Violence in society is a major issue requiring action by governments and individuals to eliminate. It is particularly odious when directed at the most vulnerable in society: women and children. It has been an important step, for example, for the ACT to legislate to prohibit corporal punishment in schools. It might not be possible to legislate against all violence, but its deliberate application by people in authority can be legislated against.
With respect to women, it is appalling that so many women must fear going alone on to public transport or into public places at night. It is appalling that in the home some women are subjected to domestic violence. Governments have acted on that problem with domestic violence orders and other measures.
Last week the Australian Bureau of Statistics published the results of its women’s safety survey. On its face it presents a terrible picture of increasing violence against women. But on closer analysis, it seems the violence picture is not as grim as the bureau and its sponsors for this research would have us believe.
The ABS survey arose from a Council of Australian Government working group on the national strategy on violence against women. The survey method is open to question. Unlike most other ABS surveys, it was voluntary. Twenty-two per cent declined to take part. It possible, and probably very likely, that those who wanted to take part were more likely to be women who had suffered violence and that for those who did not answer violence was not an issue. That skews the survey.
Then the definition of “”violence” is a very wide one … “”any occurrence, attempt or threat of either physical or sexual abuse”. There was a subjective element to the survey … “”While, inevitably, the incidents of violence reported by women reflected their perceptions of the concepts and definitions used, the incidents reported were judged as significant by the respondent.” And specially trained interviewers were used to establish “”rapport” with respondents and to explain the definitions.
Then the bureau admits that the survey does not allow to detailed disaggregation of the data. That is convenient because it prevents grading the nature of the violence.
The end result is that a picture is built up of a society very violent to women, one in which 7.1 per cent have “”experienced violence” in the past year. The image is one of blood and bruises to 7.1 per cent of women which then generates a demand for greater action and more power and resources for those dealing with the violence. But it could well be that a very large proportion of that 7.1 per cent suffered verbal threat by men not intending to go beyond words.
This survey ultimately does its sponsors’ cause no good. By structuring the survey in a way skewed to presenting a picture of greater violence, it risks not only having the survey dismissed as tendentious exaggeration but having the whole issue dismissed for that reason, and that would be a great tragedy for the women and children who do suffer violence.
The damning admission of survey is that while it found 5.9 per cent of women had experienced “”physical violence” and 1.5 per cent had been sexually assaulted, the most recent ABS crime and safety survey found the figures to be 1.8 per cent and 0.6 per cent respectively.
Fortunately, the ABS has such a tradition of integrity that it publishing full details of its methodology, warts and all. Policy-makers would do well to read the warts before taking any action based on the survey. And people in the community should be advised to treat any shorthand transcription of the results with care.