Violence against women

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Final Report Family Violence - A National Legal Response (2010)

Young women

24.26 Young women are overrepresented as victims of sexual assault. The Australian component of the IVAWS found that younger women (aged 1824) were more likely than other women to have reported experiencing sexual violence in the 12 months prior to the survey.[32] In a study on non-reporting and the hidden reporting of sexual assault, it was noted that women in the '1519 age group report the highest rates of sexual assault, at 495 per 100,000 compared to the total rate for all females of 139 per 100,000'.[33] An over-representation of young women as victims of sexual violence was found in the ABS Personal Safety Survey - 30.7% of women who reported sexual violence in the 12 months prior to the survey were aged 1824, and a further 29.8% were aged 25-34.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women

24.27 Various surveys and police statistics generally confirm higher rates of sexual violence committed against Indigenous women compared to the non-Indigenous population:

• The Australian component of the IVAWS found that Indigenous women reported experiencing higher levels of all kinds of violence, with three times as many Indigenous women compared to non-Indigenous women reporting sexual violence in the 12 months prior to the survey.
• Crime statistics recorded in 2008 found that the Indigenous victimisation rate for sexual assaults in NSW was nearly 3.5 times the rate for the non-Indigenous population.[36] In South Australia and the Northern Territory the victimisation rate was over three times that for the non-Indigenous population.
• A NSW study on Aboriginal women in prison found that over three quarters had experienced child sexual assault, just under half had been sexually assaulted as adults, and almost 80% had experienced family violence.

Women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds

24.28 There is limited information available on the prevalence of sexual violence against women from CALD backgrounds. Not all surveys have adopted measures to assist in eliciting information from CALD women, and even when they have, there may be other limitations with the data.

24.29 The Australian component of the IVAWS found that women from a non-English speaking background and English-speaking women reported similar levels of sexual violence in the preceding 12 months. While noting the difficulty in 'quantifying the level of violence experienced by women from minority populations compared to women from the general population' the IVAWS found English-speaking women reported higher levels of all types of violence over their lifetimes.

24.30 The IVAWS also recognised the likely impact on survey results of factors which influence perceptions and understandings about what constitutes violence, and significant barriers to discussing and reporting violence.[41] For example, there is variation in the extent to which women have knowledge about the law, ability to access the Australian legal system, willingness to engage with the police and other institutional actors, and knowledge about what unwanted sexual acts are against the law (for example, whether rape in marriage is illegal).

24.31 It is important to recognise, however, that the CALD community is not a homogenous group, and includes women from a wide range of different backgrounds and experiences and varying English-language skills.

Download: Final Report Family Violence - A National Legal Response (2010)

Source: Australian Law Reform Commission

Time for Action: The National Council's Plan for Australia to Reduce Violence Against Women and Their Children, 2009-2021

• Over their lifetimes, sexual violence affects almost one in five Australian women and physical violence affects at least one in three Australian women.
• Women usually experience violence at the hands of men they know, often in their own homes, often repeatedly.
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women report higher levels of physical violence and are more likely to sustain serious injuries.
• Women with disabilities are more vulnerable to violence, often have fewer pathways to appropriate support, and often have fewer options to escape violence particularly when perpetrated by partners and/or carers.
• Young women experience higher rates of sexual assault.
• Immigrant and refugee women are more likely to be murdered as a result of domestic violence.
• Almost one in four children in Australia has witnessed violence against their mother or stepmother.
• Women and their children who have experienced violence have poorer health and use health services, including mental health services, more often, even after they have escaped the violence.
• Without implementing a plan to reduce violence against women and their children, an estimated 750,000 Australian women will report being a victim of violence in 2021-22.
• The cost of violence against women and their children to the Australian economy is estimated to be $13.6 billion in 2008-09 and, if there is no reduction in current rates, it will cost the economy an estimated $15.6 billion by 2021-22.

Download: Time for Action ( 178Kb )

Source: Office for Women Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs

National Community Attitudes towards Violence against Women Survey 2009

VicHealth was commissioned by the Commonwealth Government in February 2009 to undertake a National Survey on Community Attitudes to Violence Against Women. The survey involved approximately 13,000 men and women from across Australia. It included Indigenous Australians, people from culturally diverse communities and a sample of 16- and 17-year old respondents.

• The vast majority of the community agrees that physical and sexual assault, and threats, are domestic violence (between 97% and 98% compared with between 91% and 97% in 1995).
• The community is more likely in 2009 to recognise the spectrum of domestic violence behaviours as 'very serious' than they were in 1995.
• 98% of people today say that domestic violence is a crime, compared with 93% in 1995.
• 93% of people agree that forced sex in an intimate relationship is a crime.
• Very few people believe that women who are raped ask for it one in twenty people believe this in 2009 compared with one in seven people in 1995.
• The majority of the community (85%) disagrees that violence and harassment against women should be dealt with privately.
• Eight in ten people agree they would intervene in some way in a situation of domestic violence.

Download: National Survey on Community Attitudes to Violence Against Women: Changing cultures, changing attitudes: Summary of findings ( 1Mb )

Download: National Survey on Community Attitudes to Violence Against Women: Changing cultures, changing attitudes: Fact sheet ( 103Kb )

Download: National Survey on Community Attitudes to Violence Against Women: Changing cultures, changing attitudes: Project technical report ( 2.7Mb )

Source: VicHealth

Recorded Crime - Victoria, Australia 2007-2008

• Victoria Police recorded 1,252 rape victims during 2007/2008
• There were 1,144 female victims (down 2.3% compared with last year)
• Nearly a third (409 or 32.7%) of all victims of rape recorded during 2007/2008 wereunder the age of 18 years.
• There were 2,859 female victims of sex (non-rape) offences recorded during 2007/2008

Download: Recorded Crime - Victoria, Australia 2007-2008 ( 214Kb )

Source: Victoria Police

Women, Domestic and Family Violence and Homelessness: A Synthesis Report August 2008

On the prevalence of partner violence against women indicates that:

• Around one in six adult women (17.0%) have experienced actual or threatened physical or sexual violence perpetrated by a partner since the age of 15 (ABS 2007, p. 201; ABS 2006b).
• 5% experiencing violence (physical and sexual) over the preceding five years and around 1% in the 12 months prior to the survey (ABS 2007, p. 201)

Findings of the Australian component of the International Violence Against Women Survey (IVAWS) conducted in 2002-03 indicate that:

• Over a lifetime 34% of Australian women experience actual or threats of physical violence, sexual violence (including unwanted sexual touching) and psychological violence (controlling behaviour) from a current or former partner (Mouzos & Makkai 2004, p. 44).
• This survey found that in the five years prior to the survey around one in ten women experienced domestic violence.
• Less than 5% of women experienced domestic violence in the preceding 12 months (Mouzos & Makkai 2004, p. 44).

Download: Women, Domestic and Family Violence and Homelessness ( 338Kb )

Source: Office for Women Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs

Personal Safety Survey 2005

During the 12 months prior to the survey:

• In Australia 19% of women reported experiencing sexual violence since the age of 15.
• Of the women who experienced sexual violence 81% (101,600) experienced an incident of sexual assault and 28% (34,900) experienced a threat of sexual assault:
• 22% (22,100) of women had experienced sexual assault by a stranger in the most recent incident;
• 21% (21,500) by a previous partner;
• 39% (39,700) by a family member or friend; and
• 32% (32,500) by an other known person.
• 17% (1,293,100) of women experienced sexual assault.
• 4.6% (353,700) of women experienced sexual threat.
• 19% (19,100) of women who experienced sexual assault by a male perpetrator reported it to the police in 2005 compared to 15% (14,700) in 1996.
• Women were more likely to have been sexually abused than men.
• Before the age of 15, 12% (956,600) of women had been sexually abused.

Download: Personal Safety Survey 2005 ( 1.5Mb )

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics

Women's Experiences of Male Violence: Findings From the Australian Component of the International Violence Against Women Survey

• In the past 12 months, 10% of the women surveyed reported experiencing at least one incident of physical and/or sexual violence.
• They were more likely to report physical violence (8%) than sexual violence (4%).
• 57% of the women surveyed reported experiencing at least one incident of physical violence or sexual violence over their lifetime.
• They were more likely to experience physical violence (48%) rather than sexual violence (34%).
• The most common form of physical violence during the lifetime was threats of physical harm (33%).
• However these were often accompanied by actual physical violence.
• Sexual touching was the most common form of sexual violence (about 25% over their lifetime, and 3% during the last 12 months).

Download: Women's Experiences of Male Violence ( 2.3Mb )

Source: Australian Institute of Criminology

Sexual Assault in Australia: A Statistical Overview, 2004

In looking at fear of being sexually assaulted:

• An estimated one quarter of female adults (27%) were either worried or very worried about being sexually assaulted by a person they knew.
• Almost two-thirds of female adults (64%) who were either worried or very worried about being sexually assaulted by a stranger.
• Almost half (46%) of female adults thought they had either a chance or a high chance of being sexually assaulted by a person they knew.
• Three-quarters (78%) thought that they had either a chance or a high chance of being sexually assaulted by a stranger.
• Compared to the overall proportions for adult females, higher proportions of females aged 18-24 years reported fear of being sexually assaulted or perceptions that there was a chance of being sexually assaulted.
  (ABS, Community Safety, Tasmania, October 1998, cat. no. 4515.6)

Download: Sexual Assault in Australia: A Statistical Overview, 2004 ( 1.8Mb )

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics

Related reports

Study of Reported Rapes in Victoria 2000-2003, Statewide Steering Committee to Reduce Sexual Assault

Download: Study of Reported Rapes in Victoria ( 448Kb )

Source: Statewide Steering Committee to Reduce Sexual Assault

Slow Progress in Official Statistics Bringing Violence Against Women to Public Scrutiny, The World's Women 2005 Progress in Official statistics (United Nations)

Download: Slow Progress in Official Statistics Bringing Violence Against Women to Public Scrutinyy ( 133Kb )

Source: United Nations

Not a Minute More: Ending Violence Against Women, The United Nations Development Fund For Women (UNIFEM)

Download: Not a Minute More ( 889Kb )

Source: The United Nations Development Fund For Wome

Health and Experiences of Violence Among Young Australian Women, The University of Newcastle, 2004

Download: Health and Experiences of Violence Among Young Australian Women ( 314Kb )

Source: The University of Newcastle

This is not an exhaustive list of research in the area of family violence and sexual assault, merely a starting point. As the locations of web pages often change, many of these reports have been made available through this page to assist readers. Please note that these pdfs may not contain the latest version or any recent changes so it is recommended that researchers check the author's website for updates, suplements or amendments. All published details correct as at Sept 2011.

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