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The poll of 17,500 people, aged over 16, was conducted by VicHealth and also found that one in six support the deplorable notion that women say ‘no’ when they mean ‘yes’.
“We are really concerned about the number of people – men and women – who still believe that rape and physical violence are justifiable, and that women are often partly to blame. A culture that excuses rape and violence is one that allows it to happen,” VicHealth CEO Jerril Rechter said.
“Perhaps most worrying for VicHealth, which has been working to prevent violence against women for almost a decade, is that nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) say that violence is caused by men being unable to control their anger.
“And nearly half (43 per cent) believe men rape because they can’t control their need for sex. These beliefs demonstrate just how far we have to go before our society understands the nature of violence. Allow me to make it very clear. Violence is a choice, not an instinct. And it is never excusable. It’s always a crime. And no woman ever invites or deserves it.”
The National Community Attitudes towards Violence against Women 2013 survey has been undertaken periodically since 1995 to track whether views on violence and gender roles are shifting.
Ms Rechter said on the whole, attitudes have remained stable since the survey was first conducted in 1995 and again in 2009.
“What we’re seeing is more people who now understand that violence is more than a bruised eye or broken bones,” Ms Rechter said.
“VicHealth believes we need to focus our efforts on the younger generation to teach them how to nurture equal, caring, respectful partnerships throughout their lives. All women deserve to be respected as men’s equals and to be safe, but sadly this is not the case for so many in Australia right now.”
