By Luke Voogt
Children are witnessing an increasing amount of family violence and abuse in Geelong and the Surf Coast, according to the latest data.
And almost a third of child witnesses to family abuse in the region are four-years-old or younger, according data prepared by Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) Victoria for the Independent.
In Geelong, 915 children witnessed family abuse in the year to June 2019, an 18 per cent increase on 773 incidents the previous financial year.
The rate per 100,000, which takes population into account, increased by 15 per cent in the year to June 2019 and 34 per cent since June 2016.
Almost 32.1 per cent of child witnesses to family abuse in Geelong and the Surf Coast were under four-years-old, while almost two thirds were aged nine or younger.
More than three quarters of victims, in family abuse incidents witnessed by children, were women.
The vast majority of incidents in Geelong and the Surf Coast occurred in economically-disadvantaged households, according to CSA.
Almost half occurred in the most disadvantaged households as assessed by the Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage.
The index divides households into five quintiles, and 48.5 per cent of incidents occurred in the most disadvantaged quintile one.
Quintiles two, three and four recorded percentages of 15.6, 19.2 and 12.4 respectively, with just 3.7 per cent of incidents occurring in the most advantaged quintile five.
Of the total incidents, 22.6 per cent involved physical abuse.
The data identified controlling and jealous behaviour as the most common aggressor risk factor at 31.3 per cent, followed by alcohol and drug use at 29.1 and 28.1 per cent respectively.
Mental health (24.1 per cent), a history of violence (16.2 per cent) and unemployment (10.4 per cent) were also listed as aggressor risk factors.
The data comes as CSA on Wednesday released new data collected by Victoria Police about children’s exposure to family violence.
CSA chief statistician Fiona Dowsley said more than one in 50 Victorian children had been exposed to family violence.
“That is 32,705 children who were recorded as having been present at or affected by a family incident.”
CSA research also found that relationships with children were more likely to involve assault and repeat police-attended incidents than relationships without children.
