Why Women Don't Report

The recent fuss in The United States about the new US Supreme Court Judge and the accusations against him shows that we have a long way to go in our understanding of sexual assault. Most of the people we see at SECASA have not reported their sexual assault to anyone. We know how hard it is to report even with better policing and legislative changes. ABS data suggests that only 1 in 10 people report a sexual assault.

Women have always been worried that if the person who assaulted them appears to be of good character or has a high standing in the community it will be harder. Christine Blasey Ford's experience shows that their concerns are real. The best thing we can do is support women who want to report. Believe them. Keep this issue in the public arena and keep explaining to everyone why it is so difficult to report.