Web resource:	https://www.anrows.org.au/publication/a-life-course-approach-to-determining-the-prevalence-and-impact-of-sexual-violence-in-australia-findings-from-the-australian-longitudinal-study-on-womens-health/
Type:	Report
Title:	A life course approach to determining the prevalence and impact of sexual violence in Australia: Findings from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health
Authors:	Loxton, Deborah Barnes, Isabelle Egan, Nicholas Townsend, Natalie Forder, Peta Byrnes, Emma
Topic:	Data and statistics Sexual violence
Year:	2022
Publisher:	ANROWS
Citation:	Issue 14/2022
Notes:	The scale of sexual violence against women and children has likely been underestimated. Until now, research has not extensively examined the prevalence of sexual violence in Australia. This study examined the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH), which has captured sexual violence data – from more than 57,000 women – since 1996. The research, led by a team from the University of Newcastle, assessed the prevalence of sexual violence over a lifetime and the impacts of experiencing sexual violence on the economic, social, emotional and physical wellbeing of Australian women. ALSWH data was linked with national and state-based health datasets from the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). The research investigated links between health service use and experiences of sexual violence, which researchers paired with participant data. The researchers established new prevalence rates for sexual violence against women in three age groups. They found 51 per cent of women in their twenties, 34 per cent of women in their forties and 26 per cent of women aged 68 to 73 have experienced sexual violence. The study also revealed new information about the long-term impacts of sexual violence across a woman’s life. Victims and survivors of sexual violence are up to 45 per cent more likely to have high levels of financial stress and report worse physical and mental health, including chronic conditions and mental health issues, than those who have not experienced sexual violence. Women who experienced childhood sexual violence are also twice as likely as those who did not to have experienced sexual violence, domestic violence and physical violence as an adult.
URI:	https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/22475
ISBN:	9781922645456 9781922645463
Appears in Collections:	Reports

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