Using Publicly Available Data 

The SMFVRIC Dashboard brings together information from publicly available sources, including family violence data, Crime Statistics Agency Victoria and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. These sources can provide useful insights into community characteristics, patterns and trends across Victoria. 

The dashboard can support informed discussion, planning, service development, advocacy and community understanding. It includes indicators relating to family violence, crime, population, housing, migration, employment and social and economic conditions. 

What the Dashboard can Tell You

• What patterns or trends are visible over time. 
• How selected indicators differ between local government areas. 
• Which population groups have higher or lower recorded rates for selected outcomes. 
• Where further investigation, consultation or local analysis may be useful. 

Important: descriptive use only 

The information in this dashboard should be used for descriptive analysis. It can show what has been recorded and how indicators vary, but it cannot establish why an outcome occurred or whether one factor caused another.

Correlation is not causation 

Two indicators may change at the same time without one causing the other. Many social, economic, demographic, service-system and reporting factors may contribute to an observed pattern. 

For example, if an area has both population growth and an increase in recorded family violence incidents, the dashboard alone cannot show that population growth caused the increase. The result may reflect several influences, including changes in reporting, recording practices, service access or the underlying incidence of family violence. 

Avoid drawing causal conclusions or making assumptions about individuals, communities, organisations or services from dashboard results alone. 

Rates vs Counts

The numbers on this dashboard are shown in two ways: counts and rates.

A count is the total number of recorded incidents, people or contacts with services. Counts help show how much demand there is for services.

A rate is usually shown as the number recorded for every 100,000 people who live in an area. Rates take into account how many people live in each area, so they are generally better for comparing one Council area with another.

For example, many more people live in Casey than in Cardinia. So, if Casey has a higher count, this may be partly because of its larger population. To compare areas fairly, use the rates where they are available. Some information is only available as counts, such as the number of ambulance patients or perpetrator intervention cases. These numbers show how much services were used. They do not directly show how common family violence is, or whether people in one area are at greater risk than people in another.

Understanding the limitations

Aggregate data 

Most dashboard information is summarised for a geographic area, such as a local government area. This can be helpful for understanding broad community patterns, but it can also hide important differences within communities. 

• Individual experiences cannot be identified from area-level results. 
• A result for a whole area may not represent every neighbourhood or population group. 
• Patterns observed for an area may not apply to an individual person or household. 
• Small numbers and differences in population size can affect comparisons, particularly when interpreting rates. 

Publicly available data 

Public datasets are produced by different organisations for different purposes. Their definitions, collection methods, geographic boundaries, reference periods and update schedules may not be the same. 

• Indicators from different sources may not be directly comparable. 
• Definitions, classifications or collection methods may change over time. 
• There may be a delay between an event occurring and its publication. 
• Some local information may be unavailable or suppressed to protect privacy and confidentiality. 
• Published data may be revised when source agencies update their records or methods. 

Administrative data 

Some dashboard indicators are based on records collected by government agencies, police, courts, health services or other service systems. These records are valuable, but they are generally created for operational and administrative purposes rather than specifically for research. 

• Not every incident, experience or need is reported to, or recorded by, a service. 
• Recording practices and data quality may vary between places, agencies and periods. 
• Changes in policy, legislation, service access, awareness or reporting behaviour may affect recorded trends. 
• An increase in recorded incidents may reflect a real increase, improved reporting, changes in recording, or a combination of factors. 

Using the dashboard responsibly 

Treat dashboard findings as a starting point rather than a complete explanation. Consider several indicators together and check the notes, definitions and source information before comparing areas or periods. 

• Use local knowledge and community perspectives to interpret patterns. 
• Consider research evidence, service information and qualitative insights alongside dashboard data. 
• Check whether definitions, boundaries or reporting practices have changed. 
• Avoid labelling or stigmatising communities based on a single indicator. 
• Seek specialist statistical advice before using results for high-stakes decisions or formal evaluation.