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). 2022-23 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% have been verbally abused, 12% have been put in fear, and 5% have been physically abused by someone under the influence of alcohol in the past 12 months.
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). 2022-23 National Drug Strategy Household Survey. (NCETA secondary analysis, 2025).
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?
Australian women are more likely than men to have experienced alcohol-related violence in the past 12 months. In 2022-23, 20% 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 22% of women.
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). 2022-23 National Drug Strategy Household Survey.(NCETA secondary analysis, 2025).
Please note: Australians who identify as non-binary or a different gender identity were not able to be included in the current analyses due to small numbers. Significance is established as p<0.05.
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 and 25-29 years are the age groups most likely to experience physical abuse, verbal abuse, and/or being put in fear by someone under the influence of alcohol (33% and 30%, respectively).
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). 2022-23 National Drug Strategy Household Survey.
Significance is established as p<0.05.
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 11% 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). 2022-23 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NCETA secondary analysis, 2024).
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, similar proportions of men (12%) and women (10%) reported the incident to the police.
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). 2022-23 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NCETA secondary analysis, 2024).
Please note: Significance is established as p<0.05. Australians who identify as non-binary or a different gender identity were not able to be included in the current analyses due to small numbers.
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?
Across age groups, similar proportions of Australians reported alcohol-related violence to the police (between 9% - 13%).
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). 2022-23 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NCETA secondary analysis, 2024).
* Estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution.
Significance is established as p<0.05.
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).