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National Data on Violence against Women in Australia
A 1996 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) survey,
Women's Safety Australia established the first national data on the nature
and extent of all forms of violence against women in Australia. This research
was funded by the Australian Government Office for the Status of Women and the
Department of Health and Family Services. The survey looked at women's fear and
experiences of violence in public and in the home. It covered physical and
sexual violence and emotional abuse by strangers, previous and current partners
and by other men and women such as relatives, friends, acquaintances and
professionals. It explored the effects of violence on women's lives and their
help-seeking behaviour (eg calling police or using community services).
Arrangements are in place to conduct a comparable survey in 2005-06 with results
expected mid 2006.
The main findings of the 1996 survey were:
- During the 12 months prior to the survey, 490,400 women
(7%) aged 18 and over experienced an incident of violence. Women were four
times more likely to be assaulted by a man than by a woman.
- 38% of women had experienced at least one incident of
violence since the age of 15.
- Younger women were found to be more at risk than older
women. 19% of women aged 18-24 had experienced an incidence of violence in
the previous 12 month period compared to 6.8% of women aged 35-44 and 1.2%
of women aged over 55 years.
- The main action taken after experiencing an assault was
talking to other people, mainly family and friends. Only 19% of women who
were physically assaulted and 15% of women who were sexually assaulted in
the last 12 months reported the incident to the police. Even fewer women
used crisis and other services after being assaulted.
- The main reasons given for not contacting police or
services were that women wished to deal with the incident themselves, or
they did not regard it as serious. Their reasons for not contacting police
were shame and embarrassment and fear of the perpetrator.
- More women experienced physical violence from a current
or previous partner than from a stranger or another man known to them. In
contrast, more women experienced sexual violence from someone other than
their partner.
- 8% of partnered women reported an incidence of violence
during their current relationship. 42% of women who had been in a previous
relationship reported an incidence of violence by a previous partner.
- Violence in the home affects children who also live in
the home. Of the 8% of women experiencing violence in their current
relationship, 61% reported they had children in their care, and nearly two
thirds of these women reported that children had witnessed violence in the
home.
- Of more than 1 million women who experienced violence
during the relationship with a previous male partner, 60% said they lived in
fear during the relationship. 11% reported that they continued to live in
fear.
The ABS report Women's Safety Australia 1996 was
released in December 1996. Women's Safety Australia User Guide was
released in February 1997. Both reports are available from ABS bookshops in each
capital city (main report ABS Catalogue No.4128.0, User Guide ABS Catalogue No.
4129.0).
Source:Office for Women, ofw.facs.gov.au
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