There has been no decrease in the prevalence or health burden of intimate partner violence since both were last measured in Australia. Intimate partner violence and its health impacts are preventable.

The health burden of intimate partner violence can be reduced by:

• supporting women and children’s long-term recovery in the aftermath of violence;
• responding to violence to stop it occurring again;
• intervening when there are early warning signs of violence; and
• preventing violence from occurring in the first place by addressing known root causes.

Because experiencing intimate partner violence increases the risk of health problems, to substantially reduce the health burden, it will be necessary to prevent new cases of violence. This will require a greater emphasis on early intervention and primary prevention to stop violence from occurring in the first place.