‘Men justified in forcing themselves on a woman if she changes her mind about sex’, one in seven young Australians say
- The survey, conducted once every four years, also found almost one in three young Australians believe that women prefer a man to be in charge of a relationship
The findings from the National Community Attitudes Towards Violence Against Women Survey (NCAS) youth report released on Wednesday reveal that while young people increasingly believe in equality in the workplace and in leadership, they are less likely to recognise sexism, coercion or other problematic behaviours in their own relationships.
Of 1,761 people aged between 16 and 24 surveyed, 43 per cent supported the statement: “I think it’s natural for a man to want to appear in control of his partner in front of his male friends.”
The survey, commissioned by Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women and Safety (Anrows) and VicHealth, is conducted every four years. The latest analysis comes from data collected in 2017.
When presented with a scenario in which a man takes a woman to her home after a party, ignores her pushing him away and has sex with her regardless, four per cent of respondents said he was justified; that fell to three per cent when the couple were imagined to be married.