There is increasing recognition across Australia and internationally of the significant harms and impacts of adolescent family violence (AFV), also known as adolescent violence in the home (AVITH). AFV refers to the use of family violence (including physical, emotional, psychological, verbal, financial and/or sexual abuse) by a young person against their parent, carer, sibling or other family member within the home. While research in this area has developed in recent years, there remain significant gaps in current understanding of this form of family violence. Specifically, there is no research within Australia or internationally that examines the prevalence of, nature of and responses to AFV from the perspective of young people.

This project aims to:

1. Create a database on the use of family violence by young people within the home, including among marginalised community groups
2. Understand the nature of family violence used by young people within the home
3. Examine the degree to which young people who use violence within the home have been exposed to different forms of family violence throughout childhood
4. Generate new insights and recommendations into the support needs for young people using family violence.

This first of two reports presents the findings of this project. The research engaged directly with more than 5,000 young people aged 16 to 20 via a survey yielding both quantitative and qualitative data. The report contains findings about the AFV experiences of particular groups of young people, for example gender-diverse young people and young people with disability, as well as young people’s rationales for using AFV and the impacts of this kind of violence.