According to the latest Australian Social Trends (AST) article released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) more than 2 million women and 1.2 million men have experienced emotional abuse by a partner.
“This is equal to one in four Australian women and one in seven men experiencing abuse such as a partner constantly insulting them to make them feel ashamed, belittled or humiliated, or trying to control where they went or who they saw,” said Mr David Skutenko, ABS Director of Social and Progress Reporting.
Mr Skutenko explained that the research revealed Nearly two thirds of women who had experienced emotional abuse by their current partner had felt fear or anxiety as a result, compared with less than half of men and over a third of women and a quarter of men who had experienced emotional abuse by their current partner had also experienced physical or sexual abuse as a child.
“We found that many of these people had also experienced physical or sexual violence by their partners. A third of women and nearly a fifth of men who experienced emotional abuse by their current partner had also experienced physical or sexual violence by them.” Mr Skutenko commented.