cartoon of young women

Working with young women

Common myths

Myth 1 - Domestic violence only affects older women
Domestic violence is an important issue for young women. A large proportion of female victims of domestic violence are aged between 15 and 39 years of age. 12

Many young women are assaulted by their current or former partner/boyfriend.

You may not know that a young woman you work with has been a victim of domestic violence because she may not talk to you about it.

Some female victims of domestic violence do not report incidents to the police or anyone else because:

  • they do not believe the incident is serious, particularly if they have suffered abuse as a child and view this as "normal" behaviour
  • they feel ashamed or embarrassed to talk about it
  • they fear the offender and repercussions of reporting an incident
  • they want to continue the relationship.

It is important for youth services to provide information about domestic violence and its impacts. Best practice examples of programs which address domestic violence are available at www.austdvclearinghouse.unsw.edu.au/states.htm .

Myth 2 - Sexual harassment is relatively rare
Young women frequently face sexual harassment, particularly in public places.

Offenders may target young women because:
young women are viewed as less powerful and less willing to report the incident to police
young women use public transport more than older women, and may "hang out" in public areas.
Create a safe place for young women to talk about this issue in a young women's group and consultation. You may be surprised at the level of harassment that they face on a regular basis.

Streetwize Communications has produced a range of comics which discuss the topic of sexual harassment. It is a good idea to have resources available for young women (and young men). More information is available at www.streetwize.com.au/publications_sexual.html .