2021 Community Attitudes Survey Findings Domestic Violence in Wagga Wagga Evaluation of theDVproject:2650 Investigating shifts in Domestic and Family Violence attitudes in Wagga Wagga
Research by Dr Nada Ibrahim & theDVproject:2650 team Report prepared by Dr Nada Ibrahim
Introduction
Acknowledgement of Country theDVproject:2650 as part of Wagga Wagga City Council acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land, the Wiradjuri people, and pays respect to Elders past, present and future and extends our respect to all First Nations Peoples in Wagga Wagga. We recognise and respect their cultural heritage, beliefs and continuing connection with the land and rivers.
City of Wagga Wagga Acknowledgement This material was produced with funding from the Department of Communities and Justice NSW. Wagga Wagga City Council gratefully acknowledges the financial and other support it has received from Department of Communities and Justice without which this work would not have been possible. The findings and views reported in this paper are those of the authors and cannot be attributed to Department of Communities and Justice NSW, or any Australian state or territory government.
Author acknowledgement The author thanks Wagga Wagga City Council, the reviewers for their helpful comments and advice, along with Dr Mikaela Owen for valuable assistance with data analysis and in writing of the findings. The research was undertaken as part of the Department of Communities and Justice NSW contribution to Wagga Wagga City Council.
Acknowledgement of those who contributed to this research The author of this report would like to sincerely thank those who participated in the online 2021 Domestic Violence Community Attitudes survey from the Wagga Wagga community.
Table of Contents Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgement of Country ............................................................................................................. 3 City of Wagga Wagga Acknowledgement .......................................................................................... 4 Author acknowledgement ................................................................................................................... 4 Acknowledgement of those who contributed to this research ............................................................ 4 Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................ 5 Definitions ........................................................................................................................................... 5 Executive summary ............................................................................................................................. 8 Research .............................................................................................................................................. 12 Definitions of terms ........................................................................................................................... 13 Background ....................................................................................................................................... 13 2021 Community Attitudes Survey.................................................................................................... 13 Summary of theDVproject:2650 - primary prevention of Domestic and Family Violence Project..... 14 Research Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 15 Limitations ......................................................................................................................................... 18 Survey Findings .................................................................................................................................. 19 2021 Survey Key Findings and Discussions ..................................................................................... 20 Community knowledge of domestic violence .................................................................................... 24 Attitudes towards domestic violence ................................................................................................. 28 Justifying domestic violence against current/former partner ............................................................ 31 Beliefs about perpetrators of domestic violence ............................................................................... 33 Main reason why women stay in violent relationships ...................................................................... 35 Perceived main cause of domestic violence ..................................................................................... 38 Understanding of the law .................................................................................................................. 40 Prevalence of domestic violence ...................................................................................................... 41 Attitudes trivialising domestic violence ............................................................................................. 43 Attitudes towards gender roles ......................................................................................................... 45 Responses to witnessing violence and knowledge of resources ...................................................... 49 Engagement with the campaigns/interventions on domestic violence ............................................. 53 Conclusion and recommendations.................................................................................................... 57 References ........................................................................................................................................ 60 List of Tables ..................................................................................................................................... 61 List of Figures.................................................................................................................................... 63
Appendices............................................................................................................................................................... 65
Definitions All terms used in this report are defined as per 2016 Community Attitudes Survey report (WWHC, 2017).
For the purposes of consistency, throughout the report the term domestic violence is used to indicate any behaviour by a man or a woman within an intimate relationship that causes physical, sexual, or psychological harm to those in the relationship. This is the most common form of violence against women (World Health Organization (WHO), 2013). Policy documents on domestic violence often use the terms “victim” and “survivor” interchangeably with some disciplines preferring one over the other. This report uses the term “victim” to refer to those who have experienced violence from a partner, and this does not imply that these women are not survivors. The term is used here for consistency throughout the report and should be understood as synonymous with survivor. The terms “offender”, “abuser” and “perpetrator” are used interchangeably and are meant to refer to the violent partner who uses violence in the relationship. Determinant Attribute or exposure that increases the probability of the occurrence of a disease or other specified outcome; in this report, violence against women or attitudes that are supportive of violence against women. Disability In this report, a longstanding difficulty, self‐identified, in hearing, seeing, communicating, walking, climbing stairs, bending, learning or doing any similar activity that reduces the amount or kind of activity that can be done in daily life (WWHC, 2017). Domestic violence Any behaviour by a man or a woman within an intimate relationship that causes physical, sexual, or psychological harm to those in the relationship. This is the most common form of violence against women (WHO, 2010). DV An abbreviation for domestic violence (definition as above). Gender Economic, social, and cultural attributes and opportunities associated with being male or female at a particular time. Gender-based violence Commonly used in the international arena to describe violence involving men and women, in which the female is usually the victim; it is derived from the unequal power relationships between men and women. Violence is directed significantly against a woman because she is a woman or affects women disproportionately (WHO, 2010). Gender equality Equal treatment of women and men in laws and policies, and equal access to resources and services within families, communities and society; sometimes referred to as formal equality (WHO, 2010). See also gender equity. Gender equity Involves fairness and justice in the distribution of resources and responsibilities between men and women; sometimes referred to as substantive equality. It often requires women--‐ specific programs and policies to end existing inequalities (WHO, 2010). See also gender equality. Risk factor See determinant. Sex Biological characteristics that typically define humans as male or female (the exception being persons who are inter‐ sex). Social norms Rules of conduct and models of behaviour expected by a society or social group. They are rooted in the customs, traditions and value systems that gradually develop in a society or social group. Socio‐economic status Umbrella term used in this report to refer to education, occupational status, employment and degree of advantage or disadvantage at the area level.
Statistically significant Result that is due to more than random chance alone, usually implies that there is an association between the variables. Violence against women Any act of gender--‐based violence that results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty whether occurring in public or private life (UN, 1993). Violence‐supportive attitudes In this report, attitudes that justify, excuse, minimise or trivialise physical or sexual violence against women, or blame or hold women at least partly responsible for violence perpetrated against them. Individuals who hold such attitudes are not all necessarily ‘violence‐prone’ or would openly condone violence against women. However, the evidence presented in this report suggests such attitudes expressed by influential individuals or held by a substantial number of people can create a culture in which violence is at best not clearly condemned and at worst condoned or encouraged.
Executive summary This report completes the third phase of the three-phase project on domestic violence (DV) in Wagga Wagga.
Phase one Research – first Community Attitudes Survey was conducted by Wagga Women’s Health Centre in 2016, to understand domestic violence in Wagga Wagga.
Phase two Strategic Planning. Strategy paper was developed outlining a best model prevention approach.
Phase three Interventions – theDVproject:2650 (prevention activities rolled out). It documents the findings from the 2021 Community Attitudes to Domestic Violence Survey to identify any shifts in attitudes and beliefs, and recognition of gender drivers of DV from 2016, following implementation of Primary Prevention program (theDVproject:2650) for the Wagga Wagga community. The implications for policy and practice for Wagga Wagga are also presented. The online survey was modified from the 2016 Community Attitudes to Domestic Violence Survey that was originally sourced from the National Community Attitudes towards Violence against Women survey (NCAS). The results of the 2021 Community Attitudes to Domestic Violence Survey are benchmarked against the 2016 Community Attitudes to Domestic Violence Survey results for the city of Wagga Wagga. This survey investigated four key areas related to violence against women to which domestic violence is the biggest contributor: • • • •
Community knowledge of domestic violence. Attitudes towards domestic violence. Attitudes towards gender roles and intimate relationships. Responses to witnessing domestic violence and knowledge of resources.
A total of 1,033 Wagga Wagga residents over the age of 18 years, completed the 2021 Community Attitudes towards domestic violence survey. In combination with using a sample of convenience, participation of the survey was voluntary and as such respondents self-selected into the study. A sample of convenience and self-selection can lead to a misrepresentative sample, in terms of demographic factors including age, gender, ethnicity, education, employment status and income. To enhance the representativeness of the current sample, post-stratification weighting was based on age and gender. Responses were analysed based on sociodemographic characteristics. Findings indicate similarities and differences between the 2021 Community Attitudes survey against the 2016 Community Attitudes survey data.
Knowledge and understanding of domestic violence In addressing domestic violence in communities, recognising behaviours that constitute violence is essential to initiate and encourage ongoing community engagement to address the issue (Wagga Women's Health Centre (WWHC), 2017). •
•
From 2016 to 2021, knowledge of what behaviours constitute domestic violence has improved for three of the nine domestic violence behaviours: controlling social life (1.6 times), denying access to money (1.6 times), and tracking a partner (1.7 times). The increased knowledge of domestic violence from 2016 to 2021 resulted in 8 of the 9 behaviours receiving acknowledgement above 90%, compared to only 5 of the 9 behaviours in 2016.
Attitudes towards domestic violence Minimising and trivialising the impact of domestic violence can be harmful for those experiencing domestic violence (Winstok & Straus, 2011). This also impacts on the effectiveness of any primary prevention activities aiming at reducing instances of domestic violence in the community (Gondolf, 1998). Minimising or trivialising the impact of DV was often reflected in the perception of severity of DV abuse.
• •
The rates of agreement on the seriousness of each of the behaviours of domestic violence for Wagga Wagga community have stayed consistently high from 2016 to 2021. However, there was a positive shift in awareness (1.6 times more) of the seriousness of some complex DV behaviours such as controlling access to money, as compared to 2016.
The levels of justifications of DV in relationships dropped from 2016 to 2021 among the residents in the Wagga Wagga community. • •
For 2021, justification was mainly for a partner to get access to their children, while in 2016 it was that their partner had sex with someone else. In both 2021 and 2016, residents least supported justifications of partner is ending or trying to end a relationship.
Beliefs on who the main perpetrator of violence is, in terms of gender, has remained consistent between 2016 and 2021. •
In both 2016 and 2021 residents overwhelming state that men or mostly men are the perpetrators of domestic violence.
The understanding of why women stay in domestic violent relationships has not changed in the past 5 years in Wagga Wagga. •
Residents understand that there is a myriad of reasons why women stay or have to stay in abusive relationships, for instance out of safety from further violence.
Highly encouraging is the significantly positive shift in the understanding of the main cause of domestic violence from 2016 to 2021 that alludes to a shift in perceptions for the benefit of the community. • • • •
In 2021, residents state that the main cause of domestic violence is men were not able to manage anger (3.8 times more) over men being under stress than residents in 2016. Also, of significance is an increased recognition (2.6 times more) that domestic violence was a means of maintaining power and control than men being under stress. This pattern of responding for the 2021 respondents compared to 2016 highlights the positive shift of prevention efforts about domestic violence contributing factors. In comparison to 2016, residents have an increased realisation (2.8 times more) that rape can exist in sexual relationships.
Generally, the 2021 survey indicated that there is a reasonably high level of awareness on the prevalence of domestic violence in the Wagga Wagga community, even though this awareness has dropped in comparison to 2016. This can be explained by the drop (6.3 times) in recognising domestic violence as a criminal offence for residents in 2021. Furthermore, attitudes towards trivialising domestic violence among the Wagga Wagga residents were not impacted by gender, age, ethnicity, education, employment status, and income. • •
A significant improvement was noted on negative attitudes of women being able to leave violent relationships and making up domestic violence for custody battles. This demonstrates that attitudes that trivialise domestic violence are on the decline, however, work still needs to continue in the prevention of domestic violence to eradicate these attitudes completely.
Attitudes towards gender roles and power dynamics Encouragingly in 2021 only a small percentage of the community agreed with the statements that reinforce gender roles, with all statements receiving less than 10% of agreement, compared to 2016, indicating a significant shift to more egalitarian attitudes. • • •
Reductions in the reinforcement of gender roles was significant across all statements that ask about gender roles. In 2016, residents in the Wagga Wagga community were more likely to agree that men make better leaders, that men have more right to a job, and that women need children to be fulfilled, than residents in 2021. Residents in 2016 were also more likely to agree university is more important to boys, and that discrimination against women is not a problem in the workplace than they do in 2021.
In addition, from 2016 to 2021 the power dynamics in relationships has had a significant positive change among the residents in Wagga Wagga. • •
Residents in 2021 were less likely to agree it is natural for men to be in control/head of the household, women prefer a man to be in charge than residents in 2016. As such, there has been a significant positive improvement of more power equality in relationships among the Wagga Wagga community.
Responses to witnessing violence and knowledge of available resources The residents’ reactions to witnessing domestic violence, and if they would intervene and how, remained consistent from 2016 to 2021. • •
As such, the intervention strategies that residents were using after/while witnessing domestic violence were the same in both years. The 2021 survey indicates more residents were likely to either say or do something (7 in 10), such as call the police, if they witness an incident of domestic violence, rather than doing nothing.
Engagement with theDVproject:2650 campaigns/interventions on DV There were number of campaigns developed by theDVproject:2650 geared towards prevention of domestic and family violence (please see the summary of theDVproject:2650 prevention section for more details). According to 2021 survey findings, the reach of theDVproject:2650 campaigns was limited for the survey sample, with the most engagement coming from the Reflect Respect Campaign, where approximately a quarter of the sample had seen the campaign. This could be explained by the nature of the campaigns (being visual campaigns rather than requiring a direct participation) TV, radio and social media advertising and advertising on buses and taxis. It is also possible that some residents did not associate these visual campaigns with the specific campaign title, such as Reflect Respect etc. • • •
•
• •
•
All sociodemographic groups had similar exposure to the Reflect Respect campaign. Exposure to the We Do Respect campaign differed as the campaign has been launched with the business community, with the TV campaign commencing after the survey roll out. Residents with a university education, and those employed were more likely to have seen/heard of/participated in the 16 Days of Activism campaign than residents who studied at high school. This once again could be explained by the nature of the campaign, primarily promoted through Council’s media channels, and partnering organisations. Those aged 25 to 39 were more likely to have seen and heard of the Enlighten for Equity project than those aged over 55. Noting the survey is completed by over 18+ and the actual project was a school-based project for 10-17 years old. Males were also more likely to be exposed to the eLearning and Voice Against Violence program either through seeing, hearing of, or participating in the program than females. For the Wiradjuri and First Nations Youth project, exposure differed for age-groups, ethnicity, education, and income with those aged between 25-55, ATSI residents, TAFE/university educated and those with lower income level being more likely to have been exposed to it. Overall, it was encouraging that over the last 12 months, residents were more likely to have engaged in taking prevention actions against domestic violence in the forms of engaging in conversation about domestic violence and calling out inappropriate attitudes/behaviours; exactly what the above listed campaigns were aiming to achieve (starting a conversation and being an active bystander).
Conclusion The patterns of responding for the 2021 respondents compared to 2016 highlights the need to provide information to the community on the contributing factors that lead to engaging in domestic violence behaviours, so they can be addressed to prevent future incidents of domestic violence. The increased awareness around rape in relationships could be resultant from the efforts Australia-wide into women’s rights that accumulated in marches for women in all states of Australia. Overall, there was a better understanding that rape does exist in sexual relationships although there is some continued need to enable residents to recognise domestic violence as being a criminal offence by law. The significant decrease in perception of prevalence of domestic violence could reflect an actual reduction in domestic violence in the Wagga Wagga community or a decreased awareness among 2021 survey participants.
Further education and awareness focusing on underpinning stereotypical attitudes and lack of knowledge and understanding of the nature and dynamics of domestic violence is still required. Access to appropriate and relevant education and training that challenges such views and enables individuals to become more informed. Extensive workforce development and development of education and training has been recommended strongly by all the major recent enquiries and reports into domestic violence. It is understandable that reform efforts are concentrated on ensuring there are sufficient support services for victims and accountability mechanisms for perpetrators. However, in order for the service system to be transformed, preventative community and workforce attitudes, understanding and capabilities must be prioritised. In closing, this report illustrated some shifts in domestic violence attitudes and not in others compared to 2016. The information available in this report is useful to recognise the areas where prevention efforts towards domestic violence in the Wagga Wagga community is still needed. There would also be some benefit from directing interventions specifically to young people under 24 years and people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds and new migrants and refugees, however further prevention approaches will need to also address determinants of attitudes and of domestic violence at the level of community, organisations and society, particularly those parts of the community that theDVproject:2650 has not reached out to. An unequivocal recommendation that emerged is the influence of social contexts and thus prevention efforts should be geared to addressing factors that influence attitude formation. This will ensure effectiveness in systems, services, and decision-makers in creating stronger protection for victims of domestic violence.
Research
Definitions of terms For the purposes of consistency, throughout the report the term domestic violence is used to indicate any behaviour by a man or a woman within an intimate relationship that causes physical, sexual, or psychological harm to those in the relationship. This is the most common form of violence against women (World Health Organization (WHO), 2013). Policy documents on domestic violence often use the terms “victim” and “survivor” interchangeably with some disciplines preferring one over the other. This report uses the term “victim” to refer to those who have experienced violence from a partner, and this does not imply that these women are not survivors. The term is used here for consistency throughout the report and should be understood as synonymous with survivor. The terms “offender”, “abuser” and “perpetrator” are used interchangeably and are meant to refer to the violent partner who uses violence in the relationship.
Background Wagga Wagga's recorded rate of domestic and family violence (DV) is 29.4% higher than the NSW average. In 2016, the Wagga Women's Health Centre (WWHC) undertook the first Community Attitudes Survey in Wagga Wagga. This identified that many community members: • • •
hold low support for gender equality adhere to rigid or stereotypical gender roles hold attitudes and beliefs that justify or excuse, trivialise or minimise DV, and blame the victim.
In addition to the Community Attitudes Survey, stakeholder research conducted by the WWHC, found that all attempts to address DV in Wagga Wagga to date have focused on crisis response and tertiary intervention, with a lack of focus placed on primary prevention. In July 2018 funding was received from the Department of Communities and Justice, to implement a 3-year prevention and community education project. The WWHC engaged with Wagga Wagga City Council (Council) in October 2018 to discuss a partnership project to address the findings from the 2016 Community Attitudes Survey. theDVproject:2650 was established, and is focused on changing identified attitudes and beliefs, recognising that rigid gender stereotypes and norms and gender inequality are the main drivers of DV.
2021 Community Attitudes Survey As part of the project’s final evaluation a second online Community Attitudes Survey was commissioned. Surveying the general population of Wagga Wagga on their knowledge and attitudes towards DV, and their attitudes on gender roles, was the focus of the first 2016 Community Attitudes Survey, conducted by Dr Andreia Schineanu and Lauren Darley-Bentley (WWHC, 2017). The same questionnaire was utilised for the second 2021 Community Attitudes Survey, engaging an independent academic researcher to conduct the second Community Attitudes Survey, alongside theDVproject:2650 team. The purpose of the 2021 Community Attitudes Survey was to comparatively assess the 2016 baseline data, against the 2021 survey results, as part of the project’s final evaluation, based on four categories: • • • •
sample demographics; knowledge of domestic violence; attitudes to domestic violence and gender equality; and responses to domestic violence.
This survey report summarises the learning from the 2016 Community Attitudes survey, links this to the research design and methodology, then describes the key findings from the quantitative online 2021 Community Attitudes survey. It concludes with analysis of these findings and a discussion of their implications for policy and practice. A comprehensive literature review was undertaken in 2016 Community Attitudes Survey report to inform the research focus and design that can be found here. The research consisted of an online survey that surveyed a minimum of 1,050 members of the Wagga Wagga community.
Summary of theDVproject:2650 - primary prevention of Domestic and Family Violence Project theDVproject:2650 (2018-2021) domestic and family violence prevention program focused on three key priority areas: 1. Organisational change – creating an equitable and respectful workplace within Council. The project aimed to drive and embed organisational and cultural change within the Council through programs, strategies, and policies to address the causes of violence against women by promoting equal and respectful relationships and the benefits of gender equality. 2. Sector engagement – collaborating with businesses, organisations, educational institutions, and sporting clubs across Wagga Wagga to roll-out prevention activities. 3. Community-wide campaigns – engaging with Wagga Wagga residents of all demographics through campaigns. An overview of three-year funded prevention project is outlined in the accompanying Project Closeout report.
Concluding comments This 2021 Community Attitudes survey report describes the empirical research undertaken to investigate the perceptions of Wagga Wagga community members concerning their attitudes towards domestic and family violence post theDVproject:2650.
Research Methodology This section describes the research methods utilised to address the overarching research questions. It outlines the demographic characteristics of the sample surveyed, research design, measures, data collection processes and data analysis strategy.
Research Design The 2021 Community Attitudes Survey (2021 CAS) is a modified version of the 2016 Community Attitude Survey (2016 CAS) that answers the research question/sub-questions. The 2021 CAS has questions about sociodemographic of respondents on their postcode, gender, age, ethnicity, educational level, employment status, and annual household income. The survey also asks respondents about their perceptions of DV using close-ended questions (quantitative) and some selected open-ended questions (qualitative) about their knowledge of definition of domestic and family violence, its severity, and knowledge of gendered nature of domestic and family violence. The survey also identifies attitudes towards DV, particularly around power in relationships, rape and sexual assault to identify attitudes towards victim blaming, minimising DV and excusing perpetrator behaviours. The 2021 CAS also asks questions about how members of the Wagga Wagga community would respond to DV situations and if they have seen/heard/participated in any of theDVproject:2650 activities. The 2021 CAS questions reflect the Wagga Wagga local context to personalise the survey to them. The 2021 CAS was self-administered online, and survey link distributed by the Wagga Wagga City Council (Council) to target project sample number.
Perceptions of Wagga Wagga community members about DV For the purposes of data collection, a self-administered online survey was constructed to identify the perceptions of the Wagga Wagga community regarding domestic and family violence to answer the research sub-questions outlined under “research questions”. The survey comprised 20 questions that related to demographic details and DV definition, attitudes/beliefs, theDVproject:2650, and how participants would respond to DV (explained further under “measures for online survey”). The questions were replicated from the 2016 CAS. The online survey was pilot tested with members similar to the intended respondents, with the aim of ensuring content and design validity. After modifying and testing the online survey, it was administered to members of the Wagga Wagga community in NSW. The research questions, study participants, measures, pre-data collection procedures, field data collection procedures, challenges encountered in data collection and data analysis procedures are described below.
Research Questions/sub-questions • • • •
What is the understanding or knowledge of the Wagga Wagga community about domestic violence? What are the attitudes and beliefs that the Wagga Wagga community hold towards domestic violence? How have these attitudes and beliefs towards DV shifted or changed since 2016 as a result of theDVproject:2650? How would members of the Wagga Wagga community respond to domestic violence?
Participants for online survey It was planned at the outset that in order to obtain a representative sample, the online survey would target 1,050 members of the Wagga Wagga community. To compose the sampling frame, multiple organisations were contacted to assist in the dissemination of the survey link within their networks. Due to the snowballing of the survey dissemination, it was not possible to know how many individuals received the link. City-wide letter box distribution of the survey marketing material was also conducted, including villages in the Local Government Area.
Out of the total 1,286 individuals that logged onto the online survey; 1,268 partially completed and fully completed surveys were received from which 1,033 were coded and processed for data entry. From those that logged onto the survey 24 were disqualified as they were under 18 years old and 253 did not continue with completing the survey.
Measures for online survey This section describes the measures used in the study. Respondents’ socio-demographic information was collected on their postcode, gender, age, ethnic background, highest level of education, current occupation, and income level. For information on the categorisation of the variables see Appendix A. Open-ended questions throughout the survey allowed participants to share any additional information about their own experiences relating to DV.
Definition of DV Questions were posed about how respondents understand DV and its severity, that included physical violence, sexual coercion, threats, verbal abuse, power and control, financial abuse, harassment, and use of technology.
Attitudes on DV To gain an understanding of the perceptions of respondents on DV, questions were posed on common attitudes and beliefs towards DV and their level of agreement about them.
Response to DV Everyone has a responsibility to do something about DV including members of the community. To understand what actions individuals would take in DV situations, questions were asked about respondents’ reactions to different DV situations.
theDVproject:2650 theDVproject:2650 was established as a primary prevention project in Wagga Wagga given the lack of such initiatives in the community, where most DV responses focused on crisis responses and tertiary interventions. To ascertain the effectiveness of the primary prevention campaigns of this project, questions were asked about whether respondents had heard, seen, or participated in any of the campaigns or activities that constituted the theDVproject:2650.
Pre-data-collection procedures Procedures related to the construction of the online survey and pilot testing of the survey are presented here.
Description of Online survey The 2021 Community Attitudes survey mirrored the 2016 Community Attitudes survey with some very slight modifications to wording/language to give clarity to some questions. Two new questions about theDVproject:2650 were added to identify if respondents had heard/seen/participated in theDVproject:2650 and to identify how they had heard about some of the campaigns/activities of the project. Introductory Information Section An introductory information section (see Appendix A) was designed to inform participants about the study and allow them to make an informed decision about participating in the research. This included information on the survey aims, as well as on issues pertaining to confidentiality, anonymity, voluntary participation, informed consent, benefits of the research, and where to get help if needed. A mandatory question that required participants to check a box if they wished to proceed with the survey ensured only participants who provided consent could proceed. 2021 Community Attitudes on DV online survey Self-administered surveys play an important role in improving the response rate when investigating sensitive issues (Fink, 2006) and hence were appropriate for this investigation of DV. The survey lay-out was based on moving the respondent from the general to the specific, that is, from their demographic details through to items on each aspect of DV. The survey was divided into five areas (see Appendix A). First set of questions began by asking non-threatening information about the socio-demographic details of the participant. The next set of questions included questions
about understanding of DV and its severity. The questions that followed asked about attitudes and beliefs towards DV. The next set of questions asked about some possible responses towards DV situations. The final questions were specific to theDVproject:2650 participation and how respondents would have heard about the relevant campaigns/activities of the project. Pilot: Design validity After the draft online survey was finalised on Survey Monkey, it was sent to six (6) individuals for comprehensive feedback on design; asking them to evaluate the ease of navigation, flow, completion time, overall format, design of the survey and comprehensiveness of instructions. After a thorough examination of the feedback, the design of the survey was modified, certain sections reconstructed, and clearer instructions provided for each question. The time estimated to complete the questionnaire was 10 minutes depending on the amount of information respondents wished to share. The final survey was then activated online.
Field data collection procedures Following the assurance of integrity of the online survey from the pilot study, the survey link was sent to multiple organisations for the dissemination of the survey. The online survey remained active for six (6) weeks. By online survey closing date, 1,286 partially- and fully completed surveys were received. From the survey responses, 253 cases were deleted as either the participants were below 18 (24 participants) or decided not to complete (229 participants) the surveys. A final 1,033 surveys were utilised for final data analysis once cleaned and coded.
Reminders to encourage participation To boost the response rate, four follow-up social media posts were shared to encourage participation.
Limitations Though the study yielded extensive data, two main limitations need to be acknowledged. First, the sample size was adequate but may not have captured a representative view of the Wagga Wagga community (see Tables 1-6). The heterogeneity of individuals who had participated in theDVproject:2650 across Wagga Wagga may not have been captured. This may limit the generalisability of the effectiveness of theDVproject:2650. The generalisability of research findings may also be limited due to sample selection biases where those who had an interest in the topic would have been more interested in completing the survey. Second, the survey questions were limited to the 2016 CAS questions. Given the set of responses available to respondents, some questions may not have allowed for a nuanced response by participants. The 2021 quantitative data has been analysed to show any shifts as compared to 2016 CAS and in some cases shifts in attitudes couldn’t be clearly stated given the limitations on types of analysis being compared to. The survey was also targeted at the whole of community of Wagga Wagga, not necessarily engaging the same participants as the 2016 survey, making this difficult to gauge if there has been a true attitudinal shift within 2016 participants group due to the efforts of the project. Wagga Wagga is a large regional city and is a popular resettlement centre for refugees and arrivals from metropolitan areas seeking the lifestyle change that might not be exposed to the project activities.
Data analysis for quantitative survey Data analysis preparation and processing was conducted using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows versions 26. Data analysis processes included coding, recoding, data screening for errors (to prevent statistical analysis distortion), data cleaning, data modification, and data analysis (Coakes et al., 2009; Field, 2009; Hair et al., 2010; Pallant, 2020; Tabachnick & Fidell, 2007). In preparing the data for analysis, data files were imported from Survey Monkey. The data were then cleaned to identify errors in data entry for every variable and the survey was checked for errors using preliminary descriptive statistics. Some continuous variables were collapsed into categorical variables (example: employed/unemployed and educational level). However, it is acknowledged that collapsing continuous variables into categories may limit variability and thus the likelihood of finding significant results (Tabachnick & Fidell, 2007). The survey results are reported and discussed in five categories: • • • • •
sample demographics; knowledge of domestic violence; attitudes to domestic violence and gender equality; responses to domestic violence; and engagement with campaigns/interventions
Post stratification weighting was carried out for sex and age groups to ensure the results are representative of the Wagga Wagga community. Individual results for each question are reported, and where possible these are compared to figures from 2016. Furthermore, any significant differences between responses based on variables of interest such as age, sex, education level attained, and ethnicity are also provided. Logistic regressions and multinomial regressions were the techniques used to test statistical significance to decide if differences are likely to represent a real change rather than just being a random variation that can be found due to chance. Statistically significant results are identified in bold in relevant tables. Unless otherwise stated, only results that are statistically significant at the 95% level (p<.05) (Coakes et al., 2009; Field, 2009; Pallant, 2020) are reported in the text. Where a statistically significant difference was found, the magnitude of the difference was also provided. The results of all data analyses are presented in the next section. Sections on interpretation are included following the reporting of the quantitative findings. Findings are related to comparisons with the 2016 Community Attitudes survey report. The conclusion section in this report synthesises the results and implications of the survey results to the overall effectiveness of theDVproject:2650, highlighting where domestic violence prevention efforts are still necessary.
Survey Findings
2021 Survey Key Findings and Discussions Demographics of the sample A total of 1,033 residents in Wagga Wagga completed the paper (109) and online survey that measures attitudes towards Domestic and Family Violence. In combination with using a sample of convenience, participation of the survey was voluntary and as such respondents self-selected into the study. A sample of convenience and selfselection can lead to a misrepresentative sample, in terms of demographic factors including age, gender, ethnicity, education, employment status and income. To enhance the representativeness of the current sample, poststratification weighting was based on age and gender. Before weighting was applied, an overview of the sample composition is provided in terms of gender, age group, ethnicity, education, employment status and income with a comparison to the sample from 2016 (see Table 1 to 6). Consistent with the sample in 2016, the respondents to the survey in 2021 were predominately women with nearly 80% of the sample comprising of females. Table 1. Participants’ Identified Gender in Wagga Wagga from 2016 to 2021 Survey participants 2021
Survey participants 2016
Frequency
(%)
Frequency
(%)
Female
816
79.0
795
73.2
Male
210
20.3
286
26.3
Other/refused
7
0.7
5
0.25
Total
1033
100.0
1086
100.0
Figure 1: 2021 Survey sample participants according to gender
Other/refused 1% Male 20%
Female 79%
Participants were grouped according to their age, to provide consistency in analysis from 2016 to 2021. Participants from Wagga Wagga were grouped into the following age categories: 18 to 24, 25 to 39, 40 to 55, and 56 and above. As we can see in Table 2 below, the age group composition of our sample in 2021 looks slightly different than in 2016. In 2021, fewer younger residents completed the survey (18 to 24), and more older residents participated (56 and over). We still have the largest proportion of residents in the middle-age groups. Table 2. Age group of participants in Wagga Wagga from 2016 to 2021
18 to 24 years
Survey participants 2021
Survey participants 2016
Frequency
(%)
Frequency
(%)
97
9.4
151
14.0
25 to 39 years
351
34.0
364
33.6
40 to 55 years
365
25.3
314
29.0
56 years & over
220
21.3
253
12.4
Total
1036
100.0
1076
100.0
Figure 2: 2021 Survey sample participants according to age
56+ years 21%
18-24 years 10%
25-39 years 34% 40-55 years 35%
The ethnicity composition of the 2021 sample of Wagga Wagga residents is consistent with the sample obtained in 2016 (see Table 3). We see that over 80% of the sample consists of Anglo-Saxon ethnicities (e.g., Caucasian, English, European, Australian, American, etc), Australian Torres Straight Islanders (ATSI), Asian, African, and Other (Middle Eastern, Latin American, and Pacific Islanders). However, due to the low level of respondents identifying as Asian and African, these two ethnicities were combined into the Other ethnicity category for analysis. Table 3. Ethnicity breakdown of the sample Survey participants 2021
Survey participants 2016
Frequency
(%)
Frequency
(%)
Anglo-Saxon
892
86.4
956
88.0
ATSI
57
5.5
41
3.8
Asian
25
2.4
20
1.9
African
7
0.7
4
0.4
Other
20
1.9
18
1.7
The education level of residents in 2021 saw fewer respondents that indicated primary school and high school were their highest levels of educational achievement, and more residents with a university education, than in 2016. With the increasing accessibility to university education, through acceptance, and online degrees this shift is unsurprising in the current climate of Australia. Also, the low levels from a primary school education only be a resultant from the survey consisting of 4 pages of extensive written questions which could act as a barrier/deterrent for those with literacy issues that could arise from only having primary school education. For the purpose of further analysis, the three lowest education levels (e.g., primary school, year 10 or below, and year 12) were combined into one category; high school. Table 4. Highest educational level attained.
Survey participants 2021
Survey participants 2016
Frequency
(%)
Frequency
(%)
Primary school
1
0.1
6
0.6
Year 10 or below
94
9.1
146
13.5
Year 12
117
11.3
175
16.2
Trade/apprenticeship/TAFE/technic al
298
28.8
298
27.5
University
523
50.6
445
41.1
Other
-
-
13
1.2
Total
1033
100.0
1083
100.0
Figure 3: 2021 Survey sample participants according to education level
High School 20%
As
University 51%
can be seen in Table 5, the employed status of TAFE/Trade residents was very 29% similar between 2016 and 2021. There were slightly more residents that reported they were retired in 2016 than in 2021, however, this could simply be due to chance fluctuations. For analysis we grouped the unemployed, engagement in home duties, student, retired, and unable to work into the one category of unemployed/not employed. While the employed (fulltime or part-time) formed the other category of employed. Table 5. Employment status of respondents
Survey participants 2021
Survey participants 2016
Frequency
(%)
Frequency
(%)
Employed (F/T or P/T)
793
76.8
800
74.1
Unemployed
45
4.4
50
4.6
Engaged in home duties
48
4.6
37
3.4
Student
49
4.7
60
5.6
Retired
80
7.7
103
9.5
Unable to work
18
1.7
29
2.7
Total
1033
100.0
1084
100.0
Figure 4: 2021 Survey sample participants according to employment status
Unemployed 23%
Employed 77%
In the sample of residents from Wagga Wagga there was similar proportions across the four income brackets with those earning $51-$100,000 being the most common among the community (see Table 6). This distribution is similar to that found in the sample of 2016. However, limited comparisons can be made between 2016 and 2021 as the two surveys had different response options. In 2021, respondents did not have the options of prefer not to say and refused, which 11.9% of the sample selected in 2016. However, the trend was similar, with the highest income bracket having the lowest proportion of residents selecting, and $51-$100k having the highest proportion of respondents.
Table 6. Total household income Survey participants 2021
Survey participants 2016
Frequency
(%)
Frequency
(%)
$50K and under
252
24.4
308
28.4
$51-100K
352
34.1
334
30.8
$101-150K
220
21.3
201
18.5
$150K & above
209
20.2
114
10.5
Prefer not to say
-
-
117
10.8
Refused
-
-
12
1.1
Total
1033
100.0
1086
100.0
Figure 5: 2021 Survey sample participants according to income
$150,000 and above
$50,000 and under
Between $101,000 and $150,000 Between $51,000 and $100,000
Overall, the sample from 2021 shows multiple similarities to the sample obtained in 2016. We still saw that the sample mostly comprised of females, Anglo-Saxons, employed residents, and high levels of education. However, we need to be mindful of a potential self-selection bias in the sample, with those who have an interest in domestic violence self-selecting into the study. This can potentially be seen with our over sampling of females, as domestic violence is often a gendered issue. As such, caution needs to be used when interpreting the findings.
Community knowledge of domestic violence Recognising behaviours as domestic violence is an important step in addressing domestic violence in the community and in finding it unacceptable (Gracia & Herrero, 2006). From 2016 to 2021, knowledge of what behaviours constitute domestic violence has increased (refer to Figure 6). Specifically, knowledge of domestic violence increased for three of the nine domestic violence behaviours: controlling social life, denying access to money, and tracking a partner. Residents in 2021 were 1.6 times more likely to agree that controlling social life is a form of domestic violence than in 2016. Similarly, residents in 2021 were 1.6 times more likely to agree that denying access to money was a form of domestic violence. Finally, 2021 respondents were 1.7 times more likely to agree tracking a partner is a form of domestic violence than they did in 2016. The increased knowledge of domestic violence from 2016 to 2021 resulted in 8 of the 9 behaviours receiving acknowledgement above 90%, compared to only 5 of the 9 behaviours in 2016. Figure 6. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population) who agree that the specified behaviours are considered forms of domestic violence.
Gender To identify which sub-groups of the community are better at identifying domestic violence behaviours, analyses were run comparing genders, age-groups, ethnicities, education levels, employment status, and income levels. After controlling for all of the demographic factors, differences were found between male and female residents on what behaviours are considered to be domestic violence. As can be seen in Table 7, females and males had similar levels of agreement on a behaviour being an example of domestic violence for only one of the nine behaviours (refer to Table 7). Specifically, males and females have an equal level of agreement that slaps or pushes is a form of domestic violence. For the remaining six behaviours, female residents in Wagga Wagga are more likely to agree a behaviour is domestic violence than males. Specifically, females are 2.3 times more likely to agree that forcing a partner to have sex is domestic violence, than males. Females are 3.1 times more likely to agree than males that threatening violence to others, and 2.9 times more likely to agree throwing or smashing objects, are examples of domestic violence. Additionally, females in Wagga Wagga are 1.7 times more likely to agree repeated criticism, 2.3 times more likely to agree controlling social life, and 2.2 times more likely to agree denying access to money, are forms of domestic violence than males. Finally, females are 1.9 times more likely to agree tracking a partner, and 2.5 times more likely to agree harassment by messages, are forms of domestic violence than males in Wagga Wagga. Table 7. Percentage of residents in Wagga Wagga in 2021 who agree that the following behaviours are considered forms of domestic violence, separated by gender. Behaviour
Males %
Females %
Significant Difference
Slaps/pushes to cause harm and fear
97.7
98.3
No
Forces partner to have sex*
90.1
95.4
Yes
Tries to scare/control partner by threatening to hurt others*
92.4
97.2
Yes
Throws/smashes objects to frighten/threaten*
93.2
97.2
Yes
Repeatedly criticises to make partner feel bad/useless*
79.2
86.9
Yes
Control social life by preventing partner seeing family and friends*
90.9
95.9
Yes
Tries to control by denying partner access to money*
89.9
94.8
Yes
Tracking partner’s movements/calls/activities*
91.8
95.0
Yes
Harasses by repeated phone calls/email/text messages*
90.7
95.9
Yes
Note: *indicates a significant difference
Age For one third of the domestic violence behaviours the older residents were more likely to agree that these behaviours were a form of domestic violence. For example, those aged 55 and over were 2.8 to state that forcing a partner to have sex is a form of domestic violence than those aged between 18-24. When it comes to repeated criticism, 40-54 years (84%) were 2.1 more likely to believe this is a form of domestic violence, while 55+ (91.4%) were 6.8 more likely to agree it is domestic violence, than 18-24 years old residents in Wagga Wagga (67.6%).
Ethnicity Across the different ethnicity groups in Wagga Wagga, there were significant different levels of knowledge on what behaviours constitute domestic violence. Significant differences were found between the groups on six of the nine examples of domestic violence (see Table 8). For example, Anglo-Saxon residents were 7.3 times more likely to agree slaps or pushes are an example of domestic violence, than individual who identify as Other. The AngloSaxon residents were only 4.3 more likely to agree forcing a partner to have sex, 4.9 times more likely to agree threatening violence to others, and 2.6 times more likely to agree repeated criticism, are forms of domestic violence than residents with an “Other” ethnicity. When it comes to tracking a partner, Anglo-Saxons are 3.9 time more likely to agree this is domestic violence than the Other ethnicities, while ATSI residents were 8.7 times more likely to agree it is a form of domestic violence than Other ethnicities. Finally, for the behaviour of harassment by messages, Anglo-Saxon residents were 4.2 times more likely to agree it is domestic violence than Other.
Education In 2021, education levels of residents in Wagga Wagga had a minimal effect on knowledge of domestic violence behaviours. The only difference between the education groups was for repeated criticism. Residents who went to TAFE/Trade school (90.1%) were 2.6 times more likely than residents with a high school education (75.5%) to agree repeated criticism is an example of domestic violence.
Table 8. Percentage of residents in Wagga Wagga in 2021 who agree that the following behaviours are considered forms of domestic violence, separated by ethnicity. Behaviour
AngloSaxon %
ATSI%
Other %
Significant Difference
Slaps/pushes to cause harm and fear*
98.2
100.0
94.2
Yes
Forces partner to have sex*
94.9
82.0
77.4
Yes
Tries to scare/control partner by threatening to hurt others
96.1
88.5
81.1
Yes
Throws/smashes objects to frighten/threaten
95.7
91.8
92.5
No
Repeatedly criticises to make partner feel bad/useless*
86.2
66.7
60.4
Yes
Control social life by preventing partner seeing family and friends
94.8
86.9
86.8
No
Tries to control by denying partner access to money
93.2
91.8
84.9
No
Tracking partner’s movements/calls/activities*
94.3
93.4
77.4
Yes
Harasses by repeated phone calls/email/text messages*
95.3
82.0
79.2
Yes
Note: *indicates a significant difference
Employment Knowledge of domestic violence behaviours differed significantly between residents who are currently employed and residents who were not currently in the workforce (i.e., unemployed) due to either studying, taking on home duties, retirement, along with other reasons. Across the nine examples of domestic violence, employed and unemployed residents had similar levels of agreement for three of the nine behaviours: slaps or pushes, throwing or smashing objects, and denying access to money (see Table 9). Residents that were employed in 2021 were 2.1 times more likely to agree forcing a partner to have sex is domestic violence than residents who were unemployed. Employed residents were 3 times more likely to agree threatening violence to others, 2.5 times more likely to agree repeated criticism, and 2.4 times more likely for controlling social life, are examples of domestic violence. In addition, the currently employed are 3.1 times more likely to view tracking a partner, and 3.3 more likely to view harassment by messages, as domestic violence behaviours. Table 9. Percentage of residents in Wagga Wagga in 2021 who agree that the following behaviours are considered forms of domestic violence, separated by employment status. Behaviour
Employed %
Unemployed %
Significant Difference
Slaps/pushes to cause harm and fear
98.6
96.3
No
Forces partner to have sex*
94.5
88.9
Yes
Tries to scare/control partner by threatening to hurt others*
96.3
91.6
Yes
Throws/smashes objects to frighten/threaten
95.3
95.3
No
Repeatedly criticises to make partner feel bad/useless*
84.8
79.3
Yes
Control social life by preventing partner seeing family and friends*
94.8
90.5
Yes
Tries to control by denying partner access to money
93.6
90.2
No
Tracking partner’s movements/calls/activities*
94.5
90.9
Yes
Harasses by repeated phone calls/email/text messages*
94.9
89.5
Yes
Note: *indicates a significant difference
Income Individuals who earn between $51k - $100k (98%) were 4.5 times more likely to agree throwing or smashing objects is a form of domestic violence than residents earning $50k or less (92.2%). Conversely, residents earning between $50k and under (83.7%) were 2.1 times more likely to agree than those earning $51k-$100k (81.3%) that repeated criticism is a form of domestic violence.
Comments & Recommendations • •
Females are more likely to identify abusive DV behaviours and education & socio-economic status plays a role in identifying more complex forms of DV behaviours that have social/financial consequences. Further efforts need to be exerted with males, younger people, ATSI and other ethnicities, and those from lower socio-economic status and education in identifying abusive DV behaviours.
Attitudes towards domestic violence Minimising domestic violence Minimizing the impact of domestic violence can be harmful for those experiencing domestic violence and reducing domestic violence in the community (Pennay & Powell, 2012). Therefore, we explore the attitudes Wagga Wagga residents have towards the seriousness of domestic violence behaviours. The figure below represents the level of agreement (as percentages of the survey population) that the behaviours of domestic violence are serious from 2016 to 2021 in Wagga Wagga. As can be seen in figure 7, rates of agreement on the seriousness of each of the behaviours of domestic violence have stayed consistently high from 2016 to 2021. However, there very few increases in attitudes towards the seriousness of domestic violence. The only increase in awareness from 2016 to 2021 was for controlling access to money. Respondents in 2021 were 1.6 times more likely to agree controlling access to money is a serious form of domestic violence than respondents of 2016. Figure 7. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population) who agree that the specified behaviours of domestic violence are serious.
Gender After controlling for all demographic factors collected in the survey, males and females in Wagga Wagga in 2021 significantly differed on their agreement on the seriousness of all the domestic violence behaviours (see table 10). Overall, women were more likely to agree the domestic violence behaviours are serious than the men in the sample. Females were 4.2 times more likely to agree that slaps or pushes is serious than males. Females were also 3.6 times more likely to agree forcing a partner to have sex is serious, 10.1 times more likely to agree threatening violence to others is serious, and 5.0 times more likely to say throwing or smashing objects is serious compared to the males in the sample. It was also found that females were 2.4 times likely to agree repeated criticism is serious, 4.8 times more likely to agree controlling social life, and 6.9 times more likely to agree denying access to finances are serious compared to males. Finally, females and males also differed on tracking a partner and harassment by messages, with females 5.1 times more likely to agree tracking a partner is serious and 5.7 times more likely harassment by messages are serious than males in Wagga Wagga. Table 10. Percentage of residents in Wagga Wagga in 2021 who agree that the following domestic violence behaviours are serious, separated by gender.
Behaviour
Males %
Females %
Significant Difference
Slaps/pushes to cause harm and fear*
98.1
99.4
Yes
Forces partner to have sex*
93.0
97.6
Yes
Tries to scare/control partner by threatening to hurt others*
97.9
99.6
Yes
Throws/smashes objects to frighten/threaten* 5.0
81.9
91.1
Yes
Repeatedly criticises to make partner feel bad/useless*
93.8
98.5
Yes
Control social life by preventing partner seeing family and friends*
93.8
98.5
Yes
Tries to control by denying partner access to money*
90.9
98.3
Yes
Tracking partner’s movements/calls/activities*
90.7
98.3
Yes
Harasses by repeated phone calls/email/text messages*
91.8
98.2
Yes
Note: *indicates a significant difference
Age As can be seen in table 11, attitudes towards the seriousness of domestic violence behaviours differed across the age-groups in the Wagga Wagga community in 2021. The age-groups only agreed on the seriousness of the domestic violence for three of the nine behaviours: slaps or pushes, tracking a partner, and harassment by messages. When it came to forcing a partner to have sex, 18 to 24 year old were 12.2 times more likely to agree this behaviour is serious than 40 to 55 years old’s, while over 55 residents were 7.1 times more likely to agree this behaviour is serious than 40 to 55 year old residents. For the behaviours threatening violence to others and throwing or smashing objects, residents aged over 55 were more likely to agree they are serious than residents aged between 40 and 55. Specifically over 55’s were 17.7 times more likely to agree threatening violence to others and 3.1 times more likely to agree throwing or smashing objects is serious. Consistent with the trend that older residents are more likely to agree domestic violence behaviours are serious, over 55s were 2.8 times more likely to agree repeated criticism is serious than 25 to 39 year old. Additionally, 25 to 39 year old residents were 4.9 times more likely to agree denying access to money is serious than 18 to 24 year old residents. For the final behaviour age of controlling social life, younger residents were more likely to agree the behaviour is serious with those aged between 18 to 24 being 15.1 times more likely to agree than those aged between 40 and 55, and residents aged 25 to 39 are 3.8 times more likely to agree than residents aged 40 to 55.
Table 11. Percentage of residents in Wagga Wagga in 2021 who agree that the following domestic violence behaviours are serious, separated by age group. Behaviour
18-24
25-39
40-55
56+ %
Significant Difference
%
%
%
Slaps/pushes to cause harm and fear
99.3
100
98.4
98.1
No
Forces partner to have sex*
99.3
93.1
92.0
97.9
Yes
Tries to scare/control partner by threatening to hurt others*
99.3
99.2
97.6
99.2
Yes
Throws/smashes objects to frighten/threaten*
95.8
96.9
94.4
97.1
Yes
Repeatedly criticises to make partner feel bad/useless*
77.8
85.3
85.6
91.9
Yes
Control social life by preventing partner seeing family and friends*
99.3
98.5
94.0
95.4
Yes
Tries to control by denying partner access to money*
90.3
96.9
94.0
95.4
Yes
Tracking partner’s movements/calls/activities
95.1
96.9
92.8
95.4
No
Harasses by repeated phone calls/email/text messages
96.5
93.1
94.8
95.2
No
Note: *indicates a significant difference
Ethnicity In 2021, few differences were found between people from different ethnicities in Wagga Wagga on the seriousness on domestic violence behaviours. ATSI residents (91.8%) were 3.7 times more likely to agree repeated criticism is serious than those who are from Other ethnicities (81.1%). Significant differences were also found for tracking a partner. ATSI residents (98.4%) were 15 times more likely while Anglo-Saxon (95.8%) were 2.7 times more likely than those from Other ethnicities, to agree that tracking a partner is serious.
Education The education level of residents in Wagga Wagga made little difference on their attitudes towards domestic violence behaviours. Residents who studied to high school, at TAFE or Trade school, or at university had similar views on the seriousness of domestic violence for 7 out of the 9 behaviours. The two behaviours where significant differences were found were for repeated criticism and tracking a partner. For example, residents who went to TAFE or Trade school (90.8%) were 1.9 times more likely to state that repeated criticism is serious compared to residents with a high school education (82.1%). Additionally, those who with a high school education (95.0%) 8 times more likely to agree that tracking a partner is a serious form of domestic violence than individuals with a university education (93.5%).
Employment and Income Consistent with ethnicity and education, a resident’s employment status and income level made minimal difference on the likelihood of a resident agreeing a domestic violence behaviour is serious. Employment status differences were only found for forcing a partner to have sex and threatening violence to others. Income level on the other hand was only important for tracking a partner and harassment by messages. Residents employed (95.8% and 99.2%, respectively) at the time of the survey in 2021 were 5.3 times more likely to agree forcing a partner to have sex is serious, and 18.4 times more likely to agree threatening violence to others is serious than residents that were not employed in Wagga Wagga at the time of the survey (94.9% and 98%, respectively). When it came to income level and attitudes towards the seriousness of domestic violence, residents earning between $51,000 and $100,000 (96.8%) were 3.4 times more likely to agree harassment by messages than those earning $50,000 and under (93.2%). Similarly, residents in the higher income brackets were more likely to agree tracking a partner is a serious domestic violence behaviour. Specifically, those earning between $51,000 and $100,000 (98.3%) were 5.8 time more likely to agree tracking a partner is serious than those earning $50,000 or less (92.9%), while those earning $101,000 to $150,000 (95.1%) were 2.9 times more likely to agree this behaviour is serious than those earning $50,000 or less. Overall, the higher income brackets were more likely to agree a domestic violence behaviour is serious compared to the lowest income bracket.
Comments & Recommendations •
•
Females, ATSI, and older people are more likely to identify severity of DV. When DV impacts the physical person and their social life, young people would consider it as serious. Education and socio-economic status have a role in recognition of more sophisticated types of DV and its consequences. Further efforts need to be exerted with males, other ethnicities, and those with lower education/socioeconomic statuses in recognising DV behaviour seriousness.
Justifying domestic violence against current/former partner Justifications of violence against partners foster a culture of entitlement, assertion of authority, and a means of punishment when perceived gender role expectations are transgressed (Webster et al., 2018). Few residents in Wagga Wagga agreed with the various justifications a partner may use domestic violence in their relationship. Approximately 3 to 4 residents out of every 100 agreed there was a justification for domestic violence (see figure 8). These levels of agreement have not significantly dropped from 2016 to 2021 among the residents in the Wagga Wagga community. The justification that got the highest level of agreement in 2021 was for a partner to get access to get to their children, while in 2016 it was that their partner had sex with someone else. The justification with the least amount of support in 2021 and 2016 was if a partner is ending or trying to end a relationship.
Gender In 2021 there were discrepancies between males and females on the circumstances in which domestic violence can be justified. Males in Wagga Wagga (6.0%) were 5 times more likely to agree that had sex with someone else is a reasonable justification for engaging in domestic violence behaviours than females in Wagga Wagga (1.3%). Additionally, males (5.6%) were also 4.9 times more likely to agree that domestic violence if justified if the perpetrator is made to look stupid, than females (1.3%). For the remaining three justifications, males and females had similarly low levels of agreement.
Figure 8. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population) that identify the circumstances residents believe domestic violence can be justified.
Age A worrying trend with respect to age is the result that the youngest respondents were more likely to justify use of violence (see Table 12). For example, residents aged 18 to 24 were 12 times more likely to state domestic violence is justifiable if the partner had sex with someone else compared to residents aged over 55, while those aged 25 to 39 were 13.8 times more likely to justify, and 40- to 55-year-old residents were 5.6 times more likely to justify the
domestic violence than over 55 year old. When domestic violence is used to get access to children, residents aged 18 to 24 are 4.6 times more likely to state it is justified than over the age of 55, and residents aged 25 to 39 were 3.7 to state is justified than over 55s. Table 12. Percentage of residents in Wagga Wagga in 2021 who state that the following circumstances justify domestic violence, separated by age group. 18-24 %
25-39 %
40-55 %
56+ %
Significant Difference
Partner admits to sex with another man*
8.3
5.8
2.4
0.8
Yes
Partner makes him look stupid or insults him in front of friends
10.4
3.1
2.8
1.1
No
Partner ends or tries to end relationship
6.3
2.7
3.6
1.3
No
Against ex-partner to get access to children*
11.8
3.9
4.4
1.3
Yes
If ex-partner is unreasonable about property settlement and financial issues*
8.3
1.9
3.6
1.9
Yes
Note: *indicates a significant difference
Ethnicity Ethnicity was very important when it came to justifying domestic violence. The ATSI and Other ethnicities were more likely to agree that there were some circumstances in which domestic violence was justified more than AngloSaxons in the Wagga Wagga community (see Table 13). We found that residents of the Other ethnicities were 6.1 times more likely than Anglo-Saxons to state that domestic violence can be justified if the partner had sex with someone else. When it came to the circumstance of making the perpetrator look stupid, ATSI residents were 17.2 times more likely to agree it was justifiable, and Other were 6.2 times more likely to agree it was justified than Anglo-Saxon respondents. If a partner is ending a relationship, ATSI members of the community were 4.7 times more likely to state that this is a justifiable circumstance for domestic violence than Anglo-Saxon member, and Other ethnicities were 5.0 times more likely to state domestic violence was justifiable than Anglo-Saxons. Residents of the ATSI ethnicity were 3.7 times more likely to state domestic violence was justifiable to get access to children and 5.8 times more likely for unreasonableness over financial and property issues, than for the Anglo-Saxon ethnicities. Finally, the Other ethnicities were 4.9 times more likely to state domestic violence was justifiable when the partner was being unreasonable over financial and property issues than Anglo-Saxon ethnicities. Table 13. Percentage of residents in Wagga Wagga in 2021 who state that the following circumstances justify domestic violence, separated by ethnicity. AngloSaxon %
ATSI %
Other %
Significant Difference
Partner admits to sex with another man*
2.2
14.8
17.0
Yes
Partner makes him look stupid or insults him in front of friends*
1.3
31.1
9.4
Yes
Partner ends or tries to end relationship*
1.7
14.8
9.4
Yes
Against ex-partner to get access to children*
2.6
21.3
9.4
Yes
If ex-partner is unreasonable about property settlement and financial issues*
1.6
18.0
9.4
Yes
Note: *indicates a significant difference
Employment Differences on which circumstances domestic violence can be justified were found for the employment status of residents. There were two circumstances in which employed residents and unemployed residents differed: had sex with someone else, and unreasonableness in property and financial issues. Residents unemployed (2.9%) at
the time of the survey were 5.4 times more likely to state that domestic violence can be justified if the partner had sex with someone else than employed residents (5.4%). Unemployed residents (7.5%) were also 4.8 times more likely to justify domestic violence due to unreasonableness in property and financial issues than employed residents (1.4%).
Education and Income The education level and income level of residents in Wagga Wagga had very little impact on the justification of domestic violence. The only difference on the justifications found for education level, after controlling for gender, age, education, ethnicity, and employment status, was for ending a relationship. Residents whose highest level of education was to high school (5.0%) were 5.1 times more likely to state that domestic violence can be justified if a partner is ending a relationship than residents who had studied at TAFE or Trade School (1.0%). The only difference between income levels on the circumstances in which domestic violence can be justified was for getting access to children. Residents earning over $150,000 (4.5%) were 3.3 times more likely to state that domestic violence can be justified if to get access to their children, than residents earning between $51,000 and $100,000 (2.3%).
Comments & Recommendations •
More work is required with younger people, ATSI, other ethnicities, and unemployed as they are more likely to justify use of violence particularly if there is a greater likelihood of losing financially or in the longer run.
Beliefs about perpetrators of domestic violence It is imperative that community have an understanding of the gendered nature of domestic violence, its nature, severity and dynamics (WWHC, 2017). An increased understanding of male perpetrator enforcing power to control and manipulate a partner influences how people respond to domestic violence (Wagga Women's Health Centre (WWHC), 2017). Beliefs on who the main perpetrator of violence is, in terms of gender, has remained consistent between 2016 and 2021 (see Figure 9). Specifically, no significant differences were found from 2016 to 2021. In both years’ residents overwhelmingly state that men or mostly men are the perpetrators of domestic violence, with around 8 out of 10 residents choosing this option. In contrast very few residents believe that the main perpetrators of domestic violence are women or mostly women with less than 5% of the population agreeing with this option. Refer to Table 14 for a breakdown of responding across the various demographic groups in Wagga Wagga in 2021.
Gender Females identified the perpetrator of domestic violence as men/mostly men compared to women/mostly women 3.8 times more than males in Wagga Wagga. No difference was found between response options of equally and women/mainly women for gender.
Ethnicity Differences were found across the ethnicity groups in the Wagga Wagga community. The odds of Anglo-Saxon agree the perpetrator of domestic violence are men/mostly men compared to women/mostly women are 4.5 times likely than ATSI residents.
Employment Employed residents in Wagga Wagga in 2021 are more likely (5.1 times) to report that perpetrators of domestic violence can be equally men and women compared to women/mostly women than unemployed residents.
Figure 9. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population) reporting who they think the main perpetrator of domestic violence is.
Age, Education, and Income Age, education level, and income level did not contribute to residents’ views on who the main perpetrator of violence is. That is, there were no differences between the age groups on who they believe men/mostly men are more likely to be perpetrators than women/mostly women, or equally men and women versus women/mostly women.
Comments & Recommendations •
Wagga community mostly believe men are perpetrators of DV. However, some work is required to understand why ATSI and employed believe otherwise; particularly with employed who believe that both men and women are as likely to perpetrate DV.
Table 14. Percentage of residents in Wagga Wagga in 2021 identifying who they believe the main perpetrator is, separated by gender, age, ethnicity, education, employment, and income. Men/mostly men %
Women/mostly women %
Equal %
Gender*
Significant Difference Yes
Males
77.0
4.3
18.7
Females
88.3
1.5
10.2
Age
No
18-24
71.5
6.3
22.2
25-39
80.0
1.5
18.5
40-55
83.2
2.8
14.0
55+
89.0
2.4
8.6
Ethnicity*
Yes
Anglo-Saxon
86.3
2.3
11.4
ATSI
54.1
11.5
34.4
Other
65.4
0.0
34.6
Education*
Yes
High school
69.3
5.8
24.9
TAFE/Trade
82.5
1.7
15.8
University
90.8
1.9
7.3
Employment*
Yes
Employed
83.3
1.8
14.9
Unemployed
82.4
5.1
12.5
Income
No
Less than $50,000
78.6
4.1
17.3
$51,000 - $100,000
81.8
2.6
15.6
$101,000 - $150,000
87.9
1.6
10.4
$150,00+
87.6
2.0
10.4
Main reason why women stay in violent relationships The understanding of why women stay in domestic violent relationships has not changed in the past 5 years in Wagga Wagga (see Figure 10). Approximately 1 in 10 residents still report they do not know why women stay. Encouragingly there are still low levels of agreement that women choose to stay and that they can leave when they want. That is, approximately 2 to 3 residents in 100 believe that women stay out of choice, rather than understanding there are a myriad of reasons why women feel they need to stay or have to stay out of safety from further violence. Refer to Table 15 for a breakdown of responding across the various demographic groups in Wagga Wagga in 2021.
Figure 10. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements about the main reason why women stay in violent relationships.
Gender Among the respondents in Wagga Wagga, females were more likely to agree that women stay in domestic violence relationships due to shame/limited support/keeping family together/increasing violence than agreeing that they choose to stay/can leave if they want, 5.9 times more than males.
Age Age had a limited impact on why residents think individuals of domestic violence stay in their violent relationships. The only difference was found between residents aged 40-55 and 55 and older. Specifically, those aged between 40 to 55 were 6.4 times more likely to state they don’t know why women stay compared to stating they believe they choose stay/can leave if they want, than residents aged over 55. No other age differences on perceptions of why individuals remain in violent relationships exist in the sample of Wagga Wagga residents.
Ethnicity A large difference was found between ATSI residents and Other ethnicity residents in Wagga Wagga responded to why women stay in violent relationships. Those with an ethnicity of Other state they don’t know why women stay in violent relationships versus they choose stay/can leave is 29.4 times likely than ATSI.
Income Consistent with age, income had a minimal impact of perceptions of why individuals stay in violent relationships. The only difference found was between individuals earning below $50,000 and individuals earning above $150,000. The odds of individuals earning below $50,000 agreeing they don’t know why they stay compared to they choose to stay, is 11.1 more likely than individuals earning above $150,000. No other differences between found between the income levels.
Education and Employment Education level and employment status did not impact why residents believe individuals stay in domestic violence relationships.
Comments & Recommendations • •
Most people in Wagga Wagga understand the myriad of reasons why women stay in abusive relationships. Some work however is required with males, other ethnicities, and lower income earners about why women stay in abusive relationships.
Table 15. Percentage of residents in Wagga Wagga in 2021 identifying what they believe is the main reason women stay in violent relationships, separated by gender, age, ethnicity, education, employment, and income. Shame/limited support/keeping family together/increasing violence
They choose to stay/they can leave if they want %
Don’t know %
Significant Difference
% Gender*
Yes
Males
80.6
4.1
15.3
Females
94.6
0.7
4.6
Age*
Yes
18-24
87.5
6.3
6.3
25-39
92.3
1.2
6.5
40-55
86.0
0.8
13.2
55+
86.1
2.9
11.0
Ethnicity*
Yes
Anglo-Saxon
89.5
1.8
8.6
ATSI
85.2
9.8
4.9
Other
67.9
5.7
26.4
Education
No
High school
83.7
4.3
12.1
TAFE/Trade
90.1
1.0
8.9
University
88.6
2.4
9.0
Employed
89.3
1.6
9.0
Unemployed
84.7
4.1
11.2
Employment
No
Income*
Yes
Less than $50,000
90.5
2.0
7.5
$51,000 $100,000
87.3
2.9
9.8
$101,000 $150,000
90.1
1.1
8.8
$150,00+
83.1
3.0
13.9
Perceived main cause of domestic violence Domestic violence behaviour can be a result of a myriad of factors, with the most commonly reported reasons provided as an option in the latest survey completed by the respondents in 2021. Understanding why domestic violence behaviours occur is important in preventing the behaviours occurring again, through appropriate and targeted intervention strategies and programs (WWHC, 2017; Webster et al., 2018). Of significance was the growing understanding of the main cause of domestic violence in 2021 compared to 2016. Some of the significant positive changes in the Wagga Wagga community’s understanding is that residents in 2021 are 3.8 times more likely to state that men were not able to manage anger over men being under stress than residents in 2016. This change resulted in 4 in 10 residents stating the main cause of domestic violence is lack of control over anger in 2021, compared to 3 in 10 in 2016 (see figure 11). There was also an increase in understanding of the main cause of domestic violence behaviours from 2016 to 2021. The odds of residents stating they don’t know the main cause compared to men being under stress is 3.1 times more likely for residents in 2021 than for residents in 2016. Finally, residents in 2021 were 2.6 times more likely to believe the main cause of domestic violence is maintain power and control more than men being under stress than residents in 2016. This pattern of responding for the 2021 respondents compared to 2016 highlights the positive shift in community understanding about the contributing factors of domestic violence behaviours. Figure 11. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements about the main cause of domestic violence.
The residents’ personal demographics had very little impact on their perceptions of what the main cause if for men engaging in domestic violence behaviours (see table 16). The only differences were found for gender and a minimal difference for age group. In 2021, the odds that female residents in Wagga Wagga report that the main cause of domestic violence was a cause of trying to maintain power or control rather than due to stress is 3.1 times more likely than for males. In terms of age, residents in the age group 25 to 39 are 6.4 times more likely to state the main cause is due to other reasons than due to stress than residents aged 56 and over.
Table 16. Percentage of residents in Wagga Wagga in 2021 identifying what they believe is the main cause of domestic violence, separated by gender, age, ethnicity, education, employment, and income. Can’t manage anger
Under stress %
Maintain power and control %
Don’t know %
Other %
Significant Difference
% Gender*
Yes
Males
40.2
2.9
19.2
21.0
16.7
Females
32.0
1.8
47.0
10.2
9.1
Age*
Yes
18-24
43.4
1.4
29.7
9.7
15.9
25-39
32.8
0.8
32.4
16.6
17.4
40-55
31.2
4.4
35.2
16.8
12.4
55+
38.1
2.4
35.4
15.5
8.6
Ethnicity
No
Anglo-Saxon
34.9
2.3
35.5
15.1
12.2
ATSI
54.1
0.0
26.2
4.9
14.8
Other
35.2
3.7
24.1
22.2
14.8
Education
No
High school
42.8
3.1
28.8
12.5
12.8
TAFE/Trade
34.4
2.3
31.5
15.6
16.2
University
32.9
1.9
38.3
16.6
10.3
Employment
No
Employed
33.3
1.9
34.2
16.6
14.0
Unemployed
41.9
3.4
32.8
12.2
9.8
Income
No
Less than $50,000
38.0
1.4
35.9
10.5
14.2
$51,000 - $100,000
33.4
3.2
33.7
15.0
14.7
$101,000 - $150,000
37.2
2.2
33.9
16.9
9.8
$150,00+
35.3
2.0
31.3
21.4
10.0
Comments & Recommendations •
On a positive, power and control is predominantly recognised as a primary reason for DV and there is less excusing of DV due to anger/stress in men.
Understanding of the law In countries where the law condemns domestic violence behaviours influenced by social norms, a greater protection is afforded to women’s rights and their safety, thereby reducing violence supportive attitudes (Lewis et al., 2001). The percentage of residents that agree with the statements exploring the understanding of the law of domestic violence have significantly decreased from 2016 to 2021 (see table 17). Residents who responded to the survey in 2016 were 6.3 times more likely to agree that domestic violence is a criminal offence than the residents who responded in 2021. Conversely, residents who responded in 2016 were 2.8 times more likely to agree that rape doesn’t exist in sexual relationships than residents in 2021. This increased awareness around rape in relationships could be resultant from the efforts Australia wide into women’s rights that accumulated in marches for women in all states of Australia. Overall, there was both an improvement and devolvement in the understanding of the law around domestic violence. Table 17. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements about the legal aspects of domestic violence. Wagga Wagga 2021 (%)
Wagga Wagga
Significant Difference
2016 (%) Domestic violence is a criminal offence*
95.4
97.2
Yes
A woman cannot be raped by someone she is in a sexual relationship with*
3.4
8.4
Yes
Note: *indicates a significant difference
Gender Males and females in Wagga Wagga in 2021 did not differ on their levels of agreement that domestic violence is a criminal offence, and that rape doesn’t exist in sexual relationships. From the males in the sample 94.8% agreed that domestic violence is a criminal offence and 95.9% of women. When it came to rape doesn’t exist in sexual relationships only 4.1% of males agreed and only 2.8% of females agreed.
Age Consistent with gender, age groups had similar of agreement that domestic violence is a criminal offence and rape doesn’t exist in sexual relationships. All age-groups had high levels of agreement that domestic violence is a criminal offence with levels of agreement in the mid-90s (e.g., 94.1% to 96.9%). For rape doesn’t exist in sexual relationships, the level of agreement for all age-groups in the sample were below 10% (e.g., 2.4% to 6.3%).
Ethnicity Differences between ethnicity groups in Wagga Wagga were found for the two questions measuring residents’ understanding of the law surrounding domestic violence. Anglo-Saxon (95.9%) residents were 3.4 times more likely to agree domestic violence is a criminal offence than Other ethnicity residents (86.8%). No difference was found between ATSI and Other, as all ATSI residents (100%) agreed domestic violence is a criminal offence which violates the requirements of analysis needed to detect differences. Residents of Other ethnicities (24.5%) were 14.3 times more likely to agree that rape doesn’t exist in sexual relationships than Anglo-Saxons (2.4%).
Education and Employment Level of education and employment status did not make a significant difference on the understanding of the law. All education groups and both the employed and unemployed had high levels of agreement that domestic violence is a criminal offence, ranging from 93.4% to 97.7% for education, and 94.9% to 95.6% for employment. Similarly, all education group and employed and unemployed had low levels of agreement that rape doesn’t exist in sexual relationship, ranging from 3% to 3.9% for education, and 3.3% to 3.7% for employment.
Income Income had a minimal impact of the understanding of the law. The only difference found for the difference income levels was between residents earning above $150,000 and residents earning $50,000 and below on whether rape exists in a sexual relationship. Residents earning above $150,000 (2.0%) were 3.6 times more likely to agree rape does not exist in a sexual relationship than residents earning $50,000 and below (5.7%).
Comments & Recommendations • •
There is an increased understanding that rape can exist in relationships. However, it is unclear why there is a decreased perception that DV is a criminal offence. More initiatives are required to create awareness among other ethnicities about DV being a criminal offence and that rape can exist in relationships.
Prevalence of domestic violence Those who understand the prevalence of domestic violence generally tend to find it unacceptable and likely to intervene when they witness abusive behaviours (Gracia & Herrero, 2006). In general, there is a reasonably high level of awareness on the prevalence of domestic violence in the Wagga Wagga community. This level of awareness, however, has significantly decreased in the past 5 years from 2016 to 2021 (see table 18). This significant decrease could reflect an actual reduction in domestic violence in the Wagga Wagga community or a decreased awareness. We found that residents in 2016 were 1.8 times more likely to agree domestic violence is a serious issue for Wagga Wagga than residents in 2021. Similarly, residents in 2016 were 3.5 times more likely to agree domestic violence is common in Wagga Wagga. Table 18. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements about the prevalence of domestic violence. Wagga Wagga 2021 %
Wagga Wagga 2016 %
Significant Difference
Domestic violence is a serious issue for Wagga Wagga*
83.0
87.5
Yes
Domestic violence is common in Wagga Wagga*
73.1
82.8
Yes
Domestic violence occurs in gay and lesbian relationships
83.9
82.3
No
Note: *indicates a significant difference
Gender Males and females differed on their perceptions of domestic violence prevalence, particularly in their community (see table 19). Females were more likely to agree that domestic violence is prevalent than males. Specifically, females were 2.3 times more likely to agree that domestic violence is a serious issue for Wagga Wagga, and 2.3 times more likely to agree that domestic violence is common in Wagga Wagga, than males. Female residents were also 1.6 times more likely to agree that domestic violence occurs in gay and lesbian relationships than males. Table 19. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements about the prevalence of domestic violence, as separated by gender. Males %
Females %
Significant Difference
Domestic violence is a serious issue for Wagga Wagga*
76.5
88.7
Yes
Domestic violence is common in Wagga Wagga*
80.5
86.9
Yes
Domestic violence occurs in gay and lesbian relationships*
63.8
81.5
Yes
Note: *indicates a significant difference
Age Age of the residents in the Wagga Wagga community impacted the attitudes towards domestic violence prevalence. Specifically, residents aged 40 to 55 (85.1%) were 1.7 times more likely to agree domestic violence is a serious issue in Wagga Wagga compared to residents over 55 (80.6%). Similarly, those aged between 25 and 39 (88.0%) were 1.9 times more likely to agree domestic violence occurs in gay and lesbian relationships than those aged over 55 (80.2%).
Ethnicity and Education Difference was found for prevalence of attitudes across ethnicity groups and education levels. Both Anglo-Saxon residents and ATSI residents were more likely to agree that domestic violence is common in Wagga Wagga than residents with Other ethnicities (e.g., Asian, African, and other). For example, Anglo-Saxon residents (73.9%) were 1.9 times more likely to agree domestic violence is common, while ATSI (78.8%) were 2.7 times more likely to agree domestic violence is common than the Other ethnicity group (56.6%). In terms of education, university educated residents (86.9%) were 1.7 times more likely to agree that domestic violence occurs in gay and lesbian relationships than residents who studied at TAFE or Trade school (79.2%).
Employment The employment status of respondents did not impact the prevalence attitudes towards domestic violence, consistent with the respondents in 2016.
Income In the Wagga Wagga community, the lower income brackets had higher levels of awareness on the prevalence of domestic violence than the higher income brackets. For example, residents earning under $50,000 (87.1%) were 2.6 times more likely to agree domestic violence is a serious issue in Wagga Wagga than residents earning over $150,000 (78.0%). Consistent with this trend, residents earning under $50,000 (75.7%) were 2 times more likely to agree domestic violence is common in Wagga Wagga than residents in the $101,000 to $150,000 income bracket (68.9%), and those earning between $51,000 and $100,000 (75.5%) were 1.7 times more likely to agree than those earning $101,000 to $150,000.
Comments & Recommendations •
Females, younger people, ATSI and Anglo-Saxons, and lower income residents are more likely to recognise DV in Wagga Wagga.
Attitudes trivialising domestic violence The cost of violence against women and their children in Australia for 2015-16 was $22 billion (Department of Social Services (DSS), 2016). Yet, there are generally many attitudes that trivialise domestic violence as not having serious consequences or its effects are not serious to warrant action (Webster et al., 2018). Across the different groups in Wagga Wagga, there were low levels of agreement that women should stay in violent relationships for the family, domestic violence is a private matter, and that domestic violence is excusable if the perpetrator was abused (see figure 12). That is gender, age, ethnicity, education, employment status, and income did not impact attitudes on these three dimensions of trivialising domestic violence. However, there was a significant improvement in residents’ attitudes towards women could leave a violent relationship if she wanted and women make up domestic violence for a custody battle. In 2016, these two attitudes received high levels of agreement with approximately 3 to 4 residents out of every 10, agreeing with these two statements. In 2021, the agreement dropped down to approximately 2 in 10 agreeing with these trivialising attitudes towards domestic violence. In 2016, residents were 2.1 times more likely to agree that women could leave a violent relationship if she wanted to than residents now in 2021. Residents in 2016 were also 1.5 times more likely to agree that women make up domestic violence for a custody battle than residents in 2021. Attitudes that trivialise domestic violence are on the decline, however, efforts in changing these attitudes needs to continue.
Gender Consistent with the findings in 2016, the only differences in attitudes between males and females in Wagga Wagga were for women could leave a violent relationship if she wanted and women make up domestic violence for a custody battle. There were similarly low levels of agreement for the statements that women should stay in a violent relationship, domestic violence is a private matter for the relationship, and domestic violence can be excused if the abuser was abused. Males (22.0%) were 2.4 times more likely to agree that women could leave a violent relationship if she wanted than females (9.6%), and males (33.5%) were also 3.6 times more likely to agree that women make up domestic violence for a custody battle than females (13.1%) in Wagga Wagga. Figure 12. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements that trivialise domestic violence.
Age Age was an important factor in two of the attitudes towards trivialising domestic violence. With increasing age, residents in Wagga Wagga are more likely to agree that women could leave a violent relationship if she wanted (see table 20). Specifically, 25-39-year-old residents were 2.7 times more likely to agree that women could leave than those aged 18-24, 40-50-year-old residents were 4.0 times more likely to agree than 18-24, and 56 and older 3.8 times more
likely. In contrast the younger residents were more likely to agree domestic violence is to be handled in private. 18-24year-old residents in Wagga Wagga are 5.3 times more likely to agree domestic violence should be handled in private than 56 and above, while 40-55-year-old residents were 6.3 times more likely to agree than 56 and above. The remaining attitudes that trivialise domestic violence were similar across the age groups. Table 20. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements that trivialise domestic violence, as separated by age-group. 18-24
25-39
%
40-55
%
56+ %
Significant Difference
%
Most women could leave a violent relationship if they really wanted to*
12.5
13.5
18.8
15.8
Yes
A woman should stay in a violent relationship to keep the family together
0.7
0.4
2.8
1.1
No
Domestic violence is a private matter to be handled in within the relationship*
8.3
2.3
4.4
1.1
Yes
Domestic violence can be excused if the violent person was abused as a child
6.3
1.2
1.6
2.4
No
Women going through custody battles often make up or exaggerate claims of domestic violence to improve their case
35.4
20.0
20.9
21.2
No
Note: *indicates a significant difference
Ethnicity As can be seen in table 21, differences in attitudes that trivialise domestic violence were found between the different ethnic groups in Wagga Wagga in 2021. When it came to whether a woman could leave a violent relationship, ATSI residents were 4.5 times more likely to agree than Anglo-Saxon residents, and Other were 6.6 times were likely to agree than Anglo-Saxons. In addition, Other ethnicity groups in Wagga Wagga were 9 times more likely to agree domestic violence should be handled in private than Anglo-Saxons. Finally, ATSIs were 3.9 times more likely to agree that women make up domestic violence for a custody battle than Other ethnicity residents. Table 21. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements that trivialise domestic violence, as separated by ethnicity. AngloSaxon %
ATSI
Other
%
%
Significant Difference
Most women could leave a violent relationship if they really wanted to*
12.5
32.8
41.5
Yes
A woman should stay in a violent relationship to keep the family together
1.3
0.0
1.9
No
Domestic violence is a private matter to be handled in within the relationship*
1.8
8.2
17.0
Yes
Domestic violence can be excused if the violent person was abused as a child
2.2
9.8
0.0
No
Women going through custody battles often make up or exaggerate claims of domestic violence to improve their case*
21.7
47.5
15.1
Yes
Note: *indicates a significant difference
Education Individuals who had studied to high school (20.6%) were 2.7 times more likely to agree that women can leave a violent relationship than university students (11.8%), while those who studied at TAFE or trade school (16.8%) were 1.7 times more likely to agree than the residents who went to university. Similarly, residents who studied to a high school level (38.9%) were 3.2 times more likely to agree that women make up domestic violence for a custody battle than residents who studied at university (15%). The remaining attitudes that trivialise domestic violence were similar across the education level groups in Wagga Wagga in 2021.
Employment and Income Employment status had a limited impact on attitudes that trivialised domestic violence. Residents in Wagga Wagga that were currently unemployed (5.7%) at the time of the survey were 2.93 times more likely to agree that domestic violence should be handled privately than those who were employed (2.2%). No other differences were found between the employment status groups. No differences were found between income levels in Wagga Wagga residents and trivialising domestic violence attitudes.
Comments & Recommendations •
•
There are conflicting results on age about trivialising DV. Younger people consider it a private matter even when they recognised that women couldn’t leave an abusive relationship if they wanted to. ATSI and other ethnicities had the attitude that women could leave a violent relationship if they wanted to. Other ethnicities also consider it a private matter whilst ATSI held views that women make up DV for custody battles. In general, more educated individuals were less likely to trivialise DV. More efforts are required with younger people, ATSI, other ethnicities and those with lower education in understanding DV as not something to be trivialised. Attitudes towards gender roles and power dynamics
Attitudes towards gender roles Attitudes towards gender roles Stereotypical and narrow constructs about appropriate roles for males and females in private and public spheres, hostility towards women who breach these traditional gender roles, and beliefs of gender inequality all express harmful gender role attitudes (Webster et al., 2018). The levels of agreement in the Wagga Wagga community for the statements that assess attitudes towards gender roles from 2021 to 2016 can be found in the figure below (see Figure 13). Encouragingly in 2021 only a small percentage of the community agree with the statements that reinforce gender roles, with all statements receiving less than 10% of agreement in Wagga Wagga, compared to 2016 when four of the five beliefs receiving agreement levels above 10%. This reduction in the reinforcement of gender roles was significant across all five statements. In 2016, residents in the Wagga Wagga community were 2.1 times more likely to agree that men make better leaders, 2.5 times more likely to agree men have more right to a job, and 2.4 times more likely to agree that women need children to be fulfilled, than residents in 2021. Residents in 2016 were also 3 times more likely to agree university is more important to boys, and 1.4 times more likely to agree discrimination against women is not a problem in the workplace than they do in 2021. Overall, there has been a significant improvement in the Wagga Wagga community on their attitudes towards gender roles. Figure 13. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements about gender roles.
Gender Consistent with 2016, males and females differed on four of the five attitudes toward gender roles, with university education is more important for boys receiving similar levels of agreement. Overall, males are more likely to agree with the attitude statements on gender role than females in Wagga Wagga (see Table 22). Males were 5 times more likely to agree that men make better leaders, 2.2 times more likely to agree men have more right to a job, and 2.1 times more likely to agree women need children to be fulfilled than females. Finally, males in the Wagga Wagga community in 2021 were 6.2 times more likely to agree discrimination against women is not a problem in the workplace, than females.
Age The attitudes towards gender roles were similar across the different age groups in Wagga Wagga. The only difference that was found was between 40-55-year-old residents and those aged 56 and above on the attitude that men make better leaders. Residents aged between 40 and 55 (6.8%) were 2.6 times more likely to agree men make better leaders, than residents aged 56 and older (2.9%). Table 22. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements about gender roles, separated by gender. Males
Females
%
%
Significance Difference
Men make better leaders than women
8.8
1.8
Yes
When jobs are scarce, men have more right to a job than women
5.1
2.6
Yes
A woman has to have children to be fulfilled
10.3
4.8
Yes
A university education is more important for a boy
1.6
0.7
No
Discrimination against women is no longer a problem in the workplace
10.5
2.0
Yes
Note: *indicates a significant difference
Ethnicity The only differences between ethnicity groups in Wagga Wagga on attitudes toward gender roles were between the Anglo-Saxons and Other ethnicities. Differences were found for the attitudes that men make better leaders, women need children to be fulfilled, and university is more important for boys (see table 23). Specifically, the Other ethnicity (13.2%) were 3.4 times more likely to agree that men make better leaders, than Anglo-Saxon residents (4.4%). The Other ethnicity (22.6%) were also 3.6 times more likely to agree that women need children to be fulfilled, than Anglo-Saxons (6.8%). Finally, the Other ethnicity residents (7.5%) were 8.6 times more likely to agree that university is more important for boys than Anglo-Saxon residents (0.9%). No difference was found between the Other ethnicity groups and the ATSI residents, as 0% of the ATSI residents agreed, violating the requirement of variation in scores for detecting significant differences. Table 23. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements about gender roles, separated by ethnicity. AngloSaxon %
ATSI
Other
%
%
Significant Differences
Men make better leaders than women
4.4
9.8
13.2
Yes
When jobs are scarce, men have more right to a job than women
3.4
13.1
1.9
No
A woman has to have children to be fulfilled
6.8
9.8
22.6
Yes
A university education is more important for a boy
0.9
0.0
7.5
Yes
Discrimination against women is no longer a problem in the workplace
6.3
0.0
5.7
No
Note: *indicates a significant difference
Education and Employment Few differences were found for education and employment on attitudes towards gender roles in Wagga Wagga in 2021. The only difference for Education levels was for the attitude that men make better leaders. Individuals with a high school education (8.9%) were 5.7 times more likely to agree men make better leaders than individuals who went to university (2.6%), while residents who went to TAFE or Trade school (5.9%) were 2.9 times more likely to agree men make better leader than residents with a university education. For employment status, residents who were currently unemployed (13.5%) at the time of the survey were 3.2 times more likely to agree that women need children to be fulfilled than the employed residents (5.1%).
Income Income had an impact on three of the six attitudes toward gender roles. Residents earning between $101,000 and $150,000 (5.5%) were 3.2 times more likely to agree men make better leaders than those earning $50,000 or less (3.7%). Conversely, individuals earning $50,000 or less (7.1%) were 3 times more likely to agree men have more right to a job than individuals earning between $51,000 and $100,000 (1.7%). Finally, residents earning $150,000 or more (11.9%) were 3 times more likely to agree that discrimination against women is not a problem in the workplace than residents earning $50,000 or less (3.4%).
Comments & Recommendations •
Males, older people, other ethnicities, lower educated/income tend to hold more traditional gender roles. Further work is required with these cohorts about gender roles as it is one of the drivers of DV.
Power dynamics in relationships The socio-political context where of power and control in a community is used as a tool to maintain male domination directly or indirectly over women within a patriarchal system can perpetuate domestic violence (Bograd, 1988; Rees & Pease, 2007; Renzetti, 2004). From 2016 to 2021 the attitudes towards decision-making in relationships significantly changed in the residents in Wagga Wagga (refer to table 24). Specifically, Wagga Wagga residents in 2016 were 1.5 times more likely to agree it is natural for men to be in control/head of the household than 2021. Additionally, residents in 2016 were 3.6 times more likely to agree women prefer a man to be in charge than residents in 2021. As such, there has been a significant improvement in attitudes in the Wagga Wagga community about attitudes towards decision-making in relationships. Table 24. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements about decisionmaking in relationships. Wagga Wagga 2021 %
Wagga Wagga 2016 %
Significant Difference
It is natural for men to be in control in relationships and be the head of the household*
9.4
19.8
Yes
Women prefer a man to be in charge of the relationship*
4.1
18.1
Yes
Note: *indicates a significant difference
Gender Differences between males and females in Wagga Wagga were still found in 2021 for both attitudes about decision making in relationships. Males (13.6%) were 2.3 times more likely to agree that it is natural for men to be in control/head of the household, than females (5.7%). Similarly, males (6.8%) were 4.4 times more likely to agree that women prefer a man to be in charge, than females (1.7%). As such, males in Wagga Wagga are more likely than the females in Wagga Wagga to agree with the attitudes about decision-making in relationships.
Age Age group only had an impact on the attitude that it is natural for men to be in control/head of the household. The youngest group in the sample (18-24; 16.7%) were 2.3 more likely to agree that it is natural for men to be in control/head of the household than residents aged 40 to 55 (5.6%). Conversely, the oldest group in the sample (55+; 8.8%) were 2.2 times more likely to agree than residents aged between 40 and 55.
Ethnicity Attitudes towards decision making differed across the three ethnicity groups, with Anglo-Saxon having the lowest levels of agreement (see table 25). Other ethnicities were 2.8 times more likely to agree that it is natural for men to be in control/head of the household than Anglo-Saxons, while no difference was found with the ATSI community in Wagga Wagga. Additionally, Other ethnicities were 6.5 times more likely to agree that women prefer a man to be in charge than Anglo-Saxons, and ATSI residents were 3.8 times more likely to agree than AngloSaxons.
Table 25. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements about decisionmaking in relationships, separated by ethnicity. AngloSaxon %
ATSI
Other
%
%
Significant Difference
It is natural for men to be in control in relationships and be the head of the household*
8.8
11.5
18.9
Yes
Women prefer a man to be in charge of the relationship*
3.2
11.5
13.2
Yes
Note: *indicates a significant difference
Employment Employment status of the residents in Wagga Wagga did not have an impact on attitudes held towards decisionmaking in relationships in 2021. Both employed and unemployed residents had low levels of agreement that it is natural for men to be in control/head of the household, with levels of agreement ranging from 9.3% to 9.5%. Similarly, there were low levels of agreement that women prefer a man to be in charge, with levels of agreement between 3.8% to 4.7%. Overall, employed and unemployed residents held similar attitudes.
Education As can be seen in table 26, with increasing education levels there was a decreasing likelihood of agreeing that it is natural for men to be in control/head of the household, and women prefer a man to be in charge. Residents with a high school education were 4.7 times more likely to agree it is natural for men to be in control/head of the household, and residents with a TAFE/Trade school education were 2.1 times more likely to agree than residents with a university education. For the attitude that women prefer a man to be in charge, high school educated individuals were 3.3 times more likely to agree than university educated. Table 26. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements about decisionmaking in relationships, separated by education level. High school %
TAFE/trades
University
%
%
Significant Difference
It is natural for men to be in control in relationships and be the head of the household*
16.3
10.2
4.9
Yes
Women prefer a man to be in charge of the relationship*
5.8
3.6
3.4
Yes
Note: *indicates a significant difference
Income In general, with increasing income brackets, people were less likely to agree that women prefer a man to be in charge. For example, residents earning between $101,000 and $150,000 (6.6%) were 9.9 times more likely to agree women prefer a man to be in charge than those earning between $51,000 and $100,000 (1.2%). Similarly, residents earning above $150,000 (5.5%) were 5.8 times more likely to agree that women prefer a man to be in charge than those earning between $51,000 and $100,000. Going against the trend, the lower income bracket of $50,000 and under (5.1%) were 4 times more likely to agree than those earning between $51,000 and $100,000. On the other hand, across the income levels, there were similar levels of agreement that it is natural for men to be in control/head of the household.
Comments & Recommendations •
Males, younger people, other ethnicities, lower educated also tend to hold attitudes that males should hold power in relationships, reiterating further work is required with these cohorts about power balance in relationships especially as it is a driver of DV.
Responses to witnessing violence and knowledge of resources
Literature shows that those who stated that they would intervene if they witnessed domestic violence actually doing so when they did witness abusive behaviour (Pennay & Powell, 2012). The Wagga Wagga residents’ reactions to witnessing domestic violence, in terms of if they would intervene and how remained consistent from 2016 to 2021 (see figure 14). As such, the intervention strategies that residents were using after or while witnessing domestic violence were the same in 2016 as they are among the respondents to the 2021 survey. From these results, encouragingly, 6-7 residents in 10 were likely to either say or do something, such as call the police, if they witness an incident of domestic violence, while a very small proportion (only 3 in 50) would do nothing. Figure 14. Responses on how bystanders are willing to respond to witnessing domestic violence.
As can be seen in table 27, there were few differences across the demographic groups on their intervention strategy to witnessing an incident of domestic violence. The only differences found were for gender, employment status, and income level. How a resident would react did not differ based on their age, education level, or ethnicity. We found that the odds that female residents chose to do nothing compared to don’t know is 2.3 times more likely than the male residents. Females residents choosing to do or say something compared to not knowing what to do is 3.4 times more likely than for the male residents in Wagga Wagga. Conversely, the odds that males choose to physically intervene over not knowing what to do is 2.2 times more likely than for females. Employment status was important when it came to whether respondents would physically intervene, or they don’t know what to do. The odds that residents that were employed at the time of the survey said they would physically intervene compared to not knowing what to do is 3 times more likely than for residents that were not employed. Finally, for income level impacted how a resident would respond to an incident of domestic violence. Residents earning $101,000 to $150,000 choosing to do nothing compared to not knowing what to do is more 11.6 times more likely than for residents earning over $150,000. Similarly, residents earning $101,000 to $150,000 choosing physically to intervene over not knowing what to do is 13.7 times more likely than residents earning over $150,000. Finally, those earning $101,000 to $150,000 are 11.5 times more likely to choose to say or do something rather than not knowing what to do than people earning over $150,000. Overall, the only differences on behavioural responses to witnessing domestic violence were between the two highest income brackets, with $101,000-$150,000 more likely to choose any other option over don’t know than if someone earned over $150,000. Table 27. Pattern of responding for how bystanders are willing to respond to witnessing domestic violence, across the various demographic groups. Didn’t do anything
Physically intervened %
Say/did something else to help %
Don’t know %
Significant Difference
% Gender*
Yes
Males
5.6
38.9
49.2
6.4
Females
6.5
8.7
81.7
3.1
18-24
5.6
20.8
70.1
3.5
25-39
8.9
23.9
62.2
5.0
40-55
3.6
26.8
66.8
2.8
55+
5.9
20.4
67.7
5.9
Age
No
Ethnicity
No
Anglo-Saxon
6.3
21.5
67.5
4.8
ATSI
3.3
37.7
50.8
8.2
Other
0.0
21.2
78.8
0.0
High school
4.7
29.5
60.5
5.4
TAFE/Trade
7.0
25.2
61.9
6.0
University
6.2
17.8
72.7
3.2
Education
No
Employment*
Yes
Employed
6.6
24.5
65.6
3.3
Unemployed
4.7
18.9
68.6
7.8
Less than $50,000
5.7
19.3
67.6
7.4
$51,000 - $100,000
6.6
25.6
63.8
4.0
$101,000 - $150,000
6.0
22.4
71.0
0.5
$150,00+
6.0
24.4
64.2
5.5
Income*
Yes
Note: *indicates a significant difference
Residents reactions to how they would respond to an incident if children were present or if they woman was known to them did not significantly change between 2016 and 2021. However, there was unfortunately a drop in knowledge on where they could get help for a domestic violence problem (see table 28). Residents in 2016 were 1.7 times more likely to agree they know where to get help than residents in 2021. Table 28. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements regarding preparedness to intervene and knowledge of assistance. Wagga Wagga 2021 %
Wagga Wagga 2016 %
Significant Difference
Different reaction if children were present
25.7
36.2
No
Different reaction if woman is known
37.7
25.8
No
Would know where to get help regarding domestic violence problem*
60.3
63.7
Yes
Note: *indicates a significant difference
Gender Males and females in the Wagga Wagga community only differed on whether they would act differently if children were present. Females (27.9%) are 1.3 times likely to react differently if children were present than males (23.1%). Gender, however, did not affect whether they would react differently if the woman being assaulted is known to them or on whether the residents would know where to get help.
Age While age did not affect whether an individual would intervene if they saw an unknown woman being assaulted by her partner, age did impact on whether they would react differently if children were present or if the woman being
assaulted is known to them, as well as whether they would know where to get help. Residents aged 18 to 24 (43.1%) were 3.1 times more likely to say they would react differently if children were present than residents aged over 55 (17.4%), while 25- to 39-year-old residents (34.1%) were 2.3 times more likely to say they would react differently compared to those aged over 55. If the woman being assaulted is known to them, those aged between 18 and 24 (54.2%) were 5.7 times more likely to react differently compared to those aged between 40 and 55 (26.9%), while residents aged 25 to 39 (48.7%) were 2.5 times more likely to say they would act differently than 40 to 55 year old residents in Wagga Wagga. Finally, residents aged between 40 and 55 (69.2%) are 2 times more likely to say they know where to get help than residents aged between 25 and 39 (51.4%), and residents aged over 55 (63.3%) are 1.8 times more likely to say they know where to get help than 25 to 39 year old’s.
Ethnicity Ethnicity did not affect residents’ reactions to seeing an incident of domestic violence, or the knowledge on where support can be found.
Education Differences existed between the education levels groups on whether they would react differently if the woman being assaulted is known to them and whether they know where to get help. Residents who studied at TAFE/Trade school (41.6%) were 1.9 times more likely to say they would react differently than residents who studied to high school (35.2%), and 1.7 times more likely to say they would react differently than those who studied at university (36.7%). When it came to whether the people in Wagga Wagga know where to get help, University level residents (66.1%) were 1.63 times more likely to agree than those who studied at TAFE/Trade school (52.1%).
Employment and Income Residents’ employment status and income level in 2021 only had an impact on if a resident would act differently if the woman being assaulted was known to them. People who were currently employed (38.1%) at the time of the survey were 1.5 times more likely to say they would act differently compared to those who were unemployed (36.6%). Finally, residents earning over $150,000 (42.5%) were also 1.5 times more likely to say they would act differently if the woman was known to them than residents’ earnings between $51,000 and $100,000 (36.0%).
Comments & Recommendations •
•
Females are more likely to intervene when children are present compared to males, though both would act even if the woman is not known to them. When males intervened, they did so physically more than females, even though females generally intervened more than males. Younger people act differently if children are present and the woman is known to them. Older residents tend to have more ideas on where to get help. The greater the education and income, the more likely that individuals would act. Nevertheless, further work is required to be done on where Wagga Wagga residents could get help if they wanted to intervene.
Engagement with the campaigns/interventions on domestic violence Several campaigns were developed under theDVproject:2650 with the aim of challenging social norms, attitudes and behaviours to help promote respectful relationships at home, in the workplace and other social settings to increase support for gender equality and to promote active bystander action in the Wagga Wagga community. Based on the results the most engagement was coming from the Reflect Respect campaign, where approximately a quarter of the sample had seen the campaign (see table 29 and Figure 15). This could be explained by the visual nature of the Reflect Respect and We do Respect campaigns. Again, the campaign with the most engagement from the Wagga Wagga community was the Reflect Respect campaign, with 2.8%. As was previously observed by the project team many people did not associate the name of the campaign with the actual visual TV campaign, unless they were shown promotional materials. Table 29. Engagement in the campaigns and interventions, in terms of seeing, hearing of, and participating in, among the respondents from the Wagga Wagga community in 2021. Seen
Heard of
Participated in
%
Frequency
%
Frequency
%
Frequency
Reflect Respect Campaign
25.7
264
19.2
197
2.8
29
We Do Respect Campaign
11.4
117
17.0
174
2.3
24
16 days of activism campaign
7.4
76
7.8
80
1.6
16
My Story
6.3
65
14.8
152
1.9
19
Enlighten for Equity
1.2
13
7.0
72
0.4
4
eLearning modules
2.4
25
4.7
49
0.6
6
Voice Against Violence workshops
3.3
34
12.1
124
0.8
8
Inspire Respect workshop
1.6
16
8.6
88
0.5
5
Wiradjuri and First Nations youth Project
2.3
23
8.3
8.3
0.6
6
Figure 15. theDVproject:2650 participated in
While participation in the campaigns were not required due to the visual nature of the campaigns (TV and radio ads), analysis comparing residents from the different demographic groups was not appropriate. Instead, the following analysis exploring the differences in overall engagement, in terms of seeing, hearing of, and/or participating in the various campaigns was applied.
Reflect Respect and My Story Our Story with Ray Martin When it came to exposure either through seeing (participating) in the event, hearing about the campaign/event, or participating in the campaign/event, there were no difference across groups for the various demographic factors. All groups had similar exposure to the Reflect Respect campaign and the My Story. Our Story with Ray Martin event.
We do Respect campaign Exposure to the We Do Respect campaign differed for the three education groups in Wagga Wagga: high school, TAFE/Trade school, and University. Residents who studied at TAFE or Trade school (24.4%) were 2.0 times more likely to have seen, heard of, or engaged in the We Do Respect campaign than residents who stopped studying during or at the end of high school (14.0%). Additionally, residents with a university education in 2021 (21.2%) were 1.7 times more likely to have seen, heard of, or participated in the campaign than high school educated residents. In summary, those with higher education were more engaged with the campaign.
16 Days of Activism Differences were found between the three education groups, and between the currently employed and unemployed in engagement with the 16 days of activism campaign. In terms of education, residents with a university education (16.5%) were 3.8 times more likely to have seen/heard of/participated in the campaign than residents who studied to high school (5.8%). In terms of employment status, residents that were currently employed (14.0%) were 2.1 times more likely to have engaged with the campaign than the residents that were not employed at the time of the survey (7.1%). Overall, residents that were educated and employed were more likely to have engaged with the campaign.
Enlighten for Equity project Engagement with the Enlighten for Equity project differs across the age groups and education levels. While the project targeted primary and high school students, the results show that: •
people in Wagga Wagga aged 25 to 39 (5.8%) were 2.9 times more likely to have seen/heard of in the campaign than those aged over 55 (1.9%), and those between 40 and 55 (7.6%) were 3.8 times more likely to have engaged with the campaign than residents aged over 55. For differences across education levels, residents with a university level education (5.6%) were 3.0 times more likely to have engaged with the campaign than the residents with a high school education (3.5%). The results suggest that 25-55 were more likely to engage, perhaps as parents.
eLearning modules – partnership between WWCC and Southern Sports Academy Gender, age, and employment status differences were found for the awareness about eLearning program introduced at the Southern Sports Academy. Specifically, males (7.2%) were 2.0 times more likely to be exposed either through seeing, hearing of, or participating in the program than females (3.3%). For age, 40-to-55-year-old residents (7.6%) were 3.6 times more likely to have seen or heard of, than over 55 years of age (1.9%). Finally, people that were employed at the time of the survey (6.0%) were 2.9 times more likely to have engaged through either seeing or hearing about the program than the residents that were not employed (2.7%). As this initiative targeted young athletes, it was not surprising that males, middle-aged and employed individuals were more likely to engage with eLearning.
NRL’s Voice Against Violence workshops There were minimal differences in the Wagga Wagga community for the Voice Against Violence campaign. The only difference found was for gender. Specifically, males (9.7%) were 1.7 times more likely to have been exposed to the information about the workshops than females in Wagga Wagga (5.9%). Given the sporting partnership of the initiative, males were more likely to have engaged.
NRL’s Inspire Respect Similar to the previous campaigns, there were very few differences in the community in terms of exposure through either seeing or hearing about the Inspire Respect workshops (delivered at some primary schools). The only differences found were for gender, and for age-groups. For example, male residents in Wagga Wagga (8.7%) were 3.1 times more likely to have seen, heard about the program than the females (3.3%). For age, we found that residents aged 40 to 55 (8.0%) were 2.4 times more likely to be exposed through either seeing the program, hearing of it, or participating in the program than those aged over 55 (4.8%). Again, males were more likely to have engaged given the sporting partnership of the initiative.
Wiradjuri and First Nations Youth project Finally, for the Wiradjuri and First Nations Youth project, exposure differed for age-groups, ethnicity, education, and income. For age, residents in Wagga Wagga aged between 25 and 39 (7.7%) were 3.5 times more likely to have seen, heard of, or participated in the program than those aged over 55 (2.9%). It was also found that those aged 40 to 55 (6.8%) were 3.0 times more likely to have engaged with the program (e.g., seeing, hearing of, or participating in) than those aged over 55. For ethnicity, ATSI residents in the community (18.3%) were 3.5 times more likely to be exposed to the program than the Anglo-Saxon residents (4.8%). In terms of education, those who studied at TAFE or Trade school (7.3%) were 3.9 times more likely to have seen, heard of, or participated than those who studied to high school (4.3%). Similarly, residents with a university education (5.6%) were 3.7 times more likely to be exposed to the program than those whose highest level of education is high school. Finally, residents earning $50,000 and below (9.1%) were 7.6 times more likely to have engaged with the program, through either seeing, hearing of, or participating in, than residents in the $100,000-$150,000 income bracket (2.2%). Overall, those that were exposed to the program were 25-55, ATSI, low income and with more education.
Engaged in prevention efforts in last 12 months Other than theDVproject:2650 campaigns, participants were asked if they had engaged in activities that were focussed on prevention of violence (such as challenging disrespectful behaviour etc) among their colleagues, friends, and families. Figure 16 shows the percentage that took some action with most (82%) engaging in a conversation on prevention of violence and (70%) calling out inappropriate attitudes/behaviours. Thus, Wagga Wagga residents are more likely to call out inappropriate behaviours and engage in preventing DV through conversation with families and friends, indicating that the took personal responsibility to bring change to their circles of concern. Figure 16. Over last 12 months, prevention of domestic violence efforts engaged in YES
NO
UNSURE
90% 80%
82%
70% 70% 60% 56%
50%
49%
40% 30%
26%
20% 10%
46%
39%
15% 3%
5%
5%
5%
0% Engaged in conversation with friends/family on prevention DV
Intervened against disrespectful behaviour
Called out inappropriate behaviour/attitudes
Shared on social media about prevention of DV
Conclusion and recommendations Above all, this report summarises the findings from the 2021 Domestic Violence Community Attitudes Survey carried out in 2021 as part of theDVproject:2650. It was concerned with identifying any shifts in attitudes and beliefs, and recognition of gender drivers of DV from 2016, following implementation of Primary Prevention program (theDVproject:2650) for the Wagga Wagga community. theDVproject:2650 aimed to educate the community on the causes of violence against women and their children, promote gender equality and respect, and challenge rigid gender roles and stereotypes. The findings point to the need to continue implementing a community-wide prevention plan to transform attitudes towards women and women victims of domestic violence. The concerning attitudes towards victim and perpetrator behaviour held by many members of the Wagga Wagga community are evidenced in this study and influences the long-term eradication of domestic violence. Nevertheless, there were some positive shifts in attitudes towards DV on the whole. Overall, the sample from 2021 shows multiple similarities to the 2016 sample. The sample was still mostly comprised of females, Anglo-Saxons, employed residents, and with high levels of education. However, it should be noted that those who have an interest in domestic violence may have self-selected into the study.
Knowledge and understanding of domestic violence Knowledge and understanding of what behaviours are considered domestic violence directly shapes the responses to women affected by violence, and the responses of their families and friends (Carlson & Worden, 2005; Gracia & Herrero, 2006). From 2016 to 2021, knowledge of what behaviours constitute domestic violence has improved. Specifically, knowledge of domestic violence increased for three of the nine domestic violence behaviours: controlling social life, denying access to money, and tracking a partner. Residents in 2021 were able to identify more complex DV behaviours (controlling social life - 1.6 times more; denying access to money - 1.6 times more; and tracking a partner – 1.7 times more) compared to 2016. The increased knowledge of domestic violence from 2016 to 2021 resulted in 8 of the 9 behaviours receiving acknowledgement above 90%, compared to only 5 of the 9 behaviours in 2016. Continued efforts are however required with males, younger people, ATSI/other ethnicities, and those from lower socio-economic/education in helping them identify abusive DV behaviours.
Attitudes towards domestic violence Minimising the impact of domestic violence can be harmful for those experiencing DV and in reducing DV in the community (Pennay & Powell, 2012). The rates of agreement on the seriousness of each of the behaviours of DV for the Wagga Wagga community have stayed consistently high from 2016 to 2021. The only significant increase (1.6 times) in awareness from 2016 to 2021 was for controlling access to money. Few residents in Wagga Wagga agreed with the various justifications when a partner may use DV in their relationship. The levels (approximately 3 to 4 residents out of every 100) of agreement for justifications have not significantly dropped from 2016 to 2021 among the residents. The justification that got the highest level of agreement in 2021 was for a partner to get access to get to their children, while in 2016 it was that their partner had sex with someone else. The justification with the least amount of support in 2021 and 2016 was if a partner is ending or trying to end a relationship. Beliefs on the gender of the main perpetrator of violence has remained consistent between 2016 and 2021. In both 2016 and 2021 residents overwhelming (8 out of 10) state that men/mostly men are the perpetrators of DV. In contrast very few residents believe that the main perpetrators of domestic violence are women/mostly women with less than 5% of the population agreeing with this option. The understanding of why women stay in domestic violent relationships has not changed in the past 5 years in Wagga Wagga. Approximately 1 in 10 residents still report they do not know why women stay. Encouragingly though most residents understand that there are numerous reasons why women feel they need to stay or have to stay out of safety from further violence.
Understanding why domestic violence behaviours occur is important in preventing the behaviours occurring again, through appropriate and targeted intervention strategies and programs (WWHC, 2017). Highly encouraging is the significantly positive shift in the understanding of the main cause of domestic violence from 2016 to 2021 that alludes to a shift in perceptions for the benefit of the community. Specifically, power and control are increasingly recognised (2.6 times more) as a primary reason for DV rather than excusing such behaviour as being due to anger or stress in men. This pattern of responding for the 2021 respondents compared to 2016 highlights the positive shift of prevention efforts about DV contributing factors. A continued community and sector wide campaign however is essential in addressing future incidents of domestic violence. Where understanding of the law is concerned, the percentage of Wagga Wagga residents that agree with the statements exploring law of domestic violence have significantly decreased from 2016 to 2021. Residents who responded to the survey in 2016 were 6.3 times more likely to identify that domestic violence is a criminal offence than the residents who responded in 2021. However, on a positive note, residents in 2021 were increasingly aware (2.8 times more) that rape existed in relationships. This increased awareness around rape in relationships could be resultant from the efforts Australia wide into women’s rights that accumulated in marches for women in all states of Australia. Overall, an Australia-wide response towards the criminality of DV has a positive effect on the understanding of domestic violence. In general, there is a reasonably high level of awareness on the perception of prevalence of domestic violence in the Wagga Wagga community. The 2021 survey results indicate however, that this level of awareness has decreased in the past 5 years from 2016. This significant decrease could reflect an actual reduction in DV in the Wagga Wagga community or a decreased awareness. Compared to 2021 findings, residents in 2016 were increasingly likely to view DV as a serious issue for Wagga Wagga (1.8 times) and as common in Wagga Wagga (3.5 times). Furthermore, trivialising domestic violence (women should stay in violent relationships for the family, domestic violence is a private matter, and that domestic violence is excusable if the perpetrator was abused) was not affected by gender, age, ethnicity, education, employment status, and income. There was a significant reduction in residents not trivialising DV. In 2016, residents were 2.1 times more likely to agree that women could leave a violent relationship if she wanted to than residents in 2021. Residents in 2016 were also 1.5 times more likely to agree that women make up domestic violence for a custody battle than residents in 2021. Attitudes that trivialise domestic violence are on the decline, however, it is clear that prevention campaigns still need to continue.
Attitudes towards gender roles and power dynamics Traditional gender roles when breached and unequal power in relationships are manifestations of harmful attitudes towards women that perpetuate domestic violence (Webster et al., 2018). Communities that use power and control to directly or indirectly dominate women within a patriarchal system can also further perpetuate domestic violence (Rees & Pease, 2007). Encouragingly in 2021 only a small percentage of the community agree with the statements that reinforce gender roles, with all statements receiving less than 10% of agreement in Wagga Wagga, compared to 2016 when four of the five beliefs received agreement levels above 10%. This reduction in the reinforcement of gender roles was significant across all five statements. In 2016, residents in the Wagga Wagga community were 2.1 times more likely to agree that men make better leaders, 2.5 times more likely to agree men have more right to a job, and 2.4 times more likely to agree that women need children to be fulfilled, than residents in 2021. Residents in 2016 were also 3 times more likely to agree university is more important to boys, and 1.4 times more likely to agree discrimination against women is not a problem in the workplace than they do in 2021. Overall, there has been a significant improvement in the Wagga Wagga community on their attitudes towards gender roles. In addition, from 2016 to 2021 the power dynamics in relationships significantly changed among Wagga Wagga residents. Specifically, in 2016 residents held views that it is natural for men to be in control/head of the household (1.5 times more) and that women prefer a man to be in charge (3.6 times more) than residents in 2021. As such, there has been a significant improvement in attitudes in the Wagga Wagga community about power dynamics or decision-making in relationships.
Responses to witnessing violence and knowledge of resources The residents’ reactions to witnessing domestic violence, in terms of if they would intervene and how remained consistent from 2016 to 2021. As such, the intervention strategies that residents were using after or while witnessing DV were the same in 2016 as they are among the 2021 survey respondents. From these results, encouragingly, 6-7 residents in 10 were likely to either say or do something, such as call the police, if they witness an incident of domestic violence, while only 3 in 50 would do nothing.
Engagement with theDVproject:2650 campaigns/interventions on DV Several campaigns were developed as part of theDVproject:2650 with the aim of challenging social norms, attitudes and behaviours to help promote respectful relationships at home, in the workplace and other social settings to increase support for gender equality and to promote active bystander action in the Wagga Wagga community. Based on the 2021 survey results, the most engagement was coming from the Reflect Respect campaign, where approximately a quarter of the sample had seen the campaign. When it came to participation, very few residents from the sample reported they had participated in the various campaigns. This could be explained by the visual nature of the Reflect Respect and We do Respect campaigns. Again, the campaign with the most engagement from the Wagga Wagga community was the Reflect Respect campaign, with 2.8%. As was previously observed by the project team many people did not associate the name of the campaign with the actual visual TV campaign, unless they were shown promotional materials. All demographic groups for 2021 survey sample had similar exposure to the Reflect Respect campaign and the My Story campaign. Exposure to the We Do Respect campaign differed for the three education groups in Wagga Wagga: high school, TAFE/Trade school, and University. Residents who studied at TAFE or Trade school (24.4%) and those with university education (21.2%) were approximately 2 times more likely to have seen, heard of, or participated in the We Do Respect campaign than residents who stopped studying during or at the end of high school (14.0%). In terms of education, residents with a university education (16.5%) were 3.8 times more likely to have seen/heard of/participated in the 16 Days of Activism campaign than residents who studied to high school (5.8%). For employment status, residents that were currently employed (14.0%) were 2.1 times more likely to have engaged with the 16 Days of Activism campaign than the residents that were not employed at the time of the survey (7.1%). People in Wagga Wagga aged 25 to 39 (5.8%) were 2.9 times for likely to have seen/heard of/participated in the Enlighten for Equity campaign than those aged over 55 (1.9%), and those between 40 and 55 (7.6%) were 3.8 times more likely to have engaged with the campaign than residents aged over 55. Males (7.2%) were 2 times more likely to be exposed to the eLearning either through seeing, hearing of, or participating in the program than females (3.3%). Male residents in Wagga Wagga (8.7%) were 3.1 times more likely to have seen, heard of, or participated in the Inspire Respect program than the females (3.3%). In addition, for the Wiradjuri and First Nations Youth project, exposure differed for age-groups, ethnicity, education, and income with those aged between 25-55, ATSI residents, TAFE/university educated and those with lower income level being more likely to have been exposed to it. Lastly, Wagga Wagga residents, over the last 12 months, were more likely to have engaged in taking prevention actions against domestic violence in the forms of engaging in conversation about DV and calling out inappropriate attitudes/behaviours. Public campaigns such as theDVproject:2650 can be highlight effective when supported with appropriate training and education strategies. Access to appropriate and relevant education and training that challenges stereotypical attitudes and creates awareness of the dynamics of domestic violence and its nuances enables individuals to become better informed. Extensive workforce development in addition assist in bringing about collective shifts in attitudes that condemn domestic violence. Thus, continued campaigns, appropriate training and education, and workforce development to challenge harmful domestic violence attitudes, increase understanding and capabilities are essential and must be prioritised. In closing, this report illustrated some positive shifts in domestic violence attitudes in the Wagga Wagga community. The information available in this report is useful to recognise the areas where prevention efforts towards DV in the Wagga Wagga community requires continued investment. There would also be some benefit from directing interventions specifically to young people under 24 years and people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds and new migrants and refugees, however further prevention approaches will need to also address determinants of attitudes and of domestic violence at the level of community, organisations and society, particularly those parts of the community that theDVproject:2650 has not reached out to. This will ensure reach of multiple prevention strategies in addressing harmful attitudes towards domestic violence and protection of vulnerable individuals and communities.
References Bograd, M. (1988). Feminist perspectives on wife abuse: an introduction. In K. Yllö & M. Bograd (Eds.), Feminist perspectives on wife abuse (pp. 11-26). Sage Publications. Carlson, B. E., & Worden, A. P. (2005). Attitudes and beliefs about domestic violence: Results of a public opinion survey: I. Definitions of domestic violence, criminal domestic violence, and prevalence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 20(10), 1197-1218. Coakes, S. J., Steed, L. G., & Ong, C. (2009). SPSS : analysis without anguish : version 16.0 for Windows. John Wiley & Sons Australia. Department of Social Services (DSS). (2016). The cost of violence against women and their children in Australia. https://www.dss.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/08_2016/the_cost_of_violence_against_women_and_t heir_children_in_australia_-_summary_report_may_2016.pdf Field, A. P. (2009). Discovering statistics using SPSS (3rd ed.). Sage. Fink, A. (2006). How to conduct surveys : a step-by-step guide (3rd ed.). Sage Publications. Gondolf, E. W. (1998). Appreciating diversity among battered women. In E. W. Gondolf (Ed.), Assessing woman battering in mental health services (pp. 113-131). Sage. Gracia, E., & Herrero, J. (2006). Acceptability of domestic violence against women in the European Union: A multilevel analysis. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 60(2), 123-129. Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2010). Multivariate data analysis : a global perspective (7th / ed.). Pearson. Lewis, R., Dobash, R. E., Dobash, R. P., & Cavanagh, K. (2001). Law's progressive potential: The value of engagement with the law for domestic violence. Social & Legal Studies, 10(1), 105-130. Organization, W. H. (2010). Preventing intimate partner and sexual violence against women: Taking action and generating evidence. World Health Organization. Pallant, J. (2020). SPSS survival manual: A step by step guide to data analysis using IBM SPSS. Routledge. Pennay, D., & Powell, A. (2012). More than ready: bystander action to prevent violence against women. Rees, S., & Pease, B. (2007). Domestic Violence in Refugee Families in Australia. Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies, 5(2), 1-19. Renzetti, C. M. (2004). Feminist theories of violent behavior. In M. A. Zahn, H. H. Brownstein, & S. L. Jackson (Eds.), Violence: from theory to research (pp. 131-143). LexisNexis Anderson Publishing. Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2007). Using multivariate statistics (5th ed.). Pearson/Allyn & Bacon. United Nations (UN). (1993). Declaration on the elimination of violence against women. New York: UN. Wagga Women's Health Centre (WWHC). (2017). Domestic Violence in Wagga Wagga: Community Attitudes Survey. W. W. s. H. Centre. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/581178f02994caff5acacf12/t/5b469e81f950b7b6b704a94f/15313547 65736/CommunityAttitudesReport_Wagga-FINAL.pdf Webster, K., Diemer, K., Honey, N., Mannix, S., Mickle, J., Morgan, J., Parkes, A., Politoff, V., Powell, A., & Stubbs, J. (2018). Australians’ attitudes to violence against women and gender equality. Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety. Winstok, Z., & Straus, M. A. (2011). Gender Differences in Intended Escalatory Tendencies Among Marital Partners. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, forthcoming. World Health Organization (WHO). (2013). Responding to intimate partner violence and sexual violence against women: WHO clinical and policy guidelines. World Health Organization.
List of Tables Table 1. Participants’ Identified Gender in Wagga Wagga from 2016 to 2021 ................................... 20 Table 2. Age group of participants in Wagga Wagga from 2016 to 2021 ............................................ 20 Table 3. Ethnicity breakdown of the sample ......................................................................................... 21 Table 4. Highest educational level attained. ......................................................................................... 21 Table 5. Employment status of respondents ........................................................................................ 22 Table 6. Total household income ......................................................................................................... 23 Table 7. Percentage of residents in Wagga Wagga in 2021 who agree that the following behaviours are considered forms of domestic violence, separated by gender. ...................................................................... 25 Table 8. Percentage of residents in Wagga Wagga in 2021 who agree that the following behaviours are considered forms of domestic violence, separated by ethnicity. .................................................................... 26 Table 9. Percentage of residents in Wagga Wagga in 2021 who agree that the following behaviours are considered forms of domestic violence, separated by employment status .................................................... 27 Table 10. Percentage of residents in Wagga Wagga in 2021 who agree that the following domestic violence behaviours are serious, separated by gender. ............................................................................. 28 Table 11. Percentage of residents in Wagga Wagga in 2021 who agree that the following domestic violence behaviours are serious, separated by age group. ........................................................................ 29 Table 12. Percentage of residents in Wagga Wagga in 2021 who state that the following circumstances justify domestic violence, separated by age group. ............................................................................... 32 Table 13. Percentage of residents in Wagga Wagga in 2021 who state that the following circumstances justify domestic violence, separated by ethnicity. .................................................................................. 32 Table 14. Percentage of residents in Wagga Wagga in 2021 identifying who they believe the main perpetrator of is, separated by gender, age, ethnicity, education, employment, and income. ................................ 35 Table 15. Percentage of residents in Wagga Wagga in 2021 identifying what they believe is the main reason women stay in violent relationships, separated by gender, age, ethnicity, education, employment, and income. ...................................................................................................................................................... 37 Table 16. Percentage of residents in Wagga Wagga in 2021 identifying what they believe is the main cause of domestic violence, separated by gender, age, ethnicity, education, employment, and income. . 38 Table 17. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements about the legal aspects of domestic violence. ...................................................................................................... 40 Table 18. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements about the prevalence of domestic violence. ................................................................................................. 41 Table 19. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements about the prevalence of domestic violence, as separated by gender. ......................................................... 41 Table 20. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements that trivialise domestic violence, as separated by age-group. .......................................................................... 44 Table 21. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements that trivialise domestic violence, as separated by ethnicity. .............................................................................. 44
Table 22. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements about gender roles, separated by gender. ................................................................................................................... 46 Table 23. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements about gender roles, separated by ethnicity. ................................................................................................................. 46 Table 24. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements about decisionmaking in relationships. ................................................................................................................ 48 Table 25. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements about decisionmaking in relationships, separated by ethnicity. .......................................................................... 48 Table 26. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements about decisionmaking in relationships, separated by education level................................................................. 49 Table 27. Pattern of responding for how bystanders are willing to respond to witnessing domestic violence, across the various demographic groups. ................................................................................................. 50 Table 28. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements regarding preparedness to intervene and knowledge of assistance. ........................................................... 51 Table 29. Engagement in the campaigns and interventions, in terms of seeing, hearing of, and participating in, among the respondents from the Wagga Wagga community in 2021. ........................................ 53
List of Figures Figure 1: 2021 Survey sample participants according to gender ......................................................... 20 Figure 2: 2021 Survey sample participants according to age .............................................................. 21 Figure 3: 2021 Survey sample participants according to education level............................................. 22 Figure 4: 2021 Survey sample participants according to employment status ..................................... 23 Figure 5: 2021 Survey sample participants according to income ........................................................ 24 Figure 6. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population) who agree that the specified behaviours are considered forms of domestic violence. ....................................................................................... 24 Figure 7. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population) who agree that the specified behaviours of domestic violence are serious. ..................................................................................................... 28 Figure 8. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population) that identify the circumstances residents believe domestic violence can be justified. .................................................................................. 31 Figure 9. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population) reporting who they think the main perpetrator of domestic violence is. ................................................................................................................ 34 Figure 10. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements about the main reason why women stay in violent relationships. ......................................................................... 35 Figure 11. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements about the main cause of domestic violence. ......................................................................................................... 38 Figure 12. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements that trivialise domestic violence. ........................................................................................................................ 43 Figure 13. Responses (as percentages of the entire survey population who agree) to statements about gender roles. ............................................................................................................................................. 45 Figure 14. Responses on how bystanders are willing to respond to witnessing domestic violence. ... 50 Figure 15. theDVproject:2650 participated in ....................................................................................... 54 Figure 16. Over last 12 months, prevention of domestic violence efforts engaged in ......................... 56
Appendices
You are invited to participate in the Wagga Wagga City Council 2021 Community Attitudes Survey that will ask you questions about your understanding of domestic and family violence in Wagga Wagga. You will also be asked some questions about your familiarity with the activities of theDVproject:2650 (primary prevention of domestic and family violence project). The findings from this survey will help direct future community education and awarenessraising strategies to address domestic and family violence in Wagga Wagga. If this survey raises any concerns for you, please contact 1800RESPECT, Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636, Lifeline 131 114 or Online Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800 737 732. What’s involved? 1. The survey will take around 10 minutes to complete 2. Your answers are anonymous. No one will be able to identify you 3. The results of the survey will be published on https://wagga.nsw.gov.au. website. * By taking part, you confirm that you: Understand the information you have been provided here, and Agree to complete the survey. Yes, I agree
* 1. What is your postcode?
* 2. Are you: Male Female Binary/Gender Diverse Prefer not to answer
* 3. What is your age? under 18 18 to 24 years 25 to 39 years 45 to 55 years 56 years and older
* 4. What is your ethnic background? (e.g. Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander, European, African, Asian)
* 5. What is the highest level of formal education you have completed? Primary School
Trade/apprenticeship qualification/TAFE/Technical
Year 10 or below
Bachelor's Degree
Year 12
Master's Degree or higher
Other (please specify)
* 6. What is your employment status? Employed Unemployed Engaged in home duties Other (please specify)
Studying Retired Unable to Work
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