A NEW national survey that explored young people's attitudes towards family violence revealed Australian teenagers were aware of how common it was, but unsure about what could be considered domestic abuse.
The survey, conducted by White Ribbon Australia and Youth Action, targeted more than 3000 respondents aged between 16 and 25.
It also explored views towards gender stereotypes and online abuse.
Findings showed that the young women who were surveyed had more knowledge about what domestic violence entailed.
When it came to education, most young people said they got their information about domestic violence from TV and newspapers.
Menai High School actively supports an awareness of violence against women through school projects and events including White Ribbon Day and Gender Day, where students participate in seminars to build their understanding of equality.
The school's head teacher of personal development, health and physical education, Matt Robinson, said the student welfare team promoted messages about respectful relationships.
"Senior leaders organise events for younger students to develop their knowledge through activities such as pledge signing," he said.
"White Ribbon's Breaking the Silence in Schools program has been embedded into the classroom, with the aim of generating discussion and facilitating cultural change."
The school also recently invited guest speaker and sports presenter Erin Molan from The Footy Show to discuss how she achieved success in a male-dominated industry.
Menai High School captain and year 12 student Keeley Hickey said she wanted her peers to understand that domestic violence was more than physical abuse.
"It is when one party in a relationship is continually antagonising the other — mentally, emotionally or physically," she said. "We need to end the culture of victim blaming to create an environment where people are empowered to speak up."
Co-captain Andrew Stewart said education was a powerful tool in getting the message across.
"People in the community can band together," he said.
"By teaching younger generations that violence must not be accepted, we can really have an impact across our whole society."
Senior leaders Jack Boyling and Tegan Whitfield agreed.
"These things are important because they promote injustice and educate coming generations about respect," Jack said.
"Through the school's initiatives, I have gained understanding of domestic violence and how to prevent it from happening," Tegan said.
THE FINDINGS
More than 75 per cent said domestic violence was common in Australia (83 per cent females, 60 per cent males).
One in four males said ‘‘girls liked guys being in charge of a relationship’’.
15per cent of males said ‘‘men were better at more things than women’’.
10per cent of males and 4per cent of females said they did not consider constant yelling at a partner as an example of domestic violence.
33per cent of males said checking a partner’s email or phone was not considered a form of domestic violence, compared to 26 per cent of women.
Most young people said they learnt about domestic violence from the media.
Half of high school students said they had received information from school about domestic violence.
■ Should domestic violence awareness be taught more in schools?