Header image

Bushfires and Domestic Violence in Australia: Empirical Evidence From Over 300 Bushfires

Tracks
Room 2: In-Person Only
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
8:55 AM - 9:15 AM
Room 2

Overview

Dr Rachel Knott, Monash University


Speaker

Dr Karinna Saxby
Research Fellow
The University Of Melbourne

Bushfires and Domestic Violence in Australia: Empirical Evidence From Over 300 Bushfires

Abstract

Anthropogenic climate change has increased the prevalence and severity of natural disasters. The adverse impact of these events on mental health and wellbeing as well as broader economic and health outcomes has been well documented, however, there remains limited empirical evidence on how such disasters may impact domestic violence (DV). Using databases on unplanned wild fires and police reports of DV-related assaults (DVAs) in Australia from 1993 to 2019, we exploit spatial and temporal variation to estimate how DVA rates change in fire-affected regions, relative to their unaffected neighbors. We find that regions affected by bushfires experience an 11.0 percent increase in DVAs in the first 12 months after the event. The impacts were larger for rural and remote areas as well as those with greater socioeconomic disadvantage and less access to healthcare services. We also provide evidence to show that these effects are not driven by disaster-induced displacement and migration. Altogether, our results suggest that wild fires increase DV. Beyond the pressing need for climate risk management, disaster response strategies should consider targeted DV in fire-affected regions. Support should be delivered in the immediate aftermath, particularly in disadvantaged or remote regions with little access to health services.

Key Learnings:

1. Bushfires are associated with an increase in domestic violence related assaults.

2. Increased domestic violence occurs mainly in the first year after the fires.

3. Effects are more pronounced for rural areas and areas with higher socioeconomic disadvantage.

Biography

Karinna is a health economist with expertise in using administrative data to inform policy. Karinna is particularly interested in how natural disasters and socioeconomic conditions can impact domestic violence. Karinna's research has been published in the leading health economics and public health journals including the Lancet, Health Economics, and the American Journal of Public Health. Her work has featured in the Sydney Morning Herald, the Herald Sun, and on national radio stations (Triple M, RRR, JoyFM).
loading