Sexual violence reports have reached the highest rate in Australia since recording began in 1993 with Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek declaring more needs to be done to reach young boys influenced by online “manosphere” content.
The damning milestone was revealed in the latest Yearly Report by Australia’s Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner Micaela Cronin, tabled to parliament by Ms Plibersek on Wednesday.
She raised concerns over the teachers increasingly reporting boys as young as six using language from the “manosphere” — which often promotes misogyny and entitlement that can underpin sexual violence.
Ms Plibersek described how pornography that “once lived in the back room of video stores now sits in children’s pockets”, with smart phones normalising access to harmful sexual content.
The Labor frontbencher said the issues remained “so pervasive” and the government was tackling them through system reforms, financial and service supports, and national coordination.
“Our responses simply won’t be effective if they can’t keep pace with the new frontiers of violence that we face,” she said.
“Technology has created innovative ways to control, humiliate, and abuse, and we now live in a world where teachers across the country are reporting little boys as young as six using language that they pick up from the so-called manosphere, parents and educators can’t be expected to take on billion-dollar tech companies alone.
“That’s why dealing with online harm remains a central focus of our government.
“But we can’t pretend for a second, that we can put the genie back in the bottle when it comes to the avalanche of violent pornography that exists online.
“But by restricting access and investing in age-appropriate 21st-century sex education and porn literacy, we’re giving young people the best possible chance to learn about consent and love from people that they trust.”
Commissioner Cronin remarked in the report that sexual violence needs to be “a distinct, resourced priority within the National Plan”.
“Reports of sexual violence are at the highest level since national recording began in 1993 — 33 years ago,” she said.
“Roughly 6 in 10 incidents of sexual violence occur outside family and intimate partner relationships.
“And sexual violence too often gets treated as an adjunct to broader reform rather than the serious and distinct harm it is in its own right.”
The report drew from more than 700 engagements with stakeholders — including through roundtables, consultation, lived experience councils, public events and via either email or phone correspondence.
It found persistent issues included persistent homelessness or unmet accommodation needs for women and children affected by violence as well as increasing rates of First Nations intimate partner homicide and hospitalisations.
It claimed there had been “little change since” in the accommodation issues and now “almost one in four” of the specialist homelessness services clients were reported as experiencing FDV.
“The longer-term trend shows unmet accommodation need remains substantially higher than a decade ago,” the report stated.
Shadow Minister for Women Melissa McIntosh focused her reply speech to the report on the immediate, practical, and human consequences of domestic and family violence, especially housing and safety when women leave.
She told the parliament that a constituent experiencing FDV had been “hiding out in my electorate office” because she was scared to go home.
“In the 12 months of March this year, 1285 domestic violence related assaults were recorded in the Penrith local government area,” the Liberal Lindsay MP told Parliament.
“That is the equivalent of one being recorded on average roughly every seven hours, morning, afternoon, night.”
Ms McIntosh said women fleeing violence were often faced with a “cliff” of where to go and an average immediate cost of more than $7000.
“A woman who finally does find the courage to leave (should) not open the front door and find another cliff waiting on the other side. I don’t think that’s impossible in this country,” she said.
“We tell her to leave. We tell her she deserves better. We tell her to take her children. We tell her to get somewhere safe.
“(But those words) mean very little if there’s nowhere safe for her to go.
“I want you to imagine the moment. The bag is packed. The children are beside her. Her heart is racing. Her hands are on the door.
“She shouldn’t have to know every answer. She should not have to have money and be wealthy. She should not have to be fearless. She should only have to know that when she finds the courage to walk out, her country will not fail her.
“When she walks through that door, Australia must be on the other side, somewhere safe, somewhere with practical help.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing family violence, phone 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) or the Crisis Care Helpline on 1800 199 008.
If you or someone you know needs help, contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732), or Sexual Assault Counselling Australia on 1800 211 028, the WA Sexual Assault Resource Centre on 6458 1828 or 1800 199 888 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
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