Of the 230,217 domestic assaults involving female victims in NSW over the past decade,one in three of those involved alcohol.
Some of Sydney’s most exclusive harbourside enclaves – including North Sydney,Mosman,the Northern Beaches and Woollahra – saw an even higher percentage of DV assaults involving booze,according to data compiled by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research and obtained by theHerald.
A horror year of high-profile domestic violence deaths,including that of in a Western Sydney house fire,and allegedly murdered by her ex-partner while he was on bail for attacking her previously,has firmly planted the issue on the political agenda and in the public conscience.
TheHerald has built an interactive map,pinpointing alcohol-related domestic violence incidents across the state’s local government areas over the past decade. The numbers do not refer to alcohol-related domestic violence convictions,but entries into the NSW Police database.
The data shows the North Sydney Local Government Area recorded the highest proportion of domestic violence assaults involving alcohol in Sydney – a staggering 45 per cent over the 10-year period to March 2024. It was closely followed by two other affluent LGAs – the Northern Beaches,with 42 per cent of DV assaults involving booze,and 40 per cent in Woollahra.
Domestic violence incidents in Mosman involved alcohol 38 per cent of the time,while in the Sydney CBD that figure was 39 per cent.
“In other areas,there is more domestic violence,but it’s occurring not in an alcohol setting,” BOCSAR’s Jackie Fitzgerald told theHerald. “[Wealthy Sydney suburbs] are more likely to involve alcohol than in other areas.”
Sydney’s lowest rates of domestic violence incidents involving booze were in Canterbury-Bankstown (15 per cent),Cumberland (17 per cent) and Liverpool (18 per cent).
More than half of all domestic violence incidents in six regional areas of NSW – Central Darling,Brewarrina,Balranald,Gwydir,Walgett Carrathool – were linked to alcohol.
“The rates are a lot higher,it’s happening with much more prevalence,just not with that particular alcohol-related trigger,” Fitzgerald said.
The NSW government is working to understand exactly why alcohol dredges up such deep-seated violence among some men,particularly in the more affluent areas of Sydney.
Jodie Harrison,the minister for the prevention of domestic violence and sexual assault,told theHerald the role of alcohol and male violence against women was little understood,despite long-standing popular assumptions.
In the 2024-25 NSW Budget,,including $5 million over four years to domestic violence perpetrator strategy and research.
The state government is researching the link between booze and domestic violence and developing a perpetrator strategy.
The research funding dovetails with Commonwealth work in this area,especially proactive engagement with male perpetrators following an incident of family and domestic violence.
Men who choose to use violence will be assessed for future risk of violent offending and offered case management and interventions. This may include counselling,aimed at reducing or managing their use of coercive,controlling,and violent behaviours.
“Both pieces of work[research and perpetrator strategy] will include looking at contributing or co-existing factors that contribute to DFV offending,such as alcohol and drugs and mental health,” Harrison said.
Support is available from the at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
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