A Growing Challenge Across the Region

Across all three LGAs included in this dashboard, family violence incident rates remain higher than, or comparable to, the Victorian average and have generally increased over recent years. In both Cardinia and Casey, family violence rates have risen steadily since FY2022, while Greater Dandenong continues to experience the highest overall rate despite some year-to-year variation. 

This pattern highlights an important finding across the region: rapid community growth may increase pressure on housing, services and social support networks, but population growth by itself does not account for the increase in family violence. Additional social and economic factors are likely influencing local risk.

Common Themes Across All Three LGAs

Despite important local differences, several common themes emerge:

1. Family violence remains persistent

Rates have increased across all LGAs over recent years, indicating a sustained and increasingly urgent, rather than temporary, challenge.

2. Women are disproportionately affected

Across the region, approximately three out of every four victim survivors are female.

3. Adults aged 25-44 experience the highest victimisation

Family violence is concentrated among age groups most likely to be engaged in intimate relationships, caregiving and workforce participation, for both, victim survivors and persons using violence. 

4. Children are commonly exposed

A substantial proportion of incidents occur in situations where children are present, increasing over the recent periods.

5. Sexual Abuse is increasing in Prevalence

Among all types of abuse, sexual abuse has substantially increased in relative prevalence across all areas.

6. Social and economic pressures coincide with higher demand

Population growth, housing affordability pressures, service demand and socioeconomic stressors appear alongside elevated family violence rates. While these factors do not prove causation, they highlight important areas for monitoring and preventative action.

What This Means for Prevention

The data suggests that effective prevention will require more than crisis responses alone. Reducing family violence will likely require coordinated action across housing, employment, health, education, community connection and perpetrator accountability initiatives.

The strongest opportunities for prevention appear to lie in supporting young families, addressing the drivers of intimate partner violence, reducing the impacts of financial and housing stress, and ensuring children exposed to violence receive early support. By understanding both the local differences and the shared regional patterns, services and communities can better target resources toward the factors most strongly associated with family violence risk and recovery.