New figures from NCAS and ANROWS show big gap in Australia's understanding of domestic violence

Two in 10 wrongly believe men and women are equally likely to suffer harm as a result.

One-third believe women use sexual assault claims to "get back" at men. And nearly 40 per cent agree that women make up or exaggerate claims of domestic violence to gain an advantage in custody battles.

And we don't think violence against women happens to "people like us".

While more than 90 per cent of respondents agreed that violence against women is a problem in Australia, just under half agreed that it is a problem in their own suburb or town.

New figures from the National Community Attitudes Survey (NCAS), conducted by the Australia's National Research Organisation for Women (ANROWS), reveal a shocking gap in understanding domestic violence.

Both measures have increased since the last survey in 2017.

"Attitudes rejecting violence against women have been slowly improving since 2013, unfortunately they have been improving too slowly to show significant change between 2017 and 2021. That's not great but we do know that attitudes are slow to change," research manager for ANROWS Nicole Weeks said.

Weeks says the latest survey shows high levels of backlash against understanding that gender inequality is a problem.

"There's an idea that women are exaggerating all these things and there's a lot of misinformation campaigns out there," she says.

The report also found that one in four Australians believe a sexually aroused man "may not realise the woman doesn't want to have sex" and one in five believes that a woman who gives her partner a naked picture of herself is partly responsible if he shares it without her consent.

But overall, says Weeks, attitudes towards gender inequality and sexual violence improved, albeit slowly between 2007 and 2021.

The survey also found that Australians had a greater understanding of financial abuse, rising from 53 per cent in 2013 to 81 per cent in 2021.

Minister for Women Senator Katy Gallagher said that, despite some progress, too many Australians have attitudes which entrench equality and discrimination.

"It is deeply concerning that one in 10 people still think that men should take control in relationships and be the head of the household, that almost one in 10 still believe that men make more capable bosses than women in the workplace, and that one in 10 agree with the statement that on the whole, men make better political leaders than women," she said.

"These are attitudes that continue to hold women back ... that undermine women's leadership, reinforce rigid gender roles, including in relationships, limit women's personal autonomy, normalise sexism and deny that gender inequality is a problem."

Katrina Marson, lawyer, advocate and author of Legitimate Sexpectations - the power of sex-ed, says if Australia wants any hope of changing the story, consent education must be adequately resourced.

"We've seen an increased appetite for better sex education to act as a protector but governments need to put money where its mouth is and implement those education measures," says Marson.

"When sex education is done well, it delays the first encounter and reduces the likelihood of a negative sexual encounter."

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In Canberra, the YWCA offers programs for primary school-aged children on respectful relationships.

CEO Frances Crimmins says educators have a window to change values.

"By the time young people are in high school, value sets are already entrenched. The early learning sector has a really big role to play."

The University of Melbourne's Kristin Diemer says that the big picture from the survey is positive but attitudinal mistrust of women's reports of sexual or domestic violence has been particularly resistant to change.

"We have not done enough to dispel these myths," she says.

"While there has been much positive public support for high profile cases of women telling their story and using the justice system to hold their male perpetrators to account for the abuse they suffered, there has also been a great amount of misinformation campaigns showing mistrust for their claims, or perpetuating myths and stereotypes of these women not being or acting like 'true victims'."

ANROWS CEO Padma Raman says the National Plan to End Violence Against Women, agreed to by all governments, is the blueprint on how to go forward.

"Whilst these findings show really pleasing shifts in Australians' attitudes towards sexual violence, we still have a long way to go in correcting victim-blaming attitudes and rape myths."

Assistant Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence Justine Elliot said the National Community Attitudes Survey revealed how much work must be done.

"[Labor's] commitment of $83.5 million for the Respectful Relationships Education Program, including age-appropriate education for primary and secondary school students, will help foster a shared understanding of consent and promote respectful and healthy relationships," Elliot said.

Georgia Carr, Sydney University academic and specialist in sex education, warns that there must be a clear understanding of the resources needed to teach respectful relationships. She said teachers needed appropriate support.

"They need teaching time and resources," she says.

"When it comes to consent education, no age is too young, in Institutionalised settings but also at home."