Men unsure how to drive change for domestic violence

Four in five men want to take action against domestic violence but almost half think they can't do anything to change it.

A poll by not-for-profit organisation Our Watch reports 43 per cent of men believe they personally are unable to change the rate of violence against women.

That is despite almost 80 per cent wanting to take action.

Our Watch is a national leader in the primary prevention of violence against women and their children in Australia.

The organisation says men and boys require a greater focus in combating domestic, family and sexual violence.

"Men don't wake up one day and just decide to kill their partner," said violence prevention advocate Tarang Chawla.

"It starts off in ways that might seem harmless – locker-room talk, sexist jokes, making fun of violence, objectifying women or asserting dominance over their partner.

"I would love to see more men questioning controlling behaviour towards women. If we all play our role, we can help prevent harmful attitudes and behaviours potentially escalating to violence."

The data comes from an online survey of 1001 Australians aged 18 and over, commissioned by Our Watch in September.

It showed that 45 per cent of men said they feel pressure to act "stereotypically manly", mostly in the workplace and within a sporting club.

"To stop violence before it starts, we must work with young men and boys at school, in workplaces and online to help them navigate the complexities of what healthy masculinities look like for them," Our Watch CEO Patty Kinnersly said.

Our Watch has launched resources for youth workers to better engage men and boys. They are also running a social media campaign during the 16 days of activism campaign against gender-based violence.

Thousands of Victorians took a stand against gendered violence last week marking the beginning of the worldwide campaign.

In South Australia, a Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence is ongoing with the state's hotline receiving a record number of calls on the day the commission started its work in July.

While the Northern Territory government is considering ways of removing Aboriginal children at risk of domestic and family violence following a coronial inquest into the deaths of nine Aboriginal women killed in the NT since June.

So far in 2024, 85 women have allegedly been murdered by a man in Australia, according to Australian Femicide Watch.

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