Sexual violence occurs at an alarming frequency within Australia. Recent research suggests that 1.2 million adult women have experienced an incident of sexual violence since the age of 15. The report attempts to summarize what is known and unknown regarding sexual violence in Australia. Research has shown that sexual violence is overwhelmingly perpetrated by males against females. It shows that several factors such as race, age, physical or mental impairment, drug and alcohol use, occupation and prior experiences of victimization are also relevant. As a result, it determines that sexual violence disproportionately affects certain groups within the Australian community. The report is divided into five sections. The first section explores sexual violence, how it is defined, the place it occupies in society, and how it has become a policy agenda. The second section looks at the effects of sexual violence, including physical, social, economic and psychological effects. The third section briefly examines the existing data collection and statistics within Australia on sexual offenders and examines literature on re-offending identifying the need for knowledge on the methods and motivation of sexual offenders to correctly address their offending behavior. In the fourth section, programs and policies addressing the prevention of sexual violence or treatment of sexual violence victims are examined. In the fifth and final section, the report identifies areas of research and policy opportunities which were the result of gaps in knowledge, service provisions, and a lack of monitoring and evaluation of innovations in the legal system. The specific areas of change include: data collection, services for victims and offenders, education and training for service providers, and service evaluation. Appendix and References