Evidence Snapshot: What We Know About Domestic, Family, and Sexual Violence in the Northern Territory – and What We Don’t

Did you know that the Northern Territory has some of the highest rates of domestic, family and sexual violence (DFSV) both in Australia and in the world?

Women in remote and regional communities are 24 times more likely to be hospitalised for domestic violence than women in major cities, and those from remote and regional communities encounter significant barriers to reporting violence due to shame and stigma (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2019).

Yet these rates, gathered from incomplete administrative data and national surveys, unlikely reflect the true extent of the problem. Administrative data often reflects only the cases of violence that have been reported to police and formal services, while national surveys often face significant challenges collecting responses from regional, remote, and very remote areas.

Despite these limitations, the data continues to show extremely high rates of domestic, family, and sexual violence in the Northern Territory, and that this violence disproportionately affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.

This Evidence Snapshot aims to inform and support the Northern Territory DFSV Sector by collating and communicating data in an accessible format.