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A world-first national study has found that one in three Australian men admit to using intimate partner violence (IPV), with experts calling the findings a “wake-up call” for prevention and accountability measures across the country.
The Ten to Men study, Australia’s largest longitudinal study of male health, has tracked around 26,000 men since 2013. Its latest wave of data, drawn from 13,896 men aged 18 to 59, revealed that 33% reported perpetrating at least one form of IPV in their lifetime, including emotional abuse, coercive control, or physical violence. Nearly one in five (18%) admitted to using IPV in the past 12 months.
“These are confronting figures,” said Dr Sean Martin, senior research fellow at the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS), which released the findings. “They point to a widespread, ongoing issue that requires urgent attention — not just from services but from society as a whole.”
Emotional abuse is most common, but physical violence remains prevalent
The report found that emotional abuse was the most commonly reported form of violence, including behaviours such as insulting, belittling, or controlling a partner. 10% of men admitted to physically hurting a partner, while around 6% reported using coercive control, a pattern of behaviours that isolates and intimidates a partner.
These behaviours were reported across all ages, income levels, and educational backgrounds. Some groups, including younger men and those experiencing mental health depression struggles or substance use, were more likely to report recent use of violence.
According to Dr Martin, these results echo decades of international research but also mark a significant increase in self-reported perpetration compared to past Australian data.
“The last comparable national figures were collected more than a decade ago,” he said. “Since then, the public conversation around domestic violence has changed. Some men may feel more able — or compelled-to — to be honest.”
Experts say findings highlight the need to focus on male perpetrators
The report has been welcomed by frontline services and gender violence experts who say too little policy attention is placed on men’s use of violence.
Dr Michael Salter, a criminologist at the University of New South Wales, told The Conversation that the findings should reshape how governments respond to domestic violence. “We’ve been focused on victims — rightly so — but we also need to intervene earlier with men and boys,” he said. “This data allows us to change the culture, not just treat the symptoms.”
Hayley Foster, CEO of Full Stop Australia, told ABC’s AM program the findings were deeply troubling but not surprising. “It tells us what women and survivors have been saying for decades: that this is not a fringe issue. It’s happening in homes across the country.”
Prevention programs and support services need an immediate funding boost.
In response to the findings, the Department of Social Services said it would use the data to inform upcoming revisions to the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children. A spokesperson said early intervention with men is “a key part” of the strategy. Still, advocates say more funding is needed for programs that work with men to change violent behaviour.
The Ten to Men report calls for increased investment in early intervention initiatives, such as school-based consent education, behavioural change programs, and better access to counselling for men showing early signs of abusive behaviour.
“It’s not enough to say we’re shocked,” said Dr Martin. “We need to support services that can stop violence before it starts — and ensure men are held accountable when it occurs.”
A turning point in the national conversation?
The release of the study comes at a time of heightened concern about gender-based violence in Australia. In the first half of 2025 alone, at least 34 women have been allegedly killed by men, according to Destroy the Joint’s Counting Dead Women project.
While many see the data as damning, others view it as a potential turning point.
“We finally have large-scale, self-reported data on male perpetration,” said Jess Hill, investigative journalist and author of See What You Made Me Do. “We can no longer pretend this is a rare or misunderstood issue. The question now is: what will we do about it?”