Adolescent trends in domestic violence, child abuse, serious injury and death due to transport fatality, drowning, suicide and fatal assault, victims of crime, and completing high school, NSW, 1996-2006 (variable rates)
Comments
Domestic violence has increased from 1996 to 2006, though less dramatically in the last five years compared with the previous five years. That is matched with the increase in reports of child abuse from 2000, and the generally increasing rate of serious injury from 1999. In contrast, deaths from transport fatalities, suicide, fatal assault and drowning have generally declined. The rate of crime victimisation rose sharply in the late 1990’s but has fallen just as sharply since then.
Notes:
Rates have been variably adjusted to facilitate the graphical comparison of overall trends.
Child abuse: Increases in the number of reports may be due to changes in legislation, policies and practices. Legislation introduced in 2000/2001 expanded the categories of risk of harm and extended the number of professionals and agencies mandated to report. The increases could also indicate abetter awareness of child protection concerns in the wider community and greater willingness to report problems to the Department of Community Services. The number of reports are based on financial year; the population data is based on calendar year.
Domestic violence: Protected persons with missing age or sex data excluded.
Death: Deaths from external causes include transport fatalities, fatal assault, drowning and suicide. Only the four most common categories of deaths due to external causes are presented.
Victims of crime Data has been confidentialised to prevent the identification of victims. Small cells are randomly adjusted. Therefore comparisons with similar data may show minor discrepancies.
High school completion: The per cent of students completing Year 12 is estimated by expressing the number of students who obtain a Year 12 certificate as a percentage of the potential Year 12 population. Excludes students completing Year 12 at TAFE or who have completed a Year 12 equivalent qualification in vocational education and training.
Serious injury: Hospital separation refers to the end of an episode as a hospital inpatient (for example by discharge, transfer or death).
Source:
Population data sourced from Australian Bureau of Statistics - Population by Age and Sex, Australian States and Territories, June 2006; Catalogue number: 3201.0
Child abuse: Client Information System Annual Statistical extract 1999/2000, 2000/2001, 2001/2002 and 2002/2003 Client Information System (CIS) and Key Information and Directory System (KIDS) Annual Statistical Extract, 2003/2004 and Key Information and Directory System (KIDS) 2004/2005.Produced by Information Services, NSW Department of Community Services.
Domestic violence: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research 2005 (unpublished data).
Death: NSW Child Death Review Team's, Child Death Register
Victims of Crime: Australian Bureau of Statistics Website, Australian Bureau of Statistics; Recorded Crime collection (unpublished data).
High school completion: Steering Committee for the Review of Commonwealth/State Service Provision, Report on Government services: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005; AusInfo, Canberra.
Serious injury: NSW Department of Health; Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (unpublished data).