For more, please contact VicHealth Media Coordinator – Antony Balmain. T. 03 9667 1373 M. 0413 627 336
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Wednesday 25 November 2009
COMMUNITY ATTITUDES TO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
A REPORT CARD FOR THE NATION
A new survey released today finds that the vast majority (85%) of Australians reject the notion that
domestic violence should be treated as a private matter to be handled by the family.
A National
Survey on Community Attitudes To Violence against Women
was released by the
Commonwealth government today.
The research, undertaken by VicHealth for the Commonwealth government, delivers a national report
card on the status of community attitudes to violence against women.
However VicHealth CEO Todd Harper said the survey shows there is a lot of work to be done to ensure
community attitudes are respectful towards women.
“One quarter of people surveyed disagree
with the statement that ‘women rarely make false claims of
being raped,” Mr Harper said.
“And one in five people think that violence can be excused if the violent person later genuinely regrets
what they have done.”
“Violence against women is no longer a private affair, to be swept under the carpet and managed in the
confines of the home. We now know that the vast majority of Australians view violence against women as
abhorrent and an issue that must be addressed at all levels of society.”
“This report card is encouraging. There’s no doubt that community awareness and understanding about
the prevalence and serious nature of violence against women has improved since the mid 1990s.”
“The majority (98%) of people now recognise
that domestic violence is a crime.
Community attitudes
have also improved In relation to sexual assault with less than one in twenty holding the view that women
who are raped ask for it, compared to one in seven people surveyed back in 1995.”
However,
according to Dr. Melanie Heenan
from VicHealth, who led the research, there remain some
alarming outcomes which require a response.
“The research indicates that in 2009 unacceptable proportions of the community are still prepared to
excuse and trivialise violence against women.
“The survey also indicates that the community remains poorly informed about the barriers which prevent
women and children from escaping violent partners,” Dr Heenan said.
Report Co-author Dr. Michael Flood said: “Half of those surveyed believe that most women could leave
violent relationships if they really wanted to with eight out of ten finding it hard to understand why women
stay in violent relationships.”
Jane Ashton from the Women’s Domestic Violence Crisis Service said that: “people think that it’s easy for
women to leave violent situations however it’s not. Women often have no access to the resources
required to make a move, they live in fear for their lives and have often been so emotional and physically
eroded by the violence that they see no possible escape”.
For more, please contact VicHealth Media Coordinator – Antony Balmain. T. 03 9667 1373 M. 0413 627 336
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The National Survey involved approximately 13,000 men and women from across Australia. It included
Indigenous Australians, people from culturally
diverse communities and a sample of sixteen and
seventeen year old respondents.
“In relation to young people the survey indicates that they
are unclear about what actually
constitutes
sexual and domestic violence and underestimate the seriousness of violence perpetrated against women,
especially within relationships,” Dr Heenan said.
“Through earlier research conducted by VicHealth we know that violence occurring within relationships is
the most significant risk factor for the health of women aged 15-44 years. It is also a crime experienced by
one in three women and costs the Australian tax payer more than $13billion dollars per year,” Mr Harper
said.
“Research undertaken by VicHealth also shows that it is possible to reduce the incidence of violence
against women with considerable savings in health and economic costs,” Mr Harper added.
Report Co-author Dr. Michael Flood who also led a recent review of Victorian school based respectful
relationships programs says “school, sport and workplace based initiatives are an integral component in
any overall strategy to prevent violence against women.”
“Strong leaders from across sectors are joining to take a stand on preventing violence against women,”
Mr Harper said.
“The number of women who experience physical and sexual violence each year would more than fill every
seat in the MCG and the Sydney Olympic Stadium. There is no option but to act to stop it from happening
in the first place,” he added.
The National Survey on Community Attitudes To Violence against Women project was led by VicHealth,
with the Australian Institute of Criminology and the Social Research Centre as key research partners.
The full report can be read by clicking here.
Key Spokespersons
Please contact VicHealth Media Coordinator Antony Balmain – 0413 627 336
Todd Harper,
CEO, VicHealth
Dr Melanie Heenan
Program Manager, Preventing Violence Against Women Program, VicHealth
Dr Michael Flood
Research Leader, Preventing Violence Against Women Program, VicHealth
Associate Professor Anita Harris
University of Queensland
Deb Bryant
Director, Women’s Domestic Violence Crisis Service
03 9928 9611
NEWS 
