This article offers statistical support for the contention that demographic risk factors influence the incidence of some women's experiencing violence more than others. Our results were generated using a binary probit model and 6,332 observations from the 1996 Australian Women's Safety Survey. For purposes of comparison, we identified a set of benchmark demographic characteristics as those occurring most frequently in the data set and estimated that if a woman were to have all of these characteristics, the probability she would have experienced violence in the past 12 months was 6.7%. We found that the risk varied with levels of postschool education, income, ethnic background, number and age of children, marital status, and age. Employment status, school-leaving age, and socioeconomic status had no statistically significant effect on the risk of experiencing violence once other factors were considered. This analysis may provide a basis for violence reduction and prevention programs.
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