Community attitudes towards violence against women

Community attitudes and beliefs embrace gender equality and condemn all forms of gendered violence without exception.

Increase in community attitudes that condemn violence against women.

The mean score on the Attitudes Towards Violence against Women Scale (AVAWS).

An increase in the mean score on the Attitudes Towards Violence against Women Scale (AVAWS) would indicate an increase in attitudes that reject violence against women.

2021

The mean score for the attitudinal rejection of violence against women (AVAWS).

Data element: Mean score—rejection of violence against women
Data source: NCAS
Data source type: Survey

NA

Data element: NA
Data source: NA
Data source type: NA

This measure is expressed as a mean score.

Numerator only.

For each reference period, nationally, by: 

• state and territory
• gender 
• age 
• sexuality
• remoteness
• type of violence scale (DVS and SVS).

The NCAS sample consists of Australians aged 16 years or over.
The AVAWS comprises three psychometrically validated subscales, each measuring a different conceptual aspect of attitudes towards violence against women. Respondents were asked whether they agree or disagree with attitudes that support violence on a 5-point scale: “Strongly agree”, “Somewhat agree”, “Neither agree or disagree”, “Somewhat disagree”, “Strongly disagree”. 
The Minimise Violence Subscale comprises 15 statements that minimise the seriousness of violence against women and shift blame from perpetrators to victims and survivors. The Mistrust Women Subscale comprises 13 statements that mistrust women’s reports of violence. The Objectify Women Subscale comprises 15 statements that objectify women or disregard the need to gain women’s consent. 
Higher mean scores on subscales indicate higher rejection of the problematic attitudes.
Rasch analysis was used to compute a (rescaled Rasch) score for each respondent. Scores on each scale could range from 0 to 100, with higher scores representing higher understanding of violence or higher rejection of problematic attitudes.

For some population groups, numbers may be too small to be reported on separately.  
The NCAS is unlikely to ever provide disaggregation by disability status alone for this measure. Disability status and age are related, and age and attitudes are related. When entered with age, disability status was not a predictor of attitudes. If the bivariate relationship between disability status and attitudes were to be reported, it would be misleading, given that in 2021, the effect was driven by age.
Where the RSE for numbers and estimates is between 25% and 50%, this will be indicated in the data visualisation and any accompanying data tables. Where the RSE is greater than 50%, the data will not be published.