Sexual violence data shows single mums and students more likely to suffer sexual violence

New figures show which segments of our population are more at risk of sexual attacks, as rates of the crime continue to rise. Have your say.

Single mums and university students are more likely to be the victims of sexual violence, official figures show.

A shocking one in five women have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15 and most knew their attacker, according to new data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Those at higher risk of attack include university students, who are more than three times more likely to suffer sexual violence than other women.

While single mums with kids under 15 were also more likely to suffer sexual violence (7.6 per cent) than women living with a partner and no children (1.2 per cent).

ABS head of crime and justice statistics Will Milne said the data from 2021-22 Personal Safety Survey found an estimated two million women have experienced sexual violence by a man they knew, and around 600,000 by a male stranger.

ABS Director of Crime and Justice Statistics William Milne.

Full Stop Australia acting CEO Tara Hunter said most perpetrators of sexual violence or sexual harassment in the university setting were peers and other students. A smaller number were university staff.

“The university is like the workplace,” Ms Hunter said.

“It’s where students go regularly and the impact of sexual violence on people’s education is huge.

“They may drop out, take a break, or change their course due to safety or psychological impacts.”

Ms Hunter said a lack of consent education among university students was an issue and meant many young people did not realise until later that what happened to them was a crime.

She said the lack of consistent reporting of sexual violence by universities was also a concern.

She said single mums, another high risk group, tend to be more socially isolated, and therefore at risk of groomers.

Full Stop Australia Acting CEO Tara Hunter. Picture: Supplied

“We know factors like a woman having a child in their care can potentially create a situation where they have less choice or where they are unable to leave or escape,” Ms Hunter said.

Single mums are also more at risk of physical violence.

In some cases they may have left a violent relationship, but are still vulnerable to attacks from exes.

The ABS data also revealed that other people more at risk of sexual and physical violence are women under 24, renters, those under financial stress, women with a disability and those who identify as LGBTQI.

Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) released research year that found at least half of women under 30 had experience sexual violence.

“In all three categories – physical violence, sexual violence and sexual harassment – the rates of violence were much higher for young women between 18-24 years old,” ANROWS CEO Padma Raman said.

ANROWS CEO Padma Raman. Picture: Supplied

“The rate in which young women are experiencing violence is worrying and has implications for how we understand and respond to violence against women.”

The ABS also highlighted that more than 90 per cent of women who experienced sexual assault by a male did not report the most recent incident to police.

Only one in five perceived the most recent incident of sexual violence as a crime at the time it occurred.

Meanwhile, more males than females have suffered physical violence since the age of 15, with men more likely to be victims of violence by strangers, and women more likely to be victims of a male partner.

The survey revealed that while sexual harassment and physical violence continues to decrease, sexual violence against women is rising.

The survey also found the number of people feeling safe when walking alone or getting public transport after dark has increased steadily since 2005.

330,000 WOMEN SEXUALLY HARASSED AT WORK

From jokes about sexual positions to office romances, how you behave at work could land you in court.

Slater and Gordon employment lawyer Daniel Stojanoski said the types workplace sexual harassment cases he has been involved in range from unwanted stares to rape.

He said men can also be a victim of sexual harassment and all it takes is an inappropriate joke.

“There’s been a shift in men not accepting jokes from other men in the workplace,” Mr Stojanoski said.

Daniel Stojanoski, Practice Leader National Industrial and Employment Law, Slater and Gordon. Picture: Supplied

“Asking someone what sexual position they like can be seen as sexual harassment – and it is.”

He added that big corporations were also becoming more aware of workplace safety and some are asking people to self-report if they are having an office romance.

“You can still find love at work, but be careful,” Mr Stojanoski said. “Employers are saying tell us about it, be upfront.

“That’s particularly important for people in positions of power, a manager having a relationship with a younger employee.”

It comes as results from a personal safety survey found women who experienced sexual harassment within the last 12 months were most likely to face it as work or in a professional relationship.

More than a quarter of the 1.3 million women who experienced sexual harassment in the last 12 months said it happened at work or in a professional relationship and one in five said it was by an acquaintance or neighbour.

Of those women seven in 10 experienced face-to-face harassment and 57 per cent experienced harassment electronically.

Nearly all were harassed by a male perpetrator.

New data shows that 1.3 million women experienced sexual harassment in the last 12 months. Picture: istock

“Receiving inappropriate comments about their body or sex life was the most widely reported behaviour, experienced by 800,000 women,” Australian Bureau of Statistics spokesman Will Milne said.

“Half a million women received an indecent text, email, or post, while 400,000 were subjected to unwanted touching or grabbing.

“The survey found that an estimated 330,000 women were sexually harassed by someone who they had a work or professional relationship with, and 320,000 experienced it in person at their workplace.”

The 2021-22 Personal Safety Survey released by the ABS, found almost 427,000 men have experienced sexual harassment in the last 12 months and the perpetrator was as likely to be male as female.

Australian Human Rights Commission which produces a report on the workplace every year found that the industries with very high incidents of sexual harassment are information, media and telecommunications, arts and recreation services, electricity, gas, water and waste organisations, retail and mining.

If you or anyone you know is in need or crisis, please call the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or Lifeline (13 11 14).

Originally published as Sexual violence data shows single mums and students more likely to suffer sexual violence