World · East Asia & Pacific · 1 hr ago
Australian study finds rising sexual and family violence against children
A University of Sydney study found violence against children increased in Australia from 2014 to 2024.
Sexual assault rates rose for girls under 10 and girls aged 10 to 17, while rates for boys aged 10 to 17 climbed sharply after 2021.
Family violence-related assaults also rose steeply after 2021, but assault-related hospitalisations and child maltreatment were generally stable.
Researchers said the rise cannot be explained by one cause; possible factors include economic stress, income inequality, increased reporting and misogynistic online cultures.
The findings surprised researchers, who expected violence to fall based on trends in other high-income countries.
The study drew on police, hospital and child protection data, but some records were missing or incomplete and state data were not always comparable.
Researchers said governments need a coordinated approach to monitoring and preventing violence against children, but no specific next step was given.
A University of Sydney study found that violence against children in Australia increased between 2014 and 2024.
Rates of sexual assault against boys aged 10 to 17 rose sharply after 2021, increasing by 15.7%.
Sexual assault rates also increased among girls aged up to nine and girls aged 10 to 17.
Family violence-related assaults rose steeply after 2021, while assault-related hospitalisations and child maltreatment were generally stable.
Researchers said the increases could reflect several factors, including income inequality, online cultures and greater reporting, and called for a broader government response.
- Who
- Researchers at the University of Sydney studied violence against children in Australia.
- What
- The study found increases in sexual assaults and family violence-related assaults against children. Assault-related hospitalisations and child maltreatment were generally stable.
- When
- The study examined data from 2014 to 2024. Increases in several rates accelerated after 2021.
- Where
- Australia.
- Why
- The study said several factors may have contributed, including income inequality, shifts in gender norms, online cultures and increased reporting.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The study analysed Australian data on violence against children across this period.
Rates of sexual assault against boys aged 10 to 17 accelerated, and family violence-related assaults rose steeply.
The JobKeeper payment scheme ended.
The University of Sydney research was published in JAMA Network Open.
- Study period
- 2014–2024
- Boys aged 10–17
- Sexual assault rates rose 15.7% per year after 2021
- Girls aged up to 9
- Sexual assault rates rose 2.8% per year
- Girls aged 10–17
- Sexual assault rates rose 4.2% per year
- Data sources
- Police-recorded assaults, hospitalisations and child protection data from three national agency databases
- Study lead author
- Dr Lucy Grummitt
What people are saying
I expected to see that things were kind of improving, I suppose. But that’s not really what we found.
Violence against children is a human rights issue, it shouldn’t be falling to one government department to be monitoring this
Economic stress may be especially salient in the post-2020 period, when pandemic-related financial disruptions intensified for many families, while government benefits providing economic relief, such as the JobKeeper payment scheme in Australia, ended in March 2021.
Shifts in gender norms and online cultures may also play a role
Sources
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