Sexual Violence in Australia

Abstract

Sexual violence, a term that covers a wide range of criminal behaviours, occurs with alarming frequency within the Australian population. Recent research suggests that 1.2 million adult women in Australia have experienced an incident of sexual violence since the age of 15. While there is presently no measure of the true incidence of sexual violence amongst the male population, recorded crime statistics indicate that males in the 10-14 year age group experience a rate of victimisation of 86 per 100,000 population. It is likely that the real figures are much higher. The impact of these crimes on the individuals concerned, their friends and families, and the community generally, cannot be overstated. This report will summarise what we know, and what we do not know, about sexual violence in Australia. It is well documented that sexual violence is a crime overwhelmingly perpetrated by males against females but within these two groups there is room for considerable variation. Factors such as age, race, physical or mental impairment, drug and alcohol use, occupation and prior experiences of victimisation are also relevant. As a result, sexual violence disproportionately affects certain groups within the Australian community. The effects of sexual violence on the individual (and their immediate social and family network) can be devastating and long-lasting. Victim/survivors may experience a combination of effects, including emotional, social, interpersonal, educational, vocational and financial repercussions. The Australian criminal justice system and governments have developed a range of programs and services to address the issue of sexual violence-both from the perspective of offending and victimisation. These responses will be considered in this report.

Enhancing the credibility of complainants in child sexual assault trials: The effect of expert evidence and judicial directions

“…Studies conducted in the USA show that conviction rates are consistently low, with most convictions resulting from guilty pleas (Cross, Walsh, Simone, & Jones, 2003;Motivans & Kyckelhahn, 2007). The available statistical trends in Australia in relation to child sex offences compared with non-sexual offences disclose (a) high attrition rates both after first report and prior to trial (Cook, David, & Grant, 2001;Crime and Misconduct Commission, Queensland, 2003;Fitzgerald, 2006;Wundersitz, 2003), (b) a lower guilty plea rate compared with other offences (Fitzgerald, 2006), (c) a higher rate of withdrawal or dismissal without a hearing, and a lower probability of conviction when a case proceeds to trial (Fitzgerald, 2006;Wundersitz, 2003), and (d) a high rate of success on appeal (Hazlitt, Poletti, & Donnelly, 2004). For example, in 2004, the overall conviction rate for those charged with a child sex offence in the higher courts in NSW was 57.7 per cent, although most convictions resulted from guilty pleas (45.4% pleaded guilty compared with 12.3% found guilty) (Fitzgerald, 2006, p. 8).…”

Stopping rape

“…Heath (2005) calculates that convictions have not risen above 3.1 per cent of reports in any year in the previous decade. These figures are all the more disturbing since at least 85 per cent of sexual offences are never reported to the police (McLennan, 1996;Cook et al, 2001;de Visser et al, 2003;Lievore, 2003;Larcombe, 2011). Alternative models have been proposed.…”

A Capacity Building Process for Women with a History of Child Sexual Abuse

“…CSA is correlated with a wide variety of short-and long-term impacts (Beitchman, Zucker, Hood, da Costa, & Akman, 1991;Beitchman et al, 1992;Briere, 1992;Bushnell, Wells, & Oakley-Browne, 1992;). CSA has been directly linked to an increase in the prevalence of mental illness (Bifulco, Brown, & Adler, 1991;Elliot & Briere, 1995;Kendler et al, 2000;Macmillan et al, 2001;Mullen, Martin, Anderson, Romans, & Herbison, 1993), addiction (Berry & Sellman, 2001;Kingree, Thompson, & Kaslow, 1999;Langeland & van den Brink, 2004;Manhal-Baugus, 1998;Miller, 2000;Walton-Moss & Becker, 2000), physical illness (Eonseca & Booth, 1997;Mayer, 1995), experiencing violence (Astbury et al, 2000;Attorney General's Department, 2001;Cook & Grant, 2001;Department of Indigenous Affairs, 2002;Gladstone et al, 2004;Romans, 1997;Sadoff, 2004 (Brown, Cohen, Chen, Smailes, & Johnson, 2004;Einbender & Friedrich, 1989;Fergusson, Horwood, & Lynskey, 1997;Hickie, 1996), to name a few of the adverse sequelae. The cost to our society is enormous in terms of health, social and economic expenditure, but worse is the loss of aptitude for so many people with considerable gifts, who are not employed or developing their full potential.…”