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Types of family violence

9 Oct 2019

Q. Which, if any of the following behaviours do you think would be considered as a type of family violence?

    Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+
Hitting, punching, etc. or restraining in any way 80% 78% 83% 68% 79% 92%
Displaying threatening behaviour 77% 72% 81% 63% 78% 87%
Harassing or threatening behaviour, calling insulting names 74% 68% 80% 65% 73% 83%
Non-consensual sexual activity 70% 63% 76% 58% 68% 81%
Limiting a person’s access to family and friends or lying to others about them 66% 58% 74% 54% 64% 79%
Controlling the money so a person is dependent on the other for finances 65% 57% 72% 54% 63% 76%
Making constant phone calls and sending text messages, or spying using electronic means 63% 57% 69% 50% 62% 76%
Withdrawal of support, control through anger or stonewalling 61% 55% 67% 53% 58% 72%
Not letting a person practise their own religion or forcing them to follow a religion they don’t want to 58% 50% 65% 47% 56% 69%
Controlling access to drugs or medication 56% 49% 62% 46% 57% 63%
None of these 3% 3% 4% 5% 4% 2%
Base 1,097 552 575 357 366 374

 

  Total Federal Voting Intention
Labor Coalition Greens Independent / Other
Hitting, punching, etc. or restraining in any way 80% 81% 79% 81% 86%
Displaying threatening behaviour 77% 80% 74% 82% 77%
Harassing or threatening behaviour, calling insulting names 74% 78% 71% 76% 77%
Non-consensual sexual activity 70% 72% 67% 76% 74%
Limiting a person’s access to family and friends or lying to others about them 66% 67% 66% 72% 69%
Controlling the money so a person is dependent on the other for finances 65% 68% 60% 72% 66%
Making constant phone calls and sending text messages, or spying using electronic means 63% 68% 62% 67% 62%
Withdrawal of support, control through anger or stonewalling 61% 65% 58% 67% 65%
Not letting a person practise their own religion or forcing them to follow a religion they don’t want to 58% 60% 56% 59% 60%
Controlling access to drugs or medication 56% 60% 52% 64% 55%
None of these 3% 2% 2% 2% 2%
Base 1,097 346 346 115 154
  • The majority of participants (80%) considered physical abuse (hitting, punching, etc. or restraining in any way) as a form of family violence; however, this gradually decreased for less visible indicators of abuse such as spiritual and medical abuse (58% and 56%) respectively.
  • Broadly, men were less likely to identify forms of family violence outside of physical abuse than women – for example only 57% of men considered financial abuse as a form of family violence compared to 72% of women.
  • Younger participants were also less likely to consider any of the listed actions as family violence – with 68% of 18-34 year olds selecting physical abuse as a form of family violence compared to 92% of 55+ year olds.
  • Men aged between 18-34 years old were particularly less likely to identify forms of family violence with at most 63% indicating physical abuse and 39% spiritual abuse were forms of family violence.
  • Only two-fifths (42%) of men 18-34 years old believed harassing phone calls, or spying using electronic means was a form of family violence.
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