Understanding of violence against women among young people

5.3 Targeted prevention initiatives support children and young people to recognise the drivers and behaviours that constitute GBV and the long-term consequences.

Increased understanding by children and young people of the behaviours that constitute GBV and recognition that the impacts can be long-lasting.

The mean score on the Understanding of Violence against Women Scale (UVAWS) among young people.

An increase in community understanding of behaviours that constitute gendered violence would indicate improvements in Australians’ understanding of gender-based violence.

2021

The mean score for the understanding violence against women (UVAWS) scale among people aged 16–24.

Data element: Mean score—understanding of violence
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
• subscale (Recognise VAW, Recognise DV, Gendered DV).

The NCAS sample consists of Australians aged 16 years or over. 
The UVAWS comprises three psychometrically validated subscales, each measuring a different conceptual aspect of understanding of violence against women:

• The Recognise VAW Subscale comprises four items that ask whether problematic behaviours are a form of violence against women on a four-point scale: “yes, always”, “yes, usually”, “yes, sometimes” and “no”. 
• The Recognise DV Subscale comprises 12 items that ask whether problematic behaviours are a form of domestic violence on a four-point scale: “yes, always”, “yes, usually”, “yes, sometimes”, “no”. 
• The Understand Gendered DV Subscale comprises three items that examine understanding of the gendered nature of domestic violence by asking about who is more likely to perpetrate and experience fear and harm from domestic violence: “men”, “women”, or “both equally”.

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.
Higher scores on the UVAWS and its subscales indicate higher understanding of violence. 

For some population groups, numbers may be too small to be reported on separately. 
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.