Crime Statistics Agency releases 2018-19 Victorian Family Database

4 December 2019

MEDIA RELEASE

9:00AM Wednesday 4 December 2019

Crime Statistics Agency releases 2018-19 Victorian Family Violence Database

The Crime Statistics Agency has today released key family violence measures from the 2018-19 Victorian Family Violence Database.

The Database includes data for the period between 1 July 2014 and 30 June 2019 from across a range of Victorian government agencies. Similar to previous releases, the data included relates to:

• Family incidents recorded by police
• Emergency department presentations
• Legal services provided by Victoria Legal Aid
• Family violence intervention orders
• Family violence related ambulance services recorded by Ambulance Victoria
• Family violence homicides as reported to the Coroners’ Court homicide registry

The 2018-19 release will mark the first release of data from the Victorian Homelessness Data Collection in the Family Violence Database. This data looks at family violence related specialist homelessness services in Victoria over the past 4 financial years.

Key findings:

The number of family incidents recorded by Victoria Police increased by 8.6% from 76,113 in 2017-18 to 82,652 in 2018-19, and an increase in the rate per 100,000 population of 6.3%. Similarly, the number of new family violence order applications finalised in the Magistrates’ Court and Children’s Court increased by 3.5% and 7.9% respectively, while emergency room presentations saw a slight increase by 1.4%.

In the service sector, there was an increase of 15.4% in the total number of services provided by Victoria Legal Aid for family violence intervention order applications and breaches, a 6.5% increase in the number of Victim Assistance Program cases and a 10.3% increase in the number of calls and referrals processed by the Victims’ Helpline.

Crime Statistics Agency Chief Statistician Fiona Dowsley noted the overall increases seen across the justice, health and service sectors.

“In the last 12 months, there has been an increase in family incidents recorded by Victoria Police and new applications finalised in the Magistrates’ and Children’s Court, as well as increased use of family violence services”. Ms Dowsley said.

“The increases seen across sectors may indicate that there has been a system wide improvement in data recording and reporting practices, greater public confidence in reporting incidents of family violence and greater access to family violence services.”

The ongoing maintenance and development of the Database continues to address recommendation 205 made by the Royal Commission into Family Violence in March 2016.

Recommendation 205 gave responsibility to the Crime Statistics Agency to ’maintain and develop the Victorian Family Violence Database and consider what additional data sets should be incorporated in the database, how links between all relevant datasets can be created, and how the database can otherwise be developed [within 18 months]’.

Further information about the 2018-19 Victorian Family Violence Database can be found on the CSA website:

http://www.crimestatistics.vic.gov.au/family-violence-data-portal (External link)

Please note that data from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Integrated Reports and Information System (Women and Children’s Family Violence Services and Men’s Family Violence Services) will not be included with this release. This data is expected to be released at a later date.

For further information please contact:
Crime Statistics Agency
Phone: 8684 1808
Email: info@crimestatistics.vic.gov.au (External link)