A massive survey carried out every four years has found that many Australians continue to explain away women's experience of sexism, violence and abuse, deny there is a problem, and shift the blame away from men.

Some community attitudes have gone backwards while others remain concerning, according to the not-for-profit research organisation that compiled the report - Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety (ANROWS).

The National Community Attitudes toward Violence against Women Survey (NCAS) collects information from 17,500 Australians aged 16 and over.

The concerning results include:

1 in 7 Australians do not agree that women are as capable as men in politics and in the workplace

Nearly one quarter of Australians see no harm in telling sexist jokes

2 in 5 Australians believe many women exaggerate how unequally women are treated in Australia

1 in 5 Australians believe domestic violence is a normal reaction to stress, and that sometimes a woman can make a man so angry he hits her without meaning to

1 in 8 believe that if a woman is raped while she is drunk or affected by drugs she is at least partly responsible

Almost 20 per cent are not aware that non-consensual sex in marriage is illegal

1 in 7 believe non-consensual sex is justified if the woman initiates intimacy

1 in 3 believe that if a woman sends a nude image to her partner, she is partly responsible if he shares it without her permission

Some results have also gone backwards.

The percentage of people who recognise that men are more likely than women to use violence in relationships has gone down 22 per cent since 1995.

The percentage who recognise women are more likely to suffer greater physical harm from this violence has gone down 8 per cent since 2009.

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Whatsapp People carry signs at a #MeToo rally in December, 2017.

ANROWS chief Dr Heather Nancarrow said it was worrying so many Australians were denying the problem of violence against women.

"Despite an increase in the number of high-profile cases of sexual violence in the media, such as those involved in the #MeToo movement, it is deeply concerning that so many Australians are still not believing women who come forward with claims of violence and sexual assault," she said.

"Momentum towards ending violence against women is clearly building in Australia.

"We must continue our efforts and capitalise on the gains being made, so that we can build a safe and respectful future for all."

The top predictors of supporting violence against women

The survey also looked at the factors that predict whether a person or group will have an attitude that supports violence against women.

The top predictors included whether a person agreed with gender equality, whether they had sexist or racist ideas, and whether they understood violence against women was a problem, including emotional abuse.

Demographic factors included being 65 and over, a man, working in highly male-dominated occupations, mainly having male friends, or experiencing one or more forms of disadvantage, such as having a low education.

However, despite the concerning results above, there was good news.

Australians were less likely to hold attitudes supportive of violence against women in 2017 than they were in 2013 or 2009.

They were also more likely to support gender equality than in previous surveys and understand that violence against women can be things than other than physical.

Attitudes are changing, but is violence going down?

The latest Personal Safety Survey by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows sexual violence and harassment are going up.

The proportion of women experiencing sexual violence in 2016 increased from 1.2 per cent to 1.8 per cent since the previous survey conducted in 2012.

How does this square with the NCAS survey, which shows Australians are less likely to hold attitudes supporting violence against women compared with the past?

The NCAS report suggests this may be due to women being more likely to report violence than they have been in the past.

It also says research from other countries shows there may be a temporary increase in violence when conditions for women improve (referred to as the 'backlash effect').

Another reason may be that it takes time to change complex and entrenched human behaviours, and other factors may be working to increase the risk of violence. The report notes that use of violent pornography has gone up, and this may be linked to perpetrating violence against women.