Domestic violence is an issue that permeates all levels of society. It is difficult to accurately estimate the true incidence of domestic violence in society as most incidents are not reported to police and some victims may attempt to deny or hide its reality. Access Economics believes that approximately 1.6 million women in Australia have experienced domestic violence in some form since the age of 15. In the overwhelming majority of incidents, the violence is perpetrated by a man against a woman. However, the reverse situation is not unknown, nor are same sex relationships immune to domestic violence.