Reporting on sexual violence. A guide for ACT media

Reporting on sexual violence A guide for ACT media

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ABOUT THIS GUIDE DEFINITIONS FACTS AND FIGURES This document is designed to provide information to those in the ACT media who report about violence against women and their children in the ACT. Sincere thanks to the following organisations for their support and the provision of their specialist expertise and knowledge in the development of the content of the Media Guide the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre, the ACT Domestic Violence Crisis Service, and Beryl Women Inc. Thanks to Melissa Meadowcroft, the 2013 University of Canberra Press Club President, and Professor Matthew Ricketson from the University of Canberra Media and Journalism faculty, for their support and commitment to exploring ways to include respectful reporting of violence against women and their children in the curriculum for journalism students in the ACT. Thank you also to the ACT Government for the provision of funding to design and publish this media guide. Publication/Copyright Information ISBN 978-0-9775984-9-6 2014 Women s Centre for Health Matters Inc. Written by Annelise Roberts, WCHM Health Promotion Officer. Design by Paper Monkey. Published by Women s Centre for Health Matters Inc. This publication is protected by copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced without acknowledgement. About the Women s Centre for Health Matters Inc. The Women s Centre for Health Matters Inc. (WCHM) is a community based organisation which works in the ACT and surrounding region to improve women s health and wellbeing. WCHM believes that the environment and life circumstances which each woman experiences affects her health outcomes. WCHM focuses on areas of possible disadvantage and uses research, community development and health promotion to provide information and skills that empower women to enhance their own health and wellbeing. WCHM undertakes research and advocacy to influence systemic change with the aim to improve women s health and wellbeing outcomes. About the author Annelise Roberts is a WCHM Health Promotion Officer. The media plays a significant role in the way people understand complex social issues. At the local level, the media has a key part to play in communicating messages about violence against women and children in the ACT and in ensuring that the public knows and understands the facts about this issue. Local journalists have asked for guidance on how to report about domestic violence and sexual assault against women and children because they can be difficult issues to investigate and report on. If not accurately and appropriately portrayed, media reporting can help to perpetuate negative stereotypes and social beliefs and may cause additional harm to victims through public shame and stigma. The Guides for ACT Media Reporting on Violence against Women and Children in the ACT have been developed as a resource for those in the ACT media who have any involvement with the reporting of domestic violence, sexual violence, child sexual assault and Indigenous family violence. The guides aim to support ACT media to gain an understanding about the nature of these issues, through the provision of local information, relevant evidence and research, and advice about the sensitivities of the use of language in reporting. We hope that they will find this a useful reference and that, through better awareness and understanding, they will be better able to play their vital role in the prevention of violence against women. Sexual violence is a broad term that describes a range of sexual behaviours that make someone feel uncomfortable, frightened, intimidated, or threatened. These behaviours are all by nature violent in the sense that they are a violation, whether they involve physical violence or not. Some can be life-threatening. They include: sexual harassment (for example, unwanted sexual comments or jokes); sexual coercion (that is, pressuring someone into having sex); unwanted sexual touching of any kind; being forced to watch sexual things, including pornography; voyeurism (being watched doing intimate things without having given your permission); sexual assault, including rape; and threats or other kinds of intimidation of a sexual nature. 1 Sexual violence is an abuse of power. It can happen to anyone regardless of sex, sexuality, or gender identity, but women and children are statistically more likely to be victims 2 and perpetrators are usually male. 3 Similar terms Sexual assault occurs when a person has unwanted sexual contact forced upon them by intimidation, physical force, or coercion, or where an attempt is made to do this. This includes rape, as well as acts which don t involve penetration; it also includes situations where a person is unable to give consent (for example, because they are under the age of consent, affected by alcohol or drugs, or otherwise physically, intellectually or mentally unable to consent). The term is also sometimes used more loosely to refer to all of the behaviours listed above under sexual violence. In the ACT Crimes Act Part IIIA Sexual Offences, sexual assault is defined as sexual intercourse or attempted sexual intercourse without consent. There is no uniform legal definition of sexual assault in Australia it varies by jurisdiction. 4 Rape is when someone is forced to have vaginal, anal or oral sex against their will, or an attempt is made to do this. It fits within the broader category of sexual assault. It is estimated that rape has the lowest reporting rate of any crime. 5 1 Centres Against Sexual Assault, Fact Sheet: What is Sexual Assault? Victorian Centres Against Sexual Assault (CASA) Forum, 2014. http://www.casa.org.au/casa_pdf.php?document=what_is_sa 2 Cindy Tarczon and Antonia Quadara, The nature and extent of sexual assault and abuse in Australia, Australian Institute of Family Studies, (online), 2012. http://www.aifs.gov.au/acssa/pubs/sheets/rs5/index.html 3 D. Chung, P. J. O Leary, and T. Hand, Sexual violence offenders: Prevention and intervention approaches, Australian Institute of Family Studies (online), 2006. http://www.aifs.gov.au/acssa/pubs/issue/i5.html 4 5 Victorian Law Reform Commission. Sexual offences: Law and procedure: Final report. Victorian Law Reform Commission, Melbourne, 2004. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT 1 IN 5 WOMEN AND 1 IN 20 MEN ARE SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT

FACTS AND FIGURES NATIONAL STATISTICS BECAUSE THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCE SEXUAL VIOLENCE DO NOT REPORT IT TO THE POLICE, RECORDED CRIME FIGURES DO NOT GIVE AN ACCURATE PICTURE OF ITS PREVALENCE. Population surveys can be more informative; however, because definitions of sexual violence vary surveys may not capture the same data, and they are unlikely to capture the population groups that are most vulnerable to experiencing sexual violence. All of this means that it is likely that any figures we have on sexual violence underestimate the real extent of the problem. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT 1 IN 5 WOMEN AND 1 IN 20 MEN OVER THE AGE OF 15 ARE SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT. 6 1 IN 3 GIRLS AND 1 IN 6 BOYS WILL BE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED BY THE TIME THEY TURN 18. ALMOST 1 IN 5 WOMEN REPORT THAT THEIR MOST RECENT INCIDENT OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE, SINCE THE AGE OF 15, WAS PERPETRATED BY A CURRENT PARTNER. 7 6 Australian Bureau of Statistics, Personal Safety Survey, Cat no: 4906.0, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra, 2012. http://www.abs.gov.au/ ausstats/abs@.nsf/lookup/4906.0chapter1002012 7 ONE STUDY FOUND THAT ONLY 1 IN 7 WOMEN SEXUALLY ASSAULTED BY A CURRENT PARTNER REPORTED IT TO THE POLICE; SLIGHTLY MORE WOMEN (JUST OVER 1 IN 6) WHO WERE ASSAULTED BY ANY OTHER MALE DID THE SAME. 8 PERPETRATORS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ARE MOST LIKELY TO BE FAMILY MEMBERS OR FRIENDS NOT STRANGERS. 9 AVAILABLE EVIDENCE SHOWS US THAT 93% OF PERPETRATORS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE ARE MALE. 10 8 Melanie Heenan, International Violence Against Women Survey: Findings from the Australian component, Australian Institute of Family Studies, Commonwealth of Australia, 2004. http://www.aifs.gov.au/acssa/pubs/ newsletter/n6pdf/acssa_news6_ivaws.pdf 9 10 Australian Bureau of Statistics, National Crime and Safety Survey, 2002. Quoted in Centres Against Sexual Assault, Fact Sheet: Statistics about sexual assault, Victorian Centres Against Sexual Assault (CASA) Forum, 2014. http://www.casa.org.au/casa_pdf.php?document=statistics ACT STATISTICS There is currently no data that can indicate exactly how many people in the ACT have experienced sexual violence, given that the majority of incidents are not reported to authorities. However, Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows that: In 2012 there were 184 reported victims of sexual assault in the ACT. Almost 9 in 10 of those victims were female. The majority (58%) of the assaults occurred in a private dwelling. 11 The Canberra Rape Crisis Centre (CRCC) keeps statistics on their service users which can give some sense of the size of the issue however, it s likely that many incidents do not even come to the attention of services. CRCC s statistics for 2012 13 show that: CRCC attended 261 callouts over 2012 13 (an increase of 40% on the previous year). The increase is due to changes in the support and reporting mechanisms around sexual assault in the ACT, and the increased public awareness on sexual assault as a result of the announcement of the Royal Commission into Institutional Reponses to Child Sexual Abuse. Similar to callouts, the total calls received by CRCC s crisis line was a record high for the agency. A total of 10,859 calls were received over the 2012 13 period (a 21% increase on the previous year). This equates to 30 calls every day of the year, responding to someone in the community affected by sexual assault. A total of 7,202 sessions were provided to women aged 26 and over, and 5,685 sessions were provided to young people between 12 and 25 years. A total number of 1,394 sessions were provided to men aged 16 and over. AT-RISK GROUPS Anyone can be a victim of sexual violence. However, because sexual violence is an abuse of power, people who are marginalised in some way (for example, elderly people, people with disabilities, and so on) are particularly at risk of being victims. Women are statistically much more likely to experience sexual violence than men. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are much more likely to be victims of sexual violence than non-indigenous women. 12 From available data, it seems that women with disabilities are 50 90% more likely to experience sexual violence than the general population of women. Men with disabilities are also at a higher risk of experiencing sexual violence. 13 Both older and younger women and men appear to be particularly likely to experience sexual violence, compared to the general population. 14 Women who have experienced incarceration are highly likely to have a background of sexual violence some estimates put the figure as high as 89% of the population of women in prison. 15 11 Australian Bureau of Statistics, Recorded Crime: Victims, Australia, 2012, Cat no. 4510.0, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra, 2012. http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/lookup/e5cb0bdb187eb7e 9CA257B8800129B63?opendocument 12 13 14 15 Debbie Kilroy, When Will They See the Real Us: Women in Prison, Australian Institute of Criminology Conference, 2000. IMPACTS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE THE IMPACTS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE ARE VARIED, PROFOUND, AND CAN BE VERY LONG-LASTING. Survivors may continue to need support years after experiencing sexual violence. Ultimately, sexual violence has a range of consequences for families, communities, and society as a whole. PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH Sexual assault can have a number of different shortand long-term impacts on the victim s physical health, including: injury; pain disorders; disturbed sleep; infections; gastrointestinal problems; sexual and reproductive health issues (including STIs); headaches; and some kinds of chronic diseases. Anxiety and intense fear are the most common emotional responses to experiencing sexual assault. These feelings may be extremely debilitating, and may continue to be felt for years after the experience. Feelings of low self-esteem, self-blame and guilt are other common reactions to experiencing sexual violence. LEGAL The ACT has a specialised policing unit called the Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Team, which investigates sexual assaults and provides support to victims. Victims who know the person who assaulted them also have the option of applying for a Protection Order or a Domestic Violence Order. Unfortunately, sexual violence is notoriously difficult to prosecute successfully; because the court case usually boils down to one person s word against another, it is often hard to prove in a court of law that sexual violence occurred beyond a reasonable doubt. However, there is legal, financial and emotional support available for victims who are going through this process. Wraparound is a collaborative process supporting people through the criminal justice process it is comprised of Canberra Rape Crisis Centre and its Service Assisting Male Survivors of Sexual Assault, Australian Federal Police, Victim Support ACT, Forensic Medical Sexual Assault Care, and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. For more information about legal and criminal processes relating to sexual violence, visit Canberra Rape Crisis Centre s website: http://crcc.org.au/assistance/legal. People who have survived sexual assault are more likely to have thoughts of suicide than the general population. Women who survive sexual violence may be at higher risk of developing mood disorders like depression and anxiety, as well as eating disorders like bulimia. Women who have experienced sexual violence may constitute the largest population group affected by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). 16 Victims of sexual violence may experience secondary victimisation through negative experiences in the criminal justice and health systems, or because of harmful responses from friends, family or the broader community. 17 16 Cameron Boyd, The impacts of sexual assault on women, Australian Institute of Family Studies, online, 2011. http://www.aifs.gov.au/acssa/ pubs/sheets/rs2/index.html 17 Zoe Morrison, Antonia Quadara and Cameron Boyd, Ripple effects of sexual assault, Australian Institute of Family Studies, online, 2007. http://www.aifs.gov.au/acssa/pubs/issue/i7.html COMMUNITY There are a number of community organisations in the ACT that can provide support for people who have experienced sexual violence regardless of whether the victim has reported it to the police. Canberra Rape Crisis Centre (which includes the Service Assisting Male Survivors of Sexual Assault) is the peak service for victims of sexual violence in the ACT. They run a crisis counselling line, coordinate Indigenous community supports, provide counselling to victims and families, and conduct community education programs about sexual violence. Victim Support ACT also provides counselling and other support services, as well as information about legal entitlements and advocacy. IMPACT ON RELATIONSHIPS Sexual assault can have a major effect on the victim s relationships and social life. It can impact on their relationships with intimate partners, family and friends. 18 ECONOMIC IMPACTS Sexual violence has a range of financial costs to the individual and the community. These are difficult to quantify, but include costs related to: loss of actual earnings and future earning capacity; medical expenses; intangible costs (such as diminished quality of life, pain and suffering); and mental health care expenses. While the financial impact of sexual violence is often borne by the victim, its economic impact is also felt on a national level in particular, through costs attributed to lost productivity, lost quality of life, and mental health care. 19 18 19 Cameron Boyd, The impacts of sexual assault on women. http://www.aifs.gov.au/acssa/pubs/sheets/rs2/index.html SYSTEM RESPONSES TO SEXUAL VIOLENCE GOVERNMENT Australian state and federal governments have responded to sexual violence on a policy level in a range of ways. The key national document that deals with violence against women is COAG s National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children 2010 2022. In the ACT there is the ACT Prevention of Violence Against Women and Children Strategy 2011 2017. There are many other government documents for instance, health strategies and crime prevention strategies that might also discuss sexual violence, although there is no single document devoted to it.

HOW TO REPORT ON SEXUAL VIOLENCE SEXUAL VIOLENCE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF STIGMA ATTACHED TO IT. There are things you can do when you re reporting on sexual violence that will help readers, listeners and viewers to see it as an important issue that affects everyone in some way, and that everyone can take action on. Remember: you can report on this issue in a way that informs, educates, and contributes usefully to public dialogue! Name it. Always use the term sexual violence (or sexual assault, or rape ) where it applies. Using terms like affair or sex to describe an incident of sexual violence minimises and trivialises a violent, traumatic situation. The use of the term sexual assault highlights that a crime has been committed, as this is the term used in ACT legislation; plus, readers who consistently come across these terms will get a better understanding of the extent of the problem. Safety comes first. Ensure that you report on the issue in a way that doesn t compromise the victim s safety. This might involve leaving out details of what specifically occurred in the assault to maintain anonymity. Sexual violence is never acceptable. The perpetrator is always solely responsible for any incident of sexual violence. Never use language or contextualise the story in a way that suggests that the victim of sexual violence was in any way to blame for what happened to him or her. This includes placing undue emphasis on what the victim was wearing at the time of the assault, whether the victim used drugs or alcohol, or whether he or she was involved in sex work none of these factors explains the perpetrator s use of violence. Sexual violence is serious, highly traumatic, and can be life-threatening. It is never appropriate to report on sexual violence in a way that sensationalises, trivialises, or makes light of it. Acknowledge that this crime has both a victim and a perpetrator. Sexual violence is sometimes reported with headlines like Woman raped, or with stories that focus only on what happened to the victim. This can make it seem like violence is something that just happens to women. Emphasise that someone perpetrated this violence, and that it was a crime. Be fair. Be sure to report what you can from both sides of the story in a balanced way. Know the law. Be aware that there are certain legal parameters that outline what you can and can t report in a situation where a Domestic Violence Order has been issued, or where there are children involved see the resources at the end of this document for more information about this. Take the emphasis away from stranger danger. Most incidents of sexual violence are perpetrated by somebody known to the victim. Where there is a relationship between the victim and the perpetrator, acknowledge it (if you are able to). Use sensitivity and good judgement when reporting victims stories. The emotional impacts of sexual violence often include feelings of intense shame and vulnerability. Make sure you do all you can to report on sexual violence in a way that upholds the victim s right to dignity, remembering that there might be trauma associated even with an incident that occurred many years ago. Contextualise the story with statistics. Use local, national and (where appropriate) international statistics on sexual violence to frame the story. Sexual violence has a significant gendered dimension. Acknowledge that sexual violence is not simply a one-off violent incident it occurs in a broader context in which power and resources are distributed unequally between genders, and in which women and children are much more likely to be victims of violence than men. Humanise the story with appropriate terminology. Where possible, refer to the victim of violence by name. If that s not appropriate, be as specific as you can for example, woman who has been a victim of sexual violence. The term survivor is also sometimes used for people who have experienced sexual violence in the past. It is important to include information about available support options for people experiencing sexual violence. In the ACT, you can list the following options: In an emergency, always dial 000 If you have experienced sexual violence, contact Canberra Rape Crisis Centre on 6247 2525, or text 0488 586 518. Call on community experts for comment. Don t just rely on the police or the judiciary for comment when reporting on sexual violence. Community experts on sexual violence will be able to put the issue in context. In the ACT you can contact: Canberra Rape Crisis Centre (CRCC) Victim Support ACT. RESOURCES AND FURTHER READING STATISTICS Australian Bureau of Statistics: www.abs.gov.au Australian Institute of Criminology: http://www.aic.gov.au/ statistics/violent%20crime/sexual%20assault.html RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault: http://www.aifs.gov.au/acssa/ RESOURCES FOR SURVIVORS 1800 RESPECT (national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service): http://www.1800respect.org.au/ Canberra Rape Crisis Centre: http://crcc.org.au/ Victim Support ACT: http://www.victimsupport.act.gov.au/ RESOURCES ON LEGAL REQUIREMENTS SURROUNDING REPORTING ON DVOS Children and Young People Act 2008 see Chapter 25: Information secrecy and sharing : http://www.legislation.act. gov.au/a/2008-19/current/pdf/2008-19.pdf Domestic Violence and Protection Orders Act 2008 see Part 13: Public access and publication : http://www. legislation.act.gov.au/a/2008-46/current/pdf/2008-46.pdf PERPETRATORS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ARE MOST LIKELY TO BE FAMILY MEMBERS OR FRIENDS NOT STRANGERS