New Figures Reveal Prevalence Of Sexual Violence In Australia Is Larger Than Realised

Warning: this article contains content that some readers may find distressing

“Shocking” new research from Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (Anrows) shows that over 50 per cent of Australian women in the twenties have experienced sexual violence.

The study included responses from over 57,000 women in various age categories.

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The research also found a third of women in the forties and a quarter of woman aged between 68 and 73 had also experienced sexual violence at some stage in their life.

Women in their twenties and forties who had experienced violence as children were twice as likely to experience it again as adults.

Sexual violence had been measured before in Australia but had never previously recorded findings to the degree of Anrows.

Anrows used data from the Australian longitudinal study on women’s health (ALSWH) to find the new prevalence, while other studies used other methods and found far lower results.

ANROWS CEO Padma Raman PSM highlighted the significance of the study as Australia’s first to use longitudinal data to map the prevalence and impacts of sexual violence across a woman’s life.

“This study is an example of women providing researchers access to information about their experiences in the hope that that data will inform urgent and practical change,” she said.

“This research creates that opportunity by emphasising the need for policymakers to see sexual violence as a health risk and effectively build responses that attend to the possibility of future harm – especially re-victimisation.”

Raman highlighted that the research, while confronting, does not point to opportunities to strengthen public responses to women who experience sexual violence.

“The evidence is shocking, but it also shows that women connected to accessible healthcare services and strong social support experience better quality of life after sexual violence,” she said.

“We need to hear that message and really invest in what works for women’s long-term recovery.”

Minister for Social Services, The Hon Amanda Rishworth MP, described the rates of women experiencing sexual violence and the long-term impacts of their abuse as concerning.

“This research is so important to highlight this scourge which not only impacts victim-survivors in the short term, but also in a variety of ways over the long term,” she said.

Raman hopes the results will “inform urgent and practical change” and prove a need for there to be better help and support for those who were sexual violence victims at a young age.

She also called for a national definition if sexual violence, adding the term was broad in the study and included any unwanted sexual activity.

If you or someone you know needs help, there are services available:

Lifeline: 13 11 14
Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
RESPECT: 1800 737 732
Sexual Assault Counselling Australia: 1800 211 028

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