Propensity to report intimate partner violence in Australia : community demographics

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has devastating consequences both for the individuals involved and the community more widely. The role of the community in the prevention of IPV has been noted both in the literature and in recent initiatives within Australia. Specifically contingency specifying stimuli like community attitudes towards both IPV and women have been suggested to contribute to the prevalence of IPV. Logically the success of any community-based initiative to reduce IPV rests upon individuals of that community being willing to report such violence. As such, there is a need to determine which variables may influence an individual’s willingness to report IPV. The aim of the current study was to examine demographic and attitudinal variables to ascertain their relationship with propensity to report. A telephone questionnaire resulted in 1208 valid responses from members of the general community. Results showed a number of variables which were related with report propensity including gender, age, income level and awareness of whom to report such incidents to. These variables and their implications are discussed.