Mr SETTER - 1995-08-22
I understand a national survey has been conducted on community attitudes towards violence against women. Is the Chief Minister able to give the House any information about this survey?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, this survey was released at 10.30 am Northern Territory time today. It is the first national survey on domestic violence since 1987. In particular, it was found that:
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One in 5 people and 19% of the Australian population considered that the use of physical force by a man
against his wife was acceptable under some circumstances.
I believe that this report vindicates the Northern Territory government's attack on violence against women. The findings vindicate the government's domestic violence strategy and the priorities that we have set. Our achievements in this area are many. We have been working actively in regard to violence, including domestic violence, as a serious matter in the community.
The survey found that crime, violence and personal safety are top-of-mind issues in 1995. In fact, 77% of the adult Australian population indicated that they were worried about violence. People perceived that violence is increasing. Some other key findings, which I am sure are of interest to members, follow. Woman are more fearful of violence and are seen as a particularly vulnerable group. Violence experienced by women is seen as different from violence experienced by men. There is a much broader community definition of domestic violence in 1995, with 8 in 10 or 81% defining it as physical violence and 6 in 10 or 58% mentioning psychological abuse. All forms of domestic violence are considered to be serious. The perception is that men are more likely to commit domestic violence than women, although it needs to be said that there are examples of women who do visit domestic violence on men. Rarely is provocation seen as a justification for domestic violence. Sexual violence is less understood than domestic violence. Members will recall that my government is committed to developing a sexual assault policy and a sexual assault services strategy in 1995.
One of the other key findings of this national survey was that punitive measures are considered less effective than education. I was disappointed that it was found that the community continues to be judgmental of women who experience domestic violence and does not want to become involved. However, make no mistake, violence is a community issue. It is not only a government issue, a police issue and an individual issue - it is a community issue. My government will work very hard at getting this message across.
Mr Speaker, for the information of members, I table a copy of the executive summary of the survey. Obviously, the finer details of the full report will have to be considered. For example, I point out the small Northern Territory pro-rata sample. I remind members that a large component of our population lives in remote areas, is not contactable by telephone and therefore is not included. Nonetheless, this survey does indicate trends in Australia and encourages debate on this matter. Most significantly, it indicates that the Northern Territory government is well on track in this important area.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, this survey was released at 10.30 am Northern Territory time today. It is the first national survey on domestic violence since 1987. In particular, it was found that:
Page 751
One in 5 people and 19% of the Australian population considered that the use of physical force by a man
against his wife was acceptable under some circumstances.
I believe that this report vindicates the Northern Territory government's attack on violence against women. The findings vindicate the government's domestic violence strategy and the priorities that we have set. Our achievements in this area are many. We have been working actively in regard to violence, including domestic violence, as a serious matter in the community.
The survey found that crime, violence and personal safety are top-of-mind issues in 1995. In fact, 77% of the adult Australian population indicated that they were worried about violence. People perceived that violence is increasing. Some other key findings, which I am sure are of interest to members, follow. Woman are more fearful of violence and are seen as a particularly vulnerable group. Violence experienced by women is seen as different from violence experienced by men. There is a much broader community definition of domestic violence in 1995, with 8 in 10 or 81% defining it as physical violence and 6 in 10 or 58% mentioning psychological abuse. All forms of domestic violence are considered to be serious. The perception is that men are more likely to commit domestic violence than women, although it needs to be said that there are examples of women who do visit domestic violence on men. Rarely is provocation seen as a justification for domestic violence. Sexual violence is less understood than domestic violence. Members will recall that my government is committed to developing a sexual assault policy and a sexual assault services strategy in 1995.
One of the other key findings of this national survey was that punitive measures are considered less effective than education. I was disappointed that it was found that the community continues to be judgmental of women who experience domestic violence and does not want to become involved. However, make no mistake, violence is a community issue. It is not only a government issue, a police issue and an individual issue - it is a community issue. My government will work very hard at getting this message across.
Mr Speaker, for the information of members, I table a copy of the executive summary of the survey. Obviously, the finer details of the full report will have to be considered. For example, I point out the small Northern Territory pro-rata sample. I remind members that a large component of our population lives in remote areas, is not contactable by telephone and therefore is not included. Nonetheless, this survey does indicate trends in Australia and encourages debate on this matter. Most significantly, it indicates that the Northern Territory government is well on track in this important area.
Page 752
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016