Adolescent family violence in Australia: A national study of prevalence, use of and exposure to violence, and support needs for young people

There is increasing recognition across Australia and internationally of the significant harms and impacts of adolescent family violence (AFV). AFV refers to the use of family violence (including physical, emotional, psychological, verbal, financial and/or sexual abuse) by a young person against their parent, carer, sibling or other family member within the home (Royal Commission into Family Violence, 2016). While research in this area has developed in recent years, there remains significant gaps in current understandings of this form of family violence. Specifically, there is no research within Australia or internationally that examines the prevalence, nature and responses to AFV from the direct perspective of young people.

Recognising this critical gap in current knowledge, this project will survey 5000 young Australians aged 16 to 18 years old to complete the first large-scale national prevalence study of AFV. In order to do so, this project has four key aims:

1. To create a robust prevalence database on the use of family violence by young people within the home, including among marginalised community groups,
2. To understand the nature of family violence used by young people within the home,
3. To examine the degree to which young people who use violence within the home have been exposed to different forms of family violence throughout childhood, and
4. To generate new insights and recommendations into the support needs for young people using family violence.

This project will generate the new knowledge needed to inform improved policy and practices responses to AFV across Australian communities. Using a large-scale survey comprising both quantitative and qualitative components this project will propel current understandings of this form of family violence with the key objective to improve community awareness and enhance relevant response and prevention initiatives. The project findings will be relevant to all Australian state and territory jurisdictions