Conducted by VicHealth, NCAS is a nation-wide survey of community attitudes towards violence against women.

The 2013 survey, a Department of Social Services funded initiative under the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010 – 2022 (the National Plan), is the third survey of its kind, with the first undertaken in 1995 and the second in 2009.

The survey’s findings tell us that we have been able to challenge the attitudes that allow violence against women to occur, with sustained improvements since 1995 in a number of areas. However, there are other areas in which progress has been minimal, along with some concerning negative findings.

Positive findings from the survey include:

• around nine in 10 Australians believe that a woman should not remain in a violent relationship to keep the family together
• 98 per cent of Australians would intervene if they witnessed a woman they know being assaulted by her partner; and
• 92 per cent of Australians would intervene if they witnessed an unknown woman being assaulted.

However, the concerning findings include:

• one in five Australians think that there are there are circumstances in which violence can be excused
• more than three in five Australians see violence against women as being primarily due to some men not being able to manage their anger.

The National Plan’s Second Action, agreed by all governments contains 26 practical actions to drive whole of community engagement in reducing violence against women.

More information:

2013 National of Community Attitudes towards Violence Against Women Survey (NCAS)

National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022

Source: http://www.dss.gov.au/about-the-department/news/2014/attitudes-to-violence-against-women (22nd September 2014)