Nearly 80 per cent of Victorian children who witnessed family violence had a future interaction with the justice system, according to new research.
The Crime Statistics Agency on Wednesday published a report examining police data that showed 32,705 children - approximately one in 50 - witnessed family violence from July 2018 to June 2019 across the state.
Of these children, 77.2 per cent went on to have an interaction with the justice system within five years.
"Children who witness family violence in the household are more likely to re-engage with the justice system in the future, either as a victim or a perpetrator," report authors Beverley Phillips and Connor McGuinness said.
Ms Phillips and Mr McGuinness said childhood exposure to family violence could lead to negative short-term and long-term outcomes for health and wellbeing.
These included impaired cognitive functioning, mental illness, poorer academic outcomes, aggression toward others, fear and anxiety, behavioural issues, learning difficulties and low self-esteem.
Most incidents witnessed by children, the report said, occurred between intimate partners and involved male aggressors and female victim-survivors, with the most common type of violence being verbal abuse.
More than 66 per cent of child witnesses were nine years old or younger, with 35 per cent under the age of five.
The rate of incidents was nearly twice as high in regional and remote areas than major cities.
These areas were also more likely to have risk factors, such as drug and alcohol use, and were associated with lower-ranked areas for socio-economic advantage.
The report also said relationships with children were more likely to involve assault and repeat incidents attended by police than those without children.
