Link to Report Summary:
Release date: Monday 4 December 2023
A new evaluation by the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) has found that setting the duration of an Apprehended Domestic Violence Order (ADVO)* at 24 months rather than 12 months significantly enhances victim safety.
BOCSAR compared 2,897 defendants placed on 24 month ADVOs with 10,820 defendants who had similar characteristics but were placed on 12 month ADVOs between January 2016 and April 2018. Domestic violence (DV) offending and ADVO breach rates were then compared for the two groups over a 36-month period comprising of: the first 12 months (when ADVOs were active for both groups); the next 12 months (when only those on longer orders were still subject to an ADVO); and the subsequent 12 months (when both groups' ADVOs had lapsed).
The study found that the longer ADVOs were associated with a reduction in DV offending of between 41% and 59%, but only in the 12-month period when just the 24 month orders were active. The analysis also showed that the breach rate of defendants issued 24 month ADVOs was between 79% and 161% higher than defendants serving the shorter ADVOs.
According to Suzanne Poynton, Acting Executive Director of BOCSAR, "The results of this study clearly show that ADVOs are effective in reducing the frequency of DV behaviours and that the enforcement of ADVO conditions is critical to their success". "Since April 2018 the NSW Police Force has directed officers to request a standard 24-month duration for all final ADVOs. The findings from our research suggest that this change in police practice, and the subsequent legislative change, likely resulted in substantial benefits for victim/survivors".
*ADVOs are civil orders which restrict a defendant's behaviour towards victims of DV to protect them from further violence. A breach of the conditions of an ADVO is a criminal offence and can attract severe penalties, including custody. In NSW, ADVOs can be set at any length to meet a victim's needs but the most common order durations are 12- and 24-months.
Contact: Suzanne Poynton - A/Executive Director, NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics & Research
Phone: +61 467 483 784
Email: [email protected]
Copies of the report: www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au
