‘Concerning’ spike in number of Aussie men carrying out domestic violence

More than one third of Australian men admit they’ve either scared or intimidated their own loved ones, with concerns “intrusive, misogynist, violent porn” is helping fuel a spike in violence against women.

At least 120,000 men start being violent towards their partners every year, damning new research reveals.

More than one third of Australian men admit they’ve either scared or intimidated their own loved ones, up from one in four men 10 years ago.

The biggest spike in the worrying scourge in that time was among 18-24-year-olds, with concerns growing over their consumption of violent and misogynistic pornography.

The startling findings, released today in the Australian Institute of Family Studies’ Ten to Men report, mean more men than the entire population of Ballarat will carry out that behaviour for the first time each year.

Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner Micaela Cronin said the increasing amount of time boys spent online meant they were much more often exposed to “intrusive, misogynist, violent pornography”.

“They’re getting absolutely targeted,” she said.

“Younger people receiving information are being impacted by the changes in technology very differently than older generations are.

“How do we use it as a tool to get to those young people? Because they’re spending time on their devices.”

Young men are often exposed to intrusive, violent pornography. Picture: Supplied

The study, which has surveyed more than 16,000 boys and men since 2013, asked about 4500 men around the country about their backgrounds and behaviour, finding that men who were suicidal, depressed or anxious, isolated or unhappy with their lives were more than 60 per cent more likely to inflict violence on their partners.

While there was an increase in the use of violent behaviour in men of all ages, about 12 per cent of 18-24-year-olds exhibited it in 2013.

By the end of 2022, the study’s most recent data collection period, that figure had more than doubled to 30 per cent.

Ms Cronin said it was crucial to invest in staying ahead of major technological developments, such as artificial intelligence, and work with young men from an earlier age to understand their emotions and relationship dynamics.

“We need to really be thinking about how we support men, how we support boys as they’re growing up,” she said.

“Let’s listen to men and boys about what’s going to work for them.”

Hannah McGuire was found dead in Scarsdale on April 5, 2024. Picture: GoFundMe

Ms McGuire’s ex-boyfriend Lachlan Young. Picture: Instagram

Alleged violent behaviour among younger men has had deadly consequences in Victoria.

Across Victoria, there were 19 alleged family violence murders last year.

Lachlan Young was 21 years old in April last year when he allegedly murdered his ex-girlfriend, 23-year-old Hannah McGuire and left her body in a burnt out car.

Mr Young has pleaded not guilty and has been remanded to face the Supreme Court at a later date.

Nationally, emotional abuse was the most common type of reported violence as 32 per cent of men said they made their partners feel “frightened or anxious”.

Nine per cent said they had hit, slapped, kicked or physically hurt their partners in a fit of rage.

But men who felt like they had a strong relationship with their father and felt affection growing up were 48 per cent less likely to carry out violence against their loved ones.

Ten to Men’s program lead and Dr Sean Martin said the research underscored Australia’s growing domestic violence crisis, with Victorian crime data recording more than 100,000 reports of family violence in the past year.

Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek. Picture Martin Ollman

Report co-author and University of Melbourne joint family violence prevention chair Kelsey Hegarty (Prof) said that figure was “just the tip of the iceberg”, and called for training that would help GPs and health professionals ask questions that would identify people at higher risk of perpetrating domestic violence.

“This is a major significant health issue for families. We know that it’s causing great harm

“We haven’t trialled interventions in those settings. We haven’t trained health practitioners for it.

“We need to do more across the whole system to prevent this wicked problem.

“We need to continue to, at all parts of the system, be significantly trying to engage men.”

Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek said: “This new research is concerning, but sadly not surprising”.

“It’s critical that we look at the factors that might lead to violence so we can make sure we’re funding programs that stop it at the start.”