to 6.4% of women.
  • 8.9% of men that experienced emotional abuse by a current partner had their partner threaten to take their child/ren away from them, compared to 4.6% of women.
  • 38.5% of men that experienced emotional abuse by a previous partner had their partner lie to their child/ren with the intent of turning them against them, compared to 25.1% of women.
  • 7.3% of men that experienced emotional abuse by a current partner had their partner lie to other family members or friends with the intent of turning them against them, compared to 6.6% of women.
  • 10.1% of men that experienced current partner emotional abuse had their current partner keep track of where they were and who they were with, compared to 9.9% of women.
  • Over 1 in 3 persons who experienced sexual harassment were male (34.0%). Most males who experienced sexual harrassment were harassed by a female perpetrator (72.2% were harassed by a female while 48.2% were harassed by a male).
  • The largest category of increase in sexual harassment between 2012 and 2016 was in males harassed by a female perpetrator, which rose by a massive 67.5%. Females harassed by a male perpetrator rose by 15% during the same period.
  • Over 1 in 3 persons who experienced stalking were male (35.0%). Most males who experienced stalking were stalked by a male perpetrator (68.9% were stalked by a male while 36.3% were stalked by a female).
  • Almost 1 in 3 persons who experienced sexual assault were male (28.4%). Most males who experienced sexual violence were assaulted or threatened by a female perpetrator (82.9%).
  • 6 per cent of all males experienced violence compared to 4.7% of all females.
  • The majority of men that experienced intimate partner violence experienced it by a female perpetrator (93.6%). The remainder were in same-sex relationships with male perpetrators.

• SINCE THE AGE OF 15
  • Men were 2 to 3 times more likely than women to have never told anybody about experiencing partner violence, around 50% more likely than women to have never sought advice or support about experiencing partner violence, almost 20% more likely than women to have not contacted police about experiencing partner violence, and less than half as likely as women to have had a restraining order issued against the perpetrator of previous partner violence.

• AFTER FINAL SEPARATION FROM VIOLENT PREVIOUS PARTNER
  • Male victims were more than twice as likely to report ‘sleeping rough’ (e.g. on the street, in a car, in a tent, squatting in an abandoned building) after finally separating from their violent previous partner compared with female victims (4.7% vs 1.9%) and less than half as likely to report having stayed in a refuge or shelter (2.4% vs 5.1%).

As part of their evaluation of the 2012 family violence amendments, the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) found in their Experiences of Separated Parents Study (2015)³ that males (fathers) made up:

–  41.3% of parents who reported experiencing physical hurt (with or without emotional abuse) before/during separation

–  51.8% of parents who reported experiencing emotional abuse alone before/during separation. In 2 out of 11 types of emotional abuse, fathers reported experiencing abuse “often” at equal or higher rates than mothers.

–  34.6% of parents who reported experiencing between 21 and 55 incidents of emotional abuse before/during separation, and 45.5% of parents who reported between 11 and 20 incidents

–  42.6% of parents who reported experiencing the highest levels of severity of fear (9 or 10 on a 10-point scale) before/during separation, 43.5% of parents who reported experiencing the most severe control, and 44.6% of parents who reported experiencing the most severe coersion

–  45.5% of parents who reported experiencing physical hurt since separation

–  47.4% of parents who reported experiencing emotional abuse (with or without physical hurt) since separation. In 4 out of 13 types of emotional abuse, fathers reported experiencing abuse at equal or higher rates than mothers. In 7 out of 11 types of emotional abuse, fathers reported experiencing abuse “often” at equal or higher rates than mothers.

–  41.2% of parents who reported experiencing between 21 and 55 incidents of emotional abuse since separation, and 47.2% of parents who reported between 11 and 20 incidents

–  46.5% of parents who reported often feeling fearful after physical violence since separation, and 48.1% after emotional abuse alone

–  57.3% of parents who reported often feeling controlled after physical violence since separation, and 59.5% after emotional abuse alone

–  57.4% of parents who reported often feeling coerced after physical violence since separation, and 60.5% after emotional abuse alone

–  51.7% of parents who reported experiencing the highest levels of severity of fear (9 or 10 on a 10-point scale) since separation, 60.5% of parents who reported experiencing the most severe control, and 57.6% of parents who reported experiencing the most severe coercion.

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Originally published at One in Three. Photo courtesy of Adobe.