Childhood Physical Abuse Perpetrators: Australian National Survey Data on Prevalence and Perpetrator Types

Understanding who perpetrates physical abuse in Australia will help inform prevention policy. Using a nationally representative Australian sample ( N = 2,623 experiencing childhood physical abuse), we estimated prevalence by perpetrator type and examined age of onset, cessation and duration. The overwhelming majority of physical abuse occurred within family settings. Lower prevalence estimates among younger cohorts suggest physical abuse may be becoming less common in more recent generations. Physical abuse most commonly began before 10 years of age, particularly when both parents were identified as perpetrators. These findings show that a substantial proportion of physical abuse occurs during children’s formative years when they are unlikely to have networks outside of their family to turn to. The predominance of familial perpetration highlights the central role of family environments in the occurrence of physical abuse and the critical need for policies and programs that can target physical abuse within the home.