Recorded reporting rates

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Final Report Family Violence - A National Legal Response 2010

The prevalence of sexual violence

24.15 Moreover, many sexual assaults are not reported to anyone, let alone to the police. For example, the 1996 ABS Womens Safety Survey found that one in five women who had been sexually assaulted did not tell anyone about it. In 2002, the National Crime and Safety Survey found that 80% of women did not report the most recent incident to the police. Similarly, the Australian Component of the International Violence Against Women Survey (IVAWS) found that only 15% of women who experienced physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner reported that incident to the police. In 2007, the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) estimated that less than 30% of sexual assaults and related offences are reported to the police.

Download: Final Report Family Violence - A National Legal Response (2010)

Source: Australian Law Reform Commission

Rape and attrition in the legal process 2009

Despite legal reforms, we see little improvement in police, prosecutor, and court handling of rape and sexual assault. In the past 15 years in the countries studied, victimisation surveys show that 14 percent of sexual violence victims report the offence to the police. Of these, 30 percent proceed past the police to prosecution, 20 percent are adjudicated in court, 12.5 percent are convicted of any sexual offence, and 6.5 percent, of the original offence charged. In the past 35 years, average conviction rates have declined from 18 percent to 12.5 percent, although they have not fallen in all countries.

Download: Rape and attrition in the legal process ( 1.2Mb )

Source: Griffith University

Sexual Assault Against Children AIC Fact Sheet 2008

An increase in recorded sexual assault of young people was a major contributor to an overall rise in recorded sexual assault since the mid-1990s. As data are based on the date of reporting, which may be some time, even years, after the date of occurrence, it is not clear whether this increase relates to current or past events.

In the period between 1996 and 2003, the incidence of recorded sexual assault for children aged 0-14 years accounted for around 40% of all recorded sexual assaults.

Download: Sexual Assault Against Children AIC Fact Sheet 2008 ( 554Kb )

Source: Australian Institute of Criminology

Child abuse reporting statistics: 1992 to 2007

Child Protection Victoria reporting statistics from 1992 to 2007. Statistics are principally sourced from CASIS 1993-2005 and CRIS 2006 - onwards.

Download: Child abuse reporting statistics: 1992 to 2007 ( 54Kb )

Source: Victorian Department of Human Services

Trends in Recorded Sexual Assault 2005

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics Recorded Crime Victims annual publication, the rate of reported sexual assault has increased in the period 1993-2003. In 1993 the rate was 69 recorded victims of sexual assault per 100,000 population; by 2003 the rate had steadily climbed to 92 reported victims per 100,000 persons.

This increase does not necessarily reflect an increase in the prevalence of sexual assault, but is likely to be influenced by an increase in reporting incidents to police. Victimisation surveys such as the Australian Bureau of Statistics National Crime and Safety Survey and the Australian component of the International Violence Against Women Survey suggest that between 12% and 20% of sexual assaults against women are reported to police - a reporting rate lower than for other major crime categories.

Download: Trends in Recorded Sexual Assault 2005 ( 100Kb )

Source: Australian Institute of Criminology

Facts and Figures 2003

Crime victimisation surveys routinely find that only about 40% of crimes are reported to the police, and this varies according to crime type. Reporting rates are as high as 95% for motor vehicle theft and as low as 20% for sexual assault.

Download: Facts and Figures 2003 ( 278Kb )

Source: Australian Institute of Criminology

Related reports

Sexual Offences Final Report, Victorian Law Reform Commission, 2003

This interim report describes current sexual offences law and practice and makes recommendations for legislative, procedural and administrative changes which are intended to encourage people to report sexual offences and make the criminal justice system more responsive to their needs.

Download: Sexual Offences Final Report ( 1.1Mb )

Source: Victorian Law Reform Commission

Trends in Violent Crime, Bricknell S, Australian Institute of Criminology, 2008

Download: Trends in Violent Crime ( 180Kb )

Source: Australian Institute of Criminology

This is not an exhaustive list of research in the area of family violence and sexual assault, merely a starting point. As the locations of web pages often change, many of these reports have been made available through this page to assist readers. Please note that these pdfs may not contain the latest version or any recent changes so it is recommended that researchers check the author's website for updates, suplements or amendments. All published details correct as at Sept 2011.

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