Sexual violence is a major social and health issue. According to the
Australian Bureau of Statistics Women's Safety Australia 1996, 15.2% of Australian women had experienced sexual assault since the age of 15.This national household survey found that 1.5% of the 6,300 women who responded had been sexually assaulted in the 12 months prior to the survey. The figure for young women (aged between 18 and 24) was 2.5%.
The number of female victims of reported sexual assaults is far greater than that of male victims. According to the Queensland Police Annual Statistical Review 1998 – 1999, the number of reported sexual offences against women aged 15 or over was 1665 compared with 463 reported sexual offences against males aged 15 or over.
Young women, women with disabilities and Indigenous women are at higher risk of sexual violence. The Women’s Health Australia longitudinal study of over 40,000 women has found higher levels of sexual violence in rural areas compared with urban and remote areas.
Violence was highly correlated with poor mental health status in young women.
The short and long term sequelae of sexual violence can include gynaecological problems, somatic conditions, gastro-intestinal disorders, substance abuse, depression, eating disorders, high-risk behaviours and suicide.
Studies show women who have been abused use health services more than other women and they tend to assess their general health as not very good.
General policy directions and strategies to support these population groups include specific training in cultural issues, the development of culturally and linguistically appropriate resources for specific communities, increased liaison and collaboration between general and specific health programs, training in the recognition of violence, use of interactive communication technologies and further research.
This page last updated:
27 July, 2006
Review date: July, 2007
Copyright | Disclaimer | Privacy | Feedback
|
Other languages
© The State of Queensland (Queensland Health) 2008.