EDITORIAL: THE spotlight on domestic violence has never been so bright and yet it seems community attitudes towards this endemic issue remain largely unchanged.
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A recent report looking at young people’s attitudes to domestic violence, sexual assault and respectful relationships demonstrates we have a long way to go.
Staggeringly, the report by Our Watch found one in four young people don’t think it’s serious if a guy, who’s normally gentle, sometimes slaps his girlfriend when he’s drunk and they’re arguing and one in three young people don’t think that exerting control over someone else is a form of violence.
It also revealed one in four young people think it’s pretty normal for guys to pressure girls into sex and 15 per cent of young people think it’s OK for a guy to pressure a girl for sex if they’re both drunk.
According to Pat McLaren from Warrnambool’s Emma House better education on respectful relationships is needed if we are ever going to move forward.
We also need to ensure that the young people in our community are seeing proper role models in their workplaces and their sporting clubs.
Instead through the media and popular culture they’re being sent messages that men need to be strong and in charge while women must be attractive and know their place.
For there to be a true cultural shift we need to see women’s equality put front and centre on the agenda.
In societies where women are in positions of power and have greater equality with men there is less violence towards women.
But perhaps the most important role models for young people, their parents, need to start demonstrating what a respectful relationship is.
By May 8 already 34 women had been killed in Australia as a result of domestic violence.
It’s already far too many and if we’re not careful we’ll see another generation follow down the same wretched path and the cycle will continue.