The latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Personal Safety Survey estimated that Australian workers collectively have experienced more than 1 million incidents of work-related violence.
Earlier this year, the Safe Work Australia data report Psychological health and safety in the workplace found an upwards trend of workplace violence and aggression. Using other sources of data, SWA’s recent Workplace and work-related violence and aggression in Australia data report further examines this trend to provide a view of the prevalence, causes and impacts of violence in Australian workplaces.
The report also gives a deeper understanding of opportunities for better risk management approaches to prevent workplace violence and aggression.
According to the data, there has been a 56 per cent increase in the number of serious workers’ compensation claims for assault and exposure to workplace violence over the past 5 years.
The ABS data highlight that men experience more workplace and work-related physical violence than women, while women experience more workplace and work-related sexual violence. Separately, over the past 10 years there has been a 73 per cent increase in workplace physical violence claims made by women compared to a 33 per cent increase by men.
Read more: Safe Work Australia Workplace and work-related violence and aggression in Australia report
