Behind Closed Doors: The Family-Violence Surge in Victoria

Rajasekaran Gajendran s4110872

Why This Matters

  • In 2024, a family‐violence assault occurs every 7 minutes.
  • FV assaults rose from 27 % to 40 % of all assaults.
  • The annual cost to health, policing & welfare is $3.8 billion.
  • Incidents surge in late spring & early summer—services aren’t scaled up.
  • Five LGAs now account for one‐third of all FV assaults.

  • Serious & stalking offences are growing faster than common assault.

State-wide assault trend

Key insights:
- Family assaults ↑≈38% since 2015
- Non-family assaults largely flat
- 2024 saw the steepest jump in FV incidents
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Family share of assaults

Key insights

  • Family violence now 40 % of all assaults.
  • Incidents peak every 7 minutes.
  • Annual cost ~ $3.8 billion.
  • Demand spikes in late spring–summer.
  • 5 LGAs shoulder ⅓ of incidents.
  • Serious & stalking assaults rising fast.
  • Data targeting can save lives & dollars.

Top 10 LGA movers (all years)

Family Violence Incidents

Key Insights: LGA Heatmap

  • Melbourne’s deep hue highlights it as the largest family-violence hotspot.
  • Casey and Greater Geelong consistently rank in the top five.
  • Brimbank and Frankston maintain high incident levels each year.

  • Wyndham’s intensifying colour shows the fastest growth in FV assaults.

Key take-aways

  1. Structural rise — family-violence assaults climbed 38 % over the last decade.
  2. Geographic inequality — just five LGAs now account for one-third of all incidents.
  3. Seasonal surge — incidents peak in November–December, yet services fall behind.
  4. Changing severity — serious and stalking offences have grown faster than common assaults.
  5. Targeted action — data-driven interventions on hotspots and timing can save lives.

References