One third of men believe rape victims just 'regret' consensual sex afterwards, survey finds
Almost one in seven young people in Australia believe a man is justified in raping a woman if she initiated intimacy but then refused, according to a new study.
The major research survey by Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety and VicHealth found an alarming number of young people were confused around consent and control.
The National Community Attitudes towards Violence against Women Survey Youth report said nearly a third of young men believe many women who said they had been raped had instead led men on and then regretted it.
While over a quarter of those surveyed said women who’d had their nudes shared without consent— also known as “revenge porn” — blamed the victims.
The report, which was released on Wednesday, surveyed 1,761 Australians aged between 16 and 24 in 2017 about their views on violence against women and gender equality.
ANROWS CEO Dr Heather Nancarrow said the survey’s findings showed that Australia has “a long way to go in educating young people about the difference between a healthy relationship and abusive behaviour”.
Lead researcher Dr Anastasia Powell from RMIT added that the survey showed young men in particular displayed worrying attitudes around consent.
“We need to do more to teach young men about what consent looks like. Swiping right is not consent, kissing is not consent and saying yes to one sexual act doesn’t give blanket consent to everything,” Dr Powell said.
“It’s highly problematic that young men think it’s sometimes OK to force sex on a woman, or believe that women want men to persistently pursue them even after they’ve said they’re not interested.
“It’s also disturbing that some young men still resort to victim blaming when it comes to sexual abuse, such as blaming women for being raped, or holding a woman responsible when a nude image is shared without her consent.”
The survey’s other key findings were that almost a quarter of young men think women find it flattering to be persistently pursued, even if they aren’t interested.
The research also revealed that while young people were supporting of gender equality compared to previous surveys, many still believed “men should be in charge when it comes to a relationship”.
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au.
In an emergency call 000.
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