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.

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.