This publication reports key findings from the new Australian Child Maltreatment Study. The study surveyed a random sample of 8,500 adolescents and adults (aged 16-65+) to determine how many people have self-reported experiences of child abuse and neglect. The findings show that child maltreatment is very widespread in Australia. Nearly two in three Australians (62.2%) reported that they had experienced at least one form of child maltreatment (58.4% of males and 65.5% of females).

• Exposure to domestic violence (39.6%) was the most commonly identified category of child maltreatment followed by physical abuse (32.0%), emotional abuse (30.9%), sexual abuse (28.5%) and neglect (8.9%).
• Child maltreatment is rarely limited to a single type. Two in five Australians (39.4%) have experienced multi-type maltreatment (two or more types), and almost one in four (23.3%) have experienced three to five types of maltreatment.
• Young people are more at risk. Compared with older participants, young people aged 16–24 years reported a higher prevalence of emotional abuse (34.6%), neglect (10.3%), and exposure to domestic violence (43.8%).
• Child maltreatment disproportionally affects girls. Compared to boys, girls are significantly more likely to experience sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect. Girls and boys suffer similar rates of childhood physical abuse and exposure to domestic violence.
• The impact of maltreatment is broad and long lasting. Child maltreatment dramatically increases the odds of mental health disorders and health risk behaviours across the life span, including self-harm and suicide.

The study presents important new evidence for policy and practice aimed at preventing and reducing child abuse and neglect.