QUALITY DECLARATION
INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT
Confidentialised Unit Record Files (CURFs) are released in accordance with the conditions specified in the Statistics Determination section of the Census and Statistics Act 1905 (CSA). This ensures that confidentiality is maintained whilst enabling micro level data to be released. More information on the confidentiality practices associated with CURFs can be found on the About CURF Microdata page.
For information on the institutional environment of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), including the legislative obligations of the ABS, financing and governance arrangements, and mechanisms for scrutiny of ABS operations, please see ABS Institutional Environment.
RELEVANCE
Microdata from the Personal Safety Survey 2012 are available as an Expanded CURF. The product provides data on the nature and extent of violence experienced by men and women since the age of 15. It also provides information about men's and women's experience of current and previous partner violence, experience of stalking, physical and sexual abuse before the age of 15, sexual harassment and general feelings of safety.
The level of detail provided for selected data items on the Expanded CURF are available within the data items list in the Downloads Tab.
TIMELINESS
The most recent Personal Safety Survey was conducted throughout Australia from February to December 2012. This was the second time the PSS has been conducted. The PSS was last run by the ABS in 2005. The PSS is based on the design of the Women's Safety Survey (cat. no. 4128.0) which was conducted in 1996. The next PSS is scheduled to be conducted in 2016.
ACCURACY
The CURF generally contains finer levels of detail than what is published in other formats, for example, in Personal Safety, Australia, 2012 (cat. no. 4906.0). For more information on the level of detail provided, see the data items list in the Downloads Tab.
In the 2012 PSS a total sample of 41,345 households, comprising 9,707 male and 31,638 female households were selected. After removing sample loss of 27% (households where residents were out of scope of the survey, where the household did not contain a resident of the assigned gender, and where dwellings proved to be vacant, under construction or derelict), a final sample of 30,228 eligible dwellings were identified. Due to the voluntary and sensitive nature of the survey, a final response rate of 56% was achieved (from these eligible dwellings) with 17,050 persons (3,743 males and 13,307 females) completing the survey nationally.
It is important that the sampling error is taken into account in any data analysis. Associated with each person record on the CURF is a set of 'replicate weights' which can be used to derive estimates of standard error. Further information about calculating sampling error is available in Using the CURF - see "Reliability of Estimates".
Steps have been taken to confidentialise the data made available on the CURF to maximise the usefulness of the content while maintaining the confidentiality of respondents selected in the survey. As a result, it may not be possible to exactly reconcile all the statistics produced from the CURF with other published statistics. Further information about the steps taken to confidentialise the data is available in CURF confidentiality.
COHERENCE
Results from the most recent survey were published in Personal Safety, Australia, 2012 (cat. no. 4906.0). Data from the earlier surveys can be found on the Past and Future Releases tab of that publication or by contacting the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 1350 70.
Much of the content of the survey is comparable to the 2005 PSS. There are slight differences however with new content being added to the survey and some concepts being revised in order to take into account new or emerging data needs.
The Appendix - Comparability between PSS 2005 and 2012 of Personal Safety Survey, Australia: User Guide (cat. no. 4906.0.55.003) provides more detailed information on the conceptual differences between 2005 and 2012 and comparability notes between the 2005 and 2012 surveys.
INTERPRETABILITY
The information within this product should be referred to when using the CURF. It contains information about the outputs, including file structures and contents, and detailed information relating to using the CURF, conditions of use and the data items list.
Users of the CURF should use this information in conjunction with information about the survey more generally. The Personal Safety Survey, Australia: User Guide (cat. no. 4906.0.55.003) includes information on the survey objectives, methods and design, survey content, data quality and interpretation, output data items, information about the availability of results and comparability with previous surveys and other datasets.
ACCESSIBILITY
Microdata products are available to approved users. Users wishing to access the microdata should read the How to Apply for Microdata web page, before applying for access through MiCRO. Users should also familiarise themselves with information available via the Microdata Entry Page.
A full list of available microdata can be viewed via the Expected and available Microdata. More detail regarding types and modes of access to CURFs can be found on the CURF Access Modes and Levels of Detail web page.
The Expanded CURF can be accessed through the Remote Access Data Laboratory (RADL) and the ABS Data Laboratory (ABSDL).
Any questions regarding access to microdata can be forwarded to microdata.access@abs.gov.au or phone (02) 6252 7714.
Quality Declaration 
Print Page
Print All