A new study from the University of Sydney has shown that sexual assault of Australian children has accelerated sharply since the pandemic, a finding that surprised researchers who had expected rates to fall. The analysis revealed a 15.7 % rise in attacks on boys aged 10 to 17, while assaults on girls aged up to nine increased at 2.8 % per year and those aged 10 to 17 at 4.2 % per year. The trend mirrors a similar steep rise in family‑violence related assaults after 2021. These increases were documented using national police, hospital, and child‑protection data.
Researchers linked the surge to several factors, including rising income inequality and the influence of the “manosphere.” They noted that economic stress intensified after the pandemic, especially following the termination of the JobKeeper payment scheme in March 2021. Shifts in gender norms and the expansion of misogynistic online communities were also identified as contributing to hostility toward women and girls.
The study, published in JAMA Network Open, analyzed a decade’s worth of data from three national agency databases. While assault‑related hospitalisations and child maltreatment remained generally stable, the consistent rise in sexual assaults and family violence highlights a growing problem. The authors stressed that the data gaps—missing child maltreatment records for NSW and Queensland and incomplete family‑violence data for several states—hampered a full understanding of the issue.
Lead author Dr Lucy Grummitt said the findings underscore the need for a whole‑of‑government approach to child protection. She criticised the siloed focus of individual departments and highlighted the frustration caused by incomplete datasets that prevent comprehensive monitoring. Grummitt called for clearer, nationally consistent definitions and better data sharing to address violence against children effectively.
