Analysis of the 2005 Personal Safety Survey

• John Henstridge, and others
• Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA)

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05 July 2008This report provides a detailed analysis of data about violence in the community and in families from the Australian Bureau of Statistics', Personal Safety Survey of 2005 and the Women's Safety Survey from 2006.

The Personal Safety Survey (PSS) was conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) in 2005 to collect information from a large sample (11,800 women and 4,500 men) about their experiences of violence. The survey covered a wide range of areas including physical and sexual violence, children witnessing domestic violence, reporting of violence to the police, and accessing of services. In 1996, the ABS conducted the Women’s Safety Survey (WSS). The WSS collected information from approximately 6,300 women about their experiences of violence.

Data Analysis Australia was commissioned by Family and Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaCSIA) in 2007 to conduct a detailed analysis of the PSS data. The ABS provided a summary report on the results of the PSS in August 2006, however the wealth of data collected in the survey allows for further exploration of many aspects of violence in Australia. The present report focuses on the following areas:

• Summary of Violence in the Community
* Demographics
* Alcohol and Substance Use and Violence
* Effects of Violence (Injuries and Changes to Life)

• Partner Violence

• Children and Violence

• Responses to Violence — Reporting and Seeking Help.