- First reports from Safety Measures collate data from specialist domestic and family violence (DFV) services across multiple jurisdictions.
- Australian-first research develops a national picture of support needs of victim survivors, and the capacity and impact of specialist services they work with.
- Reports show significant blind spots in data surrounding the true scale of DFV crisis and how to inform an effective national response.
An incomplete evidence base is holding back effective decision making when it comes to addressing Australia's domestic and family violence crisis, according to two new reports being launched today from Safety Measures.
The Measurement with Meaning and Coming into View reports consolidate data from specialist DFV services in Victoria, South Australia and the Northern Territory, gathered from their support for more than 34,000 clients, mostly women and children affected by violence.
Created by and for the specialist domestic and family violence sector and funded by the Paul Ramsay Foundation (PRF), the cross-jurisdictional Safety Measures partnership aims to build a national approach to addressing DFV by drawing insights from six organisations: Aboriginal Peak Organisations Northern Territory, Elizabeth Morgan House, Embolden South Australia, Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Women's Council, Northern Territory Council of Social Services, and Safe and Equal. These organisations represent more than 100 specialist DFV service providers that employ more than 1200 practitioners.
Key insights from the reports include:
- The specialist DFV sector is carrying significant demand, but the true scale of the issue is not being recorded, with current data not capturing unmet support needs such as people being turned away due to capacity issues.
- Children and young people make up almost 40% of recorded clients, but their experiences are under-recorded due to the complexity of specialist DFV work.
- The Northern Territory had the highest per capita engagement with specialist DFV services of the three jurisdictions: more than 132 DFV clients per 10,000 population, compared with 38 in Victoria and 23 in South Australia – reflecting the Territory's unique context, including remoteness and limited service pathways.
- Service demand is being driven not only by violence itself but also by intersections with poverty, housing, child protection and justice systems.
- Core elements of DFV practice such as risk assessment, safety planning and case coordination are not currently visible in collected data.
Safety Measures National Program Director Louise Simms said the findings highlighted the need for a significant rethink of how Australia collects data relating to DFV, to build more effective responses for victim survivors.
"We know the reported service demand is the tip of the iceberg, concealing the full extent of need for specialist DFV support," she said.
"This is the first time Australia has dug into this data to form a comprehensive picture of the scale of support needed by people experiencing family violence, and specialist services capacity to meet those needs. However, the data currently only captures people who 'successfully' engage with services; it does not capture unmet support needs, people who are turned away, or people who don't seek help through the system.
"While this research gives us a clearer picture of who is seeking help and how they get it, it also demonstrates significant blind spots in our systems of data collection. Currently the experiences of children are not being accurately collected, nor those whose needs are not being met. We need to go beyond existing administrative data to capture the complexities within specialist DFV work.
"What gets measured drives policy and investment. This sector should be understood through safety and client outcomes rather than just accommodation metrics."
PRF Head of Families Jackie Ruddock said the research had important implications for government policy and funding decisions.
"Behind every data point is a person seeking safety. Better evidence leads to better responses," she said.
"Measuring impact in a way that goes beyond engagement numbers gives us the evidence to achieve safety and wellbeing outcomes. We can't effectively resource, adapt or improve service offerings if we don't effectively measure what matters to victim survivors, communities and frontline services.
"State, territory and federal governments must listen to the sector when making policy and funding decisions that concern specialist DFV service delivery, recognising that, to date, these have largely been framed through a homelessness lens. Decisions affecting the sector should be grounded in the unique context of specialist DFV services, which extends well beyond accommodation and homelessness to risk, safety and the broader needs of victim survivors."
The reports are available on the Safety Measures website, and further insights from the data and recommendations will be published in 2027.
About us:
About Aboriginal Peak Organisations Northern Territory
Aboriginal Peak Organisations Northern Territory (APONT) is an alliance of eight Aboriginal-led entities working together to address key issues affecting Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory.
About Elizabeth Morgan House
Elizabeth Morgan House Aboriginal Women's Services is the peak body in Victoria for Aboriginal women, advising peak Aboriginal organisations, governments and non-government sectors.
About Embolden
Embolden is South Australia's peak body for domestic, family, and sexual violence services representing 32 member organisations.
About Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Women's Council
Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Women's Council is an Anangu led organisation delivering health, social and cultural services across 26 remote communities in the cross-border region of Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory.
About Northern Territory Council of Social Services
The Northern Territory Council of Social Services (NTCOSS) is the peak body for the social and community sector in the NT, with member organisations working in social and community service delivery, sector development and advocacy.
About Safe and Equal
Safe and Equal is Victoria's peak body for organisations that specialise in family and gender-based violence across prevention, intervention, response, and recovery, representing more than 90 members.
