NEW STATS ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

Women�s Services Network (WESNET Inc)

MEDIA RELEASE
24 August 2006

New Survey Again Proves that Women Bear the Brunt of Domestic Violence

The results of the Personal Safety Survey undertaken by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and released last week supported existing evidence that Australian women are continuing to bear high levels of violence in their intimate relationships. According to WESNET, the national peak body for domestic and family violence services across Australia, this is completely unacceptable. �When is the Australian Government going to finally treat violence against women as the serious social issue it is?� asked Pauline Woodbridge, National Chairperson of WESNET.

The survey shows that for women aged 45 years and over, the proportion that experienced physical violence in the 12 months prior to the survey increased significantly in 2005 to 25% from 15% in 1996. Of those women who were physically assaulted, 38% were physically assaulted by their current or previous male partner. �These statistics are alarming� said Ms Woodbridge.

More women who experienced physical assault by a male perpetrator reported it to the police in 2005 (36%) compared to 19% in 1996. According to Ms Woodbridge, �this could reflect higher levels of reporting, or higher levels of assaults, or both�.

31% of all females in Australia who were physically assaulted in the last 12 months were assaulted by a current or previous male partner, whilst 4.4% of all males physically assaulted in the last 12 months were assaulted by a current or previous female partner. Women are seven times more likely to be assaulted by a partner or former partner than a male assault victim is. �There is an increasing proportion of people in the community who are saying that women are as violent as men�, said Julie Oberin, Victorian WESNET representative, �despite all of the evidence to the contrary. Propaganda from men’s rights groups and the federally funded Men’s Line depicting women in a negative light fuel these misconceptions. This survey again dispels that myth and clearly shows that domestic violence is fundamentally and unequivocally about male violence against women. Believing myths such as that are unhelpful at best and dangerous at worst. Men in our society have to take responsibility for the endemic levels of violence against women. Women have a right to be free from harm, torture and murder by men they know� she said.

�There is no doubt that Australian men experience high levels of violence, and this too is completely unacceptable�, said Ms Oberin, �however, what is clear in the evidence is that the violence men experience is overwhelmingly from other men. What is wrong with a society where both men and women are at high and increased risk from violence from violent and abusive men?� she asked.

For media comment please contact:
Pauline Woodbridge, National Chairperson, 0419 739 774
Julie Oberin, Victorian Representative, 0419 539 346