Clients who have experienced family and domestic violence

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Key findings: Clients who have experienced family and domestic violence, 2022–23

This image highlights a number of key findings concerning clients who have experienced family and domestic violence. Around 104,000 SHS clients in 2022–23 were clients who have experienced family and domestic violence; the rate of these clients was 40.1 per 10,000 population; around 42% had mental health issues; 41% started support homeless and 29% ended support homeless; the majority presented to SHS agencies alone with children; and the majority had previously been assisted at some point since July 2011.

Family and domestic violence affects people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds, but predominantly affects women and children. Family, and domestic violence against women and children is a major issue in Australia, and the majority of Australians recognise that violence against women is a problem (Coumarelos et al. 2023, DSS 2022). Further, the experience of family and domestic violence can significantly impact economic participation and, in turn, impact housing security and lifetime earnings (Treasury 2023).

An estimated 4.2 million people aged 18 years and over (21%) have experienced violence (physical and/or sexual), emotional abuse, or economic abuse by a cohabiting partner since the age of 15 (ABS 2023); more commonly experienced by women (27%) than men (15%). An estimated 2.6 million people aged 18 years and over (13%) witnessed violence towards a parent by a partner, when they were aged under 15 (ABS 2023).

Family and domestic violence is the main reason women and children leave their homes in Australia (AHURI 2021). Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS) agencies provide a crisis response service for people who need to leave their home due to violence, yet data suggests that the pathway into stable, affordable, secure, and long-term housing is challenging (Flanagan et al. 2019). SHS clients who have experienced family and domestic violence made up 38% of all clients in 2022–23 (Supplementary data table CLIENTS.41). Since 2011–12, the number of SHS clients who have experienced family and domestic violence increased by an annual average of 2.5% (Historical data table HIST.FDV).

In 2022, the Australian Government announced the National Plan to end violence against women and children 2022–2032, to coordinate efforts across all levels of governments to address violence against women and children (DSS 2022).  Funding and activities under the new National Plan expand and build on the investments made under the previous National plan to reduce violence against women and children 2010–2022 (DSS 2019).

Under the National Plan, the Australian Government invested $72.6 million over 2020–21 to 2024–25 for the Safe Places Emergency Accommodation Program, an initiative under the Fourth Action Plan. 

An additional $100 million of funding for Safe Places over 5 years (2022–23 to 2026–27) was announced as part of the 2022–23 Budget to create up to 720 new safe places taking the total number of safe places being delivered in the program to around 1,500 across Australia (Treasury 2022).

The Inquiry into family, domestic and sexual violence March 2021 found that victim-survivors of violence often bear the costs for leaving the relationship, the family home, and their community (HRSCSPLA 2021). The inquiry recommended federal, state and territory governments consider funding emergency accommodation for perpetrators of FDV who are more likely to attempt to return to the family home, in order to prevent victim-survivors being forced to flee their homes or continue residing in a violent home (HRSCSPLA 2021).

The National plan to end violence against women and children 2022–2032 affirms that safe, affordable, and accessible housing is key to ending violence against women and children (DSS 2022). Action 10 of the First Action Plan 2023–2027 is to “improve access to short-term, medium and long-term housing for women and children experiencing violence, including those living in institutional settings, and support women to stay in their own homes when they choose to do so”, as part of a holistic response to providing options for victim-survivors to stay safely in their own homes and retain their connections to Country and community (DSS 2023). Response objective 3 of the national plan is also focussed on housing, specifically to “ensure women and children escaping violence have safe and secure housing, from crisis accommodation to longer-term, sustainable social housing”. 

Women and children affected by family and domestic violence are a national priority cohort in the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement (see Policy section for more information). 

Reporting clients experiencing family and domestic violence in the Specialist Homelessness Services Collection (SHSC)

In the SHSC, a client is reported as experiencing family and domestic violence if in any support period during the reporting period the client sought assistance as a result of physical or emotional abuse inflicted on the client by a family member or if as part of any support period a person required family or domestic violence assistance. 

The SHSC had information on clients experiencing family and domestic violence of any age. Changes made to the SHSC separates victim and/or perpetrators support services provided to clients. For 2022–23, data for SHS clients aged 10 and over who needed family and domestic violence victim/perpetrator support services are provided in the supplementary data table FDV.2. For more information, see Technical notes.

Data quality statement note

Caution should be used when comparing Victorian client numbers over recent years. A practice correction to how some family violence agencies were recording clients as well as a phased shift of family violence intake to non-SHS services may result in an overall decrease in FDV client numbers since 2017–18. For more information, see 2019–20 SHS Data Quality Statement and 2022–23 SHS Data Quality Statement.

In 2022–23 (Supplementary table FDV.1 and Historical table HIST.FDV):

  • SHS agencies assisted around 104,000 clients (of any age) who experienced family and domestic violence, equating to 38% of all SHS clients.
  • There was a decrease in the number of SHS clients who had experienced family and domestic violence (around 3,500 SHS clients) compared with 2021–22.
  • The rate of SHS clients who experienced family and domestic violence was 40.1 per 10,000 population, a decrease from 49.2 in 2017–18.

Although the number of clients who had experienced family and domestic violence decreased between 2021–22 and 2022–23, since the start of the SHS collection in July 2011 the number of clients increased by an annual average of 2.5% (Historical data table HIST.FDV).

Client characteristics

Figure FDV.1: Key demographics, SHS clients who have experienced family and domestic violence, 2022–23

This interactive image describes the characteristics of around 104,000 clients who have experienced family and domestic violence and received SHS support in 2022–23. Most clients were female, aged 25–44 years. Around one third were Indigenous. Victoria had the greatest number of clients and the Northern Territory had the highest rate of clients per 10,000 population. The majority of clients had previously been assisted by a SHS agency since July 2011. Most were at risk of homelessness at the start of support. Most were in major cities.

Presenting unit and Living arrangements

In 2022–23, clients who experienced family or domestic violence most commonly presented to a specialist homelessness agency for support alone (54% or almost 56,700 clients), or as a single parent with child/ren (42% or more than 44,200 clients) (Supplementary table CLIENTS.44). 

Children experiencing family and domestic violence may seek SHS support with their family, or independently if fleeing the home. For children in particular, SHS support is critical in reducing the likelihood of long-term experience or risk of homelessness (Kaleveld et al. 2018).

In 2022–23, of the more than 104,000 clients who experienced family and domestic violence and stated their living arrangement at the beginning of SHS support (Supplementary table CLIENTS.45):

  • Nearly half (49% or almost 48,300 clients) were living as a single parent with one or more children.
  • Approximately 21% (or around 20,300 clients) were living alone.
  • Approximately 11,500 people (12%) were living with other family, which can mean a person with or without children living (in a couch surfing arrangement) with others.

New or returning clients

In 2022–23 (Supplementary table CLIENTS.42):

  • Of the 104,000 SHS clients who experienced family and domestic violence, 38% were new SHS clients and 62% were returning clients who had previously been assisted by a SHS agency at some point since the collection began in July 2011. This does not necessarily mean that previously assisted SHS clients were experiencing family and domestic violence when they were previously supported.
  • Around half of new clients (18,800 clients, or 47%) were aged under 18, 48% (19,100 clients) were aged 18–54, and 4.9% (2,000 clients) were aged 55 and over. 
  • Less than one-third of returning clients (around 19,000 clients or 30%) were under 18.

Selected vulnerabilities

People who experience family and domestic violence may also experience other vulnerabilities in their life, that may make them more likely to experience homelessness, for example, a current mental health issue and/or problematic drug and/or alcohol use.

Figure FDV.2: Clients who have experienced family and domestic violence, by selected vulnerabilities, 2022–23

This interactive bar graph shows the number of SHS clients who have experienced family and domestic violence also experiencing additional vulnerabilities, including having a current mental health issue and problematic drug and/or alcohol use. The graph shows both the number of clients experiencing a single vulnerability only, as well as combinations of vulnerabilities, and presents data for each state and territory. 

Service use patterns

In 2022–23, SHS clients who had experienced family and domestic violence received a median of 72 days of support, up from 43 days in 2017–18, an average of 2.0 support periods per client, and a median of 32 nights of accommodation (Supplementary table CLIENTS.48).

Main reasons for seeking assistance

In 2022–23, of those SHS clients who experienced family and domestic violence:

  • Approximately 66% identified family and domestic violence as the main reason for seeking SHS services, while a further 9.6% identified housing crisis (Supplementary table FDV.5).
  • For clients presenting at risk of homelessness, the most common main reasons for seeking assistance were (Supplementary table FDV.6):
    • family and domestic violence (72%)
    • housing crisis (7.2%)
    • financial difficulties (4.3%).
  • For clients presenting experiencing homelessness, the most common main reasons for seeking assistance were:
    • family and domestic violence (51%)
    • housing crisis (15%)
    • inadequate or inappropriate dwelling conditions (10%)
    • housing affordability stress (5.1%).

Services needed and provided

In 2022–23, 70,000 (67%) SHS clients who experienced family and domestic violence needed specific assistance for this reason, including therapeutic discussion or group sessions, counselling, and specialised support services (Supplementary table FDV.2).

Figure FDV.3: Clients who experienced family or domestic violence, by services needed and provided, 2022–23

This interactive stacked horizontal bar graph shows the services needed by clients who have experienced family and domestic violence and their provision status. Assistance for family and domestic violence was the most needed and most provided service. Long- term housing was the least provided by need. 

Housing situation and outcomes

Outcomes presented here highlight the changes in clients’ housing situation at the start and end of support. That is, the place they were residing before and after they were supported by a SHS agency. The information presented is limited only to clients who have stopped receiving support during the financial year and who were no longer receiving ongoing support from a SHS agency. That is, information on client housing situations at the start of their first period of support during 2022–23 is compared with the client housing situation at the end of their last period of support in 2022–23. As such, this information does not cover any changes to their housing situation during their support period.

For clients who experienced family and domestic violence in 2022–23, around 24,700 clients (41%) were experiencing homelessness at the start of support; 12,700 (21%) were in short-term temporary accommodation (Supplementary table FDV.3). 

By the end of support, many clients who experienced family and domestic violence had achieved or progressed towards a more stable housing situation. That is, the number or proportion of clients ending support in public or community housing (renter or rent-free) or private or other housing (renter or rent-free) had increased compared with the start of support (Supplementary table FDV.4): 

  • More than 2 in 5 (42% or 9,400 clients) clients who experienced family and domestic violence and who were experiencing homelessness at the start of support were housed; with one-quarter living in private rental accommodation (5,400 clients or 24%). 
  • For those at risk of homelessness, almost 9 in 10 (30,000 clients or 88%) were housed; mostly in private rental accommodation (20,600 clients or 60%).

Figure FDV.4: Housing situation for clients who have experienced family and domestic violence with closed support, 2022–23

This interactive Sankey diagram shows the housing situation (including rough sleeping, couch surfing, short term accommodation, public/community housing, private housing and institutional settings) of clients who have experienced family and domestic violence with closed support periods at first presentation and at the end of support. The diagram shows clients’ housing situation journey from start to end of support. Most clients started and ended support in private or other housing. 

 

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