Most childhood physical abuse in Australia happens at home before age 10, study finds

Most childhood physical abuse in Australia occurs within families, and largely before children turn 10, according to new Curtin University-led research published in the journal Child Maltreatment. The study analysed data from the Australian Child Maltreatment Study, drawing on responses from 8,503 Australians aged 16 and older, with a focused analysis of 2,623 individuals who reported experiencing childhood physical abuse.

The researchers found that physical abuse was overwhelmingly perpetrated within the home. Family members were responsible for 85 per cent of reported perpetration, compared with 4 per cent in institutional settings and 5 per cent in both settings. Experiences of physical abuse ranged from being hit, punched or kicked by an adult through to more severe forms of violence such as being beaten, hit on the head or face, choked or burned.

The study also found that physical abuse remains high among young Australians, with one in four 16-to-24-year-olds reporting that they experienced physical abuse by a family member. Among children who experienced abuse before age 10, both parents were identified as perpetrators in one in three cases. Abuse involving both parents was also associated with the earliest onset and the longest duration of maltreatment.

Perpetration patterns differed by gender. Father-only perpetration was twice as likely as mother-only perpetration among male victim-survivors. Men reported substantially more institutional physical abuse, a pattern the researchers suggest reflects boys having been historically more exposed to punitive institutional environments.

Lead author Monica Madzoska, a PhD candidate from Curtin’s School of Population Health, said the findings showed that efforts to prevent child physical abuse must extend beyond institutions and place greater emphasis on the home. “Australia’s focus on institutional abuse has helped drive progress, but most physical abuse occurs within families,” Mrs Madzoska said.

“The concentration of abuse in children’s formative years shows prevention and early-intervention efforts must reach families early, when support can make the greatest difference,” she said. “A stronger national focus on supporting parents and families is critical to preventing physical abuse and other forms of child maltreatment, and to promoting the mental health of young Australians. That means investing in evidence-based parenting programs, reducing pressures on families, intervening early and ensuring children can safely seek help.”

PhD lead supervisor and co-author Professor David Lawrence, also from Curtin’s School of Population Health and one of the Chief Investigators on the Australian Child Maltreatment Study, said childhood physical abuse remains a major public health concern globally and is associated with substantial adverse mental, physical and social outcomes across the lifespan. “What happens behind closed doors can shape a child’s health and wellbeing for life, which is why preventing physical abuse must be a national public health priority,” Professor Lawrence said.

Kim Brooklyn, Chief Executive Officer of Parkerville Children and Youth Care, said the findings demanded action. “When one in four young Australians report experiencing physical abuse as a child we cannot sit idly by, we must invest in building parenting capabilities and creating safe communities long before children are harmed,” she said. “Australia’s children are depending on all of us to ensure they have the best environments to grow, develop, and thrive.”

The study, titled ‘Childhood physical abuse perpetrators: Australian national survey data on prevalence and perpetrator types’, was published in Child Maltreatment on 28 October 2026. Collaborating institutions included the Queensland University of Technology, Australian Catholic University, the University of Queensland, the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research and Johns Hopkins University. The research was based on data and statistical analysis of survey responses from people aged 16 and older, and the declared conflict of interest statement was none.

Subject of Research: Perpetrators and settings of childhood physical abuse in Australia, based on national survey data

Article Title: Most childhood physical abuse perpetrated within the home, new study finds

Article References: Most childhood physical abuse perpetrated within the home, new study finds. Original publication (Bibliographic details unavailable.)

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Keywords: childhood physical abuse, Australian Child Maltreatment Study, Curtin University, family perpetration, child maltreatment, public health, parenting programs, early intervention, institutional abuse, mental health, national survey, Child Maltreatment journal