📊 28,000 INVISIBLE VICTIMS: Australia’s Crime Data Gap
Examining Systemic Exclusions, Visa Precarity, and the True Cost of Crime Against International Students.
🔍 THE DATA BLIND SPOT (The Problem)
The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ **Crime Victimisation Survey (CVS)** systematically excludes key segments of the international student population.
- ❌ **EXCLUDED COHORT 1:** Overseas Residents (removes many temporary visa holders)
- ❌ **EXCLUDED COHORT 2:** Residents of Non-Private Dwellings (removes most university accommodation)
📈 SCALE OF THE UNDERCOUNT
MISSING VICTIMS: ~28,000 international student victims of personal crime are missing annually.
NATIONAL DISTORTION: Including these victims would increase Australia’s national personal-crime totals by **~3.4%**.
⚠️ THE HIDDEN HARMS
- WAGE THEFT EPIDEMIC: 77% of students report being paid below minimum wage.
A staggering 26% are paid half the minimum wage or less. 💸 - COMMON CRIMES: The largest hidden personal harms include:
Threatened Assault, Physical Assault, and Sexual Assault. 🛡️
🔒 THE BARRIER TO REPORTING
Under-reporting is primarily driven by the **fear of visa consequences** (visa precarity). This systemic fear is exploited by perpetrators to maintain impunity.
🛠️ KEY SOLUTIONS: A Call for Systemic Reform
- Statistical Reform: The ABS must include international students and student housing in national crime surveys.
- Legal Firewall: Introduce a legislated reporting firewall to guarantee temporary visa holders can report crime without immigration risk.
- Proactive Education: Provide mandatory arrival-stage safety and rights education.
Report: DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/H7AFY
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