HUNTER organisations have expressed horror at a new report that shows females in their late teens are more likely than other groups of Australians to be victims of sexual assault, while males of the same age most likely to be recorded as perpetrators.
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Nova For Women and Children chief executive Kelly Hansen said she was "horrified" at the findings revealed in the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report, Sexual assault in Australia, published on Friday.
It brings together data from a variety of sources and includes new analysis.
"It shows that misogyny is still prevalent in our society and we have not been able to eliminate it," she said.
The report defines sexual assault as violence that involves any physical contact, or intent of contact, of a sexual nature against a person's will, using physical force, intimidation or coercion.
The report said Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data showed police recorded around 18,300 sexual assaults in 2018 against Australians aged 15 and over.
This is around 90 per 100,000 people aged 15 and over.
The rate was almost seven times as high for females as males. The rate was higher for those aged 15-19 than any other age group, for both females and males.
ABS data also showed 97 per cent of sexual assault offenders recorded by police in 2018-2019 were male.
Those aged 15-19 had the highest offender rates of any age group.
"I would say we have failed our youth," Ms Hansen said.
"There has been education, Love Bites programs in schools, I've spoken at schools about domestic violence and relationships. There's something we're not addressing at the core ... inequality, the gap there."
Nova operations manager Lee Liewes said she believed increased access to often violent pornography could influence expectations of sex.
University of Newcastle Students Association said in a statement it was "deeply concerned but not surprised" by the findings and noted the 15-19 age range covers many of its members.
"We need to acknowledge how sexual assault and the trauma associated with it can have a deeply negative effect on all areas of a victim's life, with academic and career success often impacted," it said.
"Whilst the university has taken significant steps to improve safety on campus and their procedures for the reporting of sexual assault, these procedures still aren't perfect.
"UNSA will work with the university to provide feedback and seek reform on their procedures for reporting."
UON participates in the Respect. Now. Always. initiative and established a group in 2017 to help guide policies, reporting systems, support, education and training and resources.
Ms Hansen said the figures indicated young women were reporting to police, which the AIHW report showed isn't common.
It said a 2016 ABS survey found half of women sought advice or support after their most recent incident of sexual assault perpetrated by a male. Of this, only one in six went to police.
"There's repercussions and we still have not removed the stigma," Ms Hansen said.
"The onus is on them to prove it, or they wear it, 'What did I do that created this situation?'
"To share something so horrific is difficult. There is also the trauma of retelling."
The survey showed perpetrators were four times as likely to be known to the victim as they were to be a stranger.
Ms Hansen said reforms in the legal, media, education and cultural spheres needed to reflect the value of women.
UNSA said it was "inspired by the Me Too movement" and "committed to supporting survivors of sexual assault".
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