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Sexual Assault Crisis Line

How Common is Sexual Assault?

Sexual assault is more common than many people realise and can affect people of all genders, ages and cultural backgrounds.

Sexual violence can occur in many different settings, including within families, friendship groups, schools, sports clubs, workplaces, institutional care settings (such as hospitals, disability services, residential care, and religious institutions), and intimate relationships. In most cases, the person responsible for the harm is someone the victim survivor already knows. It is important to remember that the responsibility for sexual violence always lies with the person who chooses to use it. 

Sexual assault is never the fault of the victim survivor.

Research in Australia highlights how widespread the issue is:

  • 1 in 5 women have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2023)
  • 1 in 16 men have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2023)
  • 1 in 6 women and 1 in 9 men experienced physical and/or sexual abuse before the age of 15 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2023)
  • 84% of victim survivors of sexual assault know the perpetrator (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2023)
  • 97% of sexual violence is perpetrated by men (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2020)
  • 1 in 2 trans and gender diverse people have experienced sexual violence or coercion (Kirby Institute, 2019)
  • Among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, the prevalence of sexual assault is estimated to be 3–12 times higher than among non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women (ANROWS, 2016)
  • 1 in 2 women with cognitive or psychological disability have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime (Centre of Research Excellence in Disability and Health, 2021)
  • Among migrant and refugee women, 68% have experienced at least one form of sexual harassment (ANROWS, 2023)
  • More than half of incarcerated women have a history of sexual victimisation (Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault, 2012)
  • Almost half of victim survivors of child sexual abuse experience sexual violence again as adults (Trauma, Violence & Abuse, 2019)
  • In 2022, an average of 88 sexual assaults were recorded by police each day in Australia (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2023)
  • 87% of female victim survivors in Australia did not contact the police (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2020)

 

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The Royal Women’s Hospital acknowledges and pays respect to the Wurundjeri (Wer-run-djeri) people of the Kulin Nation, the Traditional Custodians of the Country on which our site stands and we pay our respects to their Elders past and present. The Women’s is committed to improving health equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, children and families and we recognise the fundamental significance of cultural traditions, beliefs, and connection to Country for the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We acknowledge the importance of kinship and family structures as a cohesive Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and we recognise their cultures, community connection, and self-determination as critical protective factors for wellbeing.