People living in regional and rural Victoria are more likely to breach intervention orders than their city counterparts.
A report released by the Sentencing Advisory Council on Tuesday found that while only 24 per cent of Victoria's population live in regional and rural areas, they make up 41 per cent of all personal safety intervention orders in the state.
Two thirds of those sentenced for breaching a PSIO's in Victoria are male, with just over 50 per cent of those being protected female.
A PSIO is a Victorian court order designed to protect someone from unwanted behaviours by a non-family member.
The report also found that the majority of interventions were issued between people living close such as neighbours, co-tenants and boarders.
Council Chair Emeritus Professor Arie Freiberg said the report found intervention orders seemed to involve neighbours more than strangers or work colleagues.
He also blamed higher rates of socio-economic disadvantage and lack of support services in regional areas for the skewed figures.
"The disproportionate number of PSIO matters in regional Victoria is concerning. Time and again we see regional Victoria over-represented in justice system statistics," Prof Freiberg said.
The report showed that the COVID-19 pandemic affected the courts, with PSIO breaches dropping significantly in 2020 but the rate of imprisonment increased.
