We shouldn’t need to put a dollar value on the problem to get attention, but here it is anyway: domestic violence and family violence will cost NSW $3.3 billion by 2025 in terms of lost productivity, criminal justice, child protection and income support, thanks to a surge in violence during the first year of the pandemic.
But the number cost rises to $24 billion if you consider additional costs associated with pain, suffering, disability and premature mortality.
And the costs could increase even further, should we experience more natural disasters or other crises.
A staggering 60,000 women experienced abuse for the first time during the year 2020, while another 45,000 women who have previously experienced violence, suffered escalating violence in the home during this period. In total, 106,000 women experienced new or escalating violence during that first pandemic year.
The figures come from Impact Economics and Policy in research commissioned by the NSW Council of Social Service, and Domestic Violence NSW.
They find that Indigenous women, and those with a disability, suffered higher rates of domestic violence. And they identified certain parts of Sydney – including Blacktown and Parramatta – where women were more affected. Overall, one in six women experienced domestic violence. But that rate increased to three in five for Indigenous women and two in three for women with a disability.
The report authors have issued recommendations, including that NSW provide an additional $500 million a year in funding, and invest in 5000 social housing units every year for the next ten years. The state of Victoria is currently spending three times more than NSW on domestic violence funding.
The report highlights how disasters lead to an uptick in the prevalence of violence – which is particularly concerning when considering how the frequency and intensity of natural disasters is increasing as a result of climate change. While this report does not take into account the NSW floods, it’s believed an uptick in violence would also be found there.
There is evidence globally to note the link between natural disasters and violence, including a 53 per cent uptick in domestic violence in New Zealand following the 2011 Canterbury earthquake.
Meanwhile on housing, the report found that 4,800 women returned home in 2021 to violent partners, as they could not access affordable housing.
“This research presents the horrifying picture that too many women in NSW are robbed of the basic human right to feel safe in their own homes,” NCOSS chief executive Joanna Quilty said on releasing the research on Monday.
“The international research is clear and this research backs it up – domestic and family violence increases dramatically in the wake of large-scale disasters.”
Domestic violence interim CEO Elise Phillips said on the release that the findings show that additional one-off funding for domestic and family violence is welcome, but not enough for addressing the scale of the problem.
“Now is the time to urgently invest in increased baseline funding for DFV support services so that victim-survivors receive timely and effective support,” she said.