Violence
How common is alcohol-related violence in Australia?
Among Australians aged 14 years and over, 21% had experienced at least one incident of either physical abuse, verbal abuse or being put in fear by someone under the influence of alcohol in the past 12 months.
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). 2019 National Drug Strategy Household Survey.
Alcohol-Related Violence: An incident of physical abuse, verbal abuse or being put in fear, in which the perpetrator or victim reports that alcohol use contributed to the violence.
Physical Abuse: An act which causes pain and/or injury to the victim.
Put in Fear: Feeling threatened and/or afraid for one’s personal safety due to the actions, speech or behaviour of another.
Under the Influence of Alcohol: There is no single objective standard for being under the influence of alcohol. Similarly, data sources used in the NADK do not provide a definition of this term. It is popularly understood as referring to an individual who has consumed enough alcohol to impair their mental, physical, and/or cognitive faculties. However, definitions and standards may vary between jurisdictions, sectors and organisations.
Verbal Abuse: Speech which is designed to humiliate, degrade, demean, intimidate, or subjugate (including the threat of physical violence).
What are the most common types of alcohol-related violence in Australia?
Among Australians aged 14 years and over, 18% had been verbally abused, 12% had been put in fear, and 5% had been physically abused by someone under the influence of alcohol in the past 12 months.
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). 2019 National Drug Strategy Household Survey.
Alcohol-Related Violence: An incident of physical abuse, verbal abuse or being put in fear, in which the perpetrator or victim reports that alcohol use contributed to the violence.
Physical Abuse: An act which causes pain and/or injury to the victim.
Put in Fear: Feeling threatened and/or afraid for one’s personal safety due to the actions, speech or behaviour of another.
Under the Influence of Alcohol: There is no single objective standard for being under the influence of alcohol. Similarly, data sources used in the NADK do not provide a definition of this term. It is popularly understood as referring to an individual who has consumed enough alcohol to impair their mental, physical, and/or cognitive faculties. However, definitions and standards may vary between jurisdictions, sectors and organisations.
Verbal Abuse: Speech which is designed to humiliate, degrade, demean, intimidate, or subjugate (including the threat of physical violence).
Are men or women in Australia more likely to experience alcohol-related violence?
Among Australians aged 14 years and over, men and women were equally as likely to have experienced alcohol-related violence in the past 12 months. 22% of men experienced at least one incident of physical abuse, verbal abuse, and/or being put in fear by someone under the influence of alcohol, compared to 21% of women.
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). 2019 National Drug Strategy Household Survey.
Alcohol-Related Violence: An incident of physical abuse, verbal abuse or being put in fear, in which the perpetrator or victim reports that alcohol use contributed to the violence.
Physical Abuse: An act which causes pain and/or injury to the victim.
Put in Fear: Feeling threatened and/or afraid for one’s personal safety due to the actions, speech or behaviour of another.
Under the Influence of Alcohol: There is no single objective standard for being under the influence of alcohol. Similarly, data sources used in the NADK do not provide a definition of this term. It is popularly understood as referring to an individual who has consumed enough alcohol to impair their mental, physical, and/or cognitive faculties. However, definitions and standards may vary between jurisdictions, sectors and organisations.
Verbal Abuse: Speech which is designed to humiliate, degrade, demean, intimidate, or subjugate (including the threat of physical violence).
Are younger or older Australians more likely to experience alcohol-related violence?
Younger Australians are generally more likely to experience alcohol-related violence than older Australians. Australians aged 18-24 years are the age group most likely to experience physical abuse, verbal abuse, and/or being put in fear by someone under the influence of alcohol (34%), followed by those aged 25-29 years (32%).
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). 2019 National Drug Strategy Household Survey.
Alcohol-Related Violence: An incident of physical abuse, verbal abuse or being put in fear, in which the perpetrator or victim reports that alcohol use contributed to the violence.
Physical Abuse: An act which causes pain and/or injury to the victim.
Put in Fear: Feeling threatened and/or afraid for one’s personal safety due to the actions, speech or behaviour of another.
Under the Influence of Alcohol: There is no single objective standard for being under the influence of alcohol. Similarly, data sources used in the NADK do not provide a definition of this term. It is popularly understood as referring to an individual who has consumed enough alcohol to impair their mental, physical, and/or cognitive faculties. However, definitions and standards may vary between jurisdictions, sectors and organisations.
Verbal Abuse: Speech which is designed to humiliate, degrade, demean, intimidate, or subjugate (including the threat of physical violence).
What proportion of alcohol-related violence incidents are reported to the police?
Approximately 12% of Australians who experienced alcohol-related violence in the past 12 months reported the incident to the police.
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). 2019 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NCETA secondary analysis, 2021).
Alcohol-Related Violence: An incident of physical abuse, verbal abuse or being put in fear, in which the perpetrator or victim reports that alcohol-use contributed to the violence.
Physical Abuse: An act which causes pain and/or injury to the victim.
Put in Fear: Feeling threatened and/or afraid for one’s personal safety due to the actions, speech or behaviour of another.
Verbal Abuse: Speech which is designed to humiliate, degrade, demean, intimidate, or subjugate (including the threat of physical violence).
Do more men or women in Australia report alcohol-related violence to the police?
Of those Australians who experienced alcohol-related violence in the past 12 months, men were more likely than women (13% vs 11%) to have reported the incident to the police.
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). 2019 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NCETA secondary analysis, 2021).
Alcohol-Related Violence: An incident of physical abuse, verbal abuse or being put in fear, in which the perpetrator or victim reports that alcohol use contributed to the violence.
Physical Abuse: An act which causes pain and/or injury to the victim.
Put in Fear: Feeling threatened and/or afraid for one’s personal safety due to the actions, speech or behaviour of another.
Verbal Abuse: Speech which is designed to humiliate, degrade, demean, intimidate, or subjugate (including the threat of physical violence).
Do more younger or older Australians report alcohol-related violence to the police?
Australians aged 30-49 years are the most likely to report alcohol-related violence to the police, while those aged 14-17 years are the least likely to do so.
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). 2019 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NCETA secondary analysis, 2021).
* Estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution.
Alcohol-Related Violence: An incident of physical abuse, verbal abuse or being put in fear, in which the perpetrator or victim reports that alcohol use contributed to the violence.
Physical Abuse: An act which causes pain and/or injury to the victim.
Put in Fear: Feeling threatened and/or afraid for one’s personal safety due to the actions, speech or behaviour of another.
Verbal Abuse: Speech which is designed to humiliate, degrade, demean, intimidate, or subjugate (including the threat of physical violence).