Breaking Point: When Economic Inequality Fuels Family Violence in Victoria

Kudzai Mazhawidza s4137410

AIM

  • Analyzing CSA family-violence records (2015–2025) alongside ABS SEIFA (2021) indicators by LGA to identify spatial patterns of vulnerability
  • This project explores how family-violence incident rates differ across Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Victoria using open data from the Crime Statistics Agency and the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
  • Combining CSA’s Family Incidents (2015–2025) dataset with the ABS SEIFA IRSAD 2021 index reveals how socioeconomic disadvantages align with higher rates of family violence and how the gap changed over time. The main purpose is to move beyond raw crime counts and uncover the social geography of risk that shapes public safety and policy focus.

DATA SOURCES

  • Crime Statistics Agency (CSA): Family Incidents- Year ending June 2025
  • Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS): SEIFA 2021- IRSAD
  • Open-data license: CSA CC BY 4.0; ABS terms of use.

HEADLINE

Year ending June 2025: 532,135 incidents

Rate: 625 per 100,000 (↑34.9 vs last year)

STATEWIDE TREND 2015–2025

BIGGEST YEARLY CHANGES(2024-2025)

HEAT MAP: LGA RATES

SIX YEAR MOVERS (2019-2025)

INTERPRETATION

  • The statewide rate has risen by 34.9 since last year.
  • Several LGAs shifted sharply in 2024–25, revealing regional differences beyond the state trend.
  • Family-violence remains historically high despite policy reforms and public awareness.

CAVEATS

  • IRSAD is area-level
  • Reporting changes affects rates
  • Recorded incidents correlate with actual prevalence
  • Reporting and policing changes influence totals
  • Smaller LGAs fluctuate more because of lower populations
  • Analysis covers incidents only not outcomes or demographics

9. REPRODUCIBILITY

  • Data pulled live from CSA Year Ending June 2025 workbooks

REFERENCES

Crime Statistics Agency. (2025). Download data: Latest Victorian crime data (Year ending June 2025).
https://www.crimestatistics.vic.gov.au/crime-statistics/latest-victorian-crime-data/download-data
License: CC BY 4.0.

Crime Statistics Agency. (2025). Family incidents (tabular visualisation & data).
https://www.crimestatistics.vic.gov.au/crime-statistics/latest-victorian-crime-data/family-incidents-data

The Guardian. (2025, September 25). Less than 1% of…

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2023). Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 (Cat. 2033.0.55.001). https://www.abs.gov.au