At least 8 million Aussies aged over 18yo – that’s 2 in 5 people – have experienced physical or sexual violence since turning 15yo, the Bureau of Statistics’ latest personal safety data has revealed. Between 2021-22, 12,000 men and women were surveyed about their experiences of violence. One in 5 women (22%) reported experiencing sexual violence, and 16% reported economic abuse from a partner they lived with. And 42% of men reported experiencing physical violence, while 6.1% reported experiencing sexual violence. One unexpected survey finding was a drop in sexual assault rates over the 12 months for women (12.6%, down from 17.3% in 2016) and men (4.5%, down from 9.3%). Experts were expecting a rise during the pandemic but say it’s too early to tell what caused the decline and whether it will become a trend.  

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