Almost half of young Australians believe tracking their partner by going through their computer or phone, or by installing phone and computer tracking software, is acceptable.

This was one of the findings from a nationally representative survey of 1923 people aged between 16 and 24 about their attitudes towards violence against women. The results were launched by VicHealth in Melbourne on Thursday.

Although 84% agreed tracking a partner by electronic means without her consent was serious, 46% said it was acceptable to some degree. One in five young people agreed that men should take control in relationships.

And 20% of those surveyed said women often said “no” to sexual activity when they meant “yes”, and 18% agreed if a woman was raped while affected by alcohol or drugs she was partly responsible.

Two in five agreed that “rape results from men not being able to control their sexual urges”, an increase from one in three young people when the survey was last conducted in 2009.

There were no differences between young men and women in their preparedness to blame the victim of violence, VicHealth’s chief executive, Jerril Rechter, said.

“Rape is rape, and you never, ever blame the victim,” Rechter said.

“That is what we are all striving for society to realise, that there are no excuses for sexual assault.

“Young people are at a critical life stage where they are forming their views about how to live their lives, and we hope this report will be a powerful piece of information and research that can be used to make decisions around investing in education for young people to change their attitudes.”

One-quarter of young people agreed partner violence could be excused if the perpetrator regretted it, and 24% agreed partner violence could be excused if the perpetrator was so angry that they lost control.

“But we know from research that anger and alcohol themselves do not cause violence,” Rechter said.

As part of a domestic violence funding announcement by the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, on Thursday morning, an additional $5m had been allocated towards the safer schools website, which educates young people about respectful relationships.



In August the Victorian government announced religious instruction during school hours would be scrapped and replaced with education about building respectful relationships.

“Anything that can be done in places where young people are developing attitudes about how to engage in relationships with women is important,” Rechter said.

VicHealth said many men who commit sexual violence against women do so for the first time before the age of 20.

The study data came from a broader VicHealth survey of 17,500 Australians; researchers extracted and analysed the data from 16- to 24-year-old age group to look at young people’s attitudes specifically.

A criminologist and researcher on the study, Dr Anastasia Powell from RMIT University, said the attitudes of young people reflected the messages they received from society more broadly.

“As such, efforts to address the underlying causes of violence, namely the attitudes and practices that tolerate violence or produce gender inequality, are likely both to reduce the risk of violence in the short term, and to provide a sound foundation for equal and respectful relationships into adulthood,” Powell said.

• If you or someone you know is affected by sexual assault or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800respect.org.au.

