Domestic and Sexual Violence Perpetration in Australia

Little is known in Australia about the perpetrators of domestic, family, and sexual violence (DFSV): their behaviours, risk factors, or potential points for intervention. Most research has focused on those who experience violence, rather than those who commit it. In partnership with QUT, Accountability Matter Project, Good Shepard and UNSW, and funded by ANROWS, this project aims to change that by generating the first systematic picture of DFSV perpetration in New South Wales, as a proof of concept for a future national approach. 

The Challenge

To end violence against women and children within a generation, national and state strategies have recognised the need to address perpetration. Yet right now, there is very limited systematic data on who uses DFSV, how often, in what contexts, and why. Without this evidence, prevention and intervention efforts risk being reactive and incomplete — continuing to place the burden of change on victim-survivors rather than on those who use violence. 

The Solution

The project directly addresses these gaps by combining a representative population survey with an analysis of existing data sets: 

• DFSV Perpetration Survey: a weighted sample of 2,000 people (men, women, and people of other genders, aged 16+) across NSW, exploring the prevalence, patterns, and drivers of DFSV perpetration. 

• Data mapping: a comprehensive analysis of existing datasets to assess what information is already being collected, and how it can be strengthened for benchmarking, monitoring, and evaluating interventions. 

Together, these approaches will build the first robust, evidence-based picture of DFSV perpetration in Australia. 

The Impact

The project will make six critical contributions to reducing and preventing DFSV: 

1. Provide vital knowledge on who uses violence, why, when, how, and where. 
2. Guide prevention and intervention efforts, including targeted programs for those using or at risk of using DFSV. 
3. Establish a new benchmark for measuring progress in reducing DFSV.
4. Shift the framing by naming perpetration as the core problem, taking the burden off victim-survivors. 
5. Identify protective factors that reduce the likelihood of DFSV perpetration. 
6. Improve data systems by identifying opportunities to strengthen national collection and monitoring of perpetration. 

By bringing perpetrators into view, this research lays the foundation for more effective prevention, more accountable policy, and ultimately, safer communities.