GENERATIONAL change is needed to end Tasmania's domestic violence scourge, women's advocacy groups say. And without reform, society will only be "mopping up" the problem that has seen nearly 2000 domestic violence incidents reported to Tasmania Police in nine months. Women's Legal Centre Tasmania chief executive Susan Fahey said the real figure - labelled "horrific" by Police Commissioner Darren Hine on Monday - is more likely higher. "Obviously 2000 is a horrific number but I would say it's only the tip of the iceberg because we know a small number of women report it and even a smaller number of men probably report it," she said. Anecdotally, higher rates of reporting have occurred since the emergence of Australian of the Year Rosie Batty, a domestic violence campaigner whose son, 11, was murdered by his father in 2014. Observers call it the Rosie Batty effect and her story has made more women realise they are victims of domestic abuse. Ms Fahey said greater resourcing was needed to introduce long-term programs such as respectful relationship education in schools. "If they want to get ahead of this domestic violence epidemic we need progressive change," she said. "Otherwise we're just going to be mopping up." STUDIES show that communities with greater gender equality - for example equal pay - have lower levels of domestic violence. RMIT University's March report Opportunities for Early Intervention: Bringing Perpetrators of Family Violence Into View stated the male sense of entitlement was a predominant factor in relationship abuse. But introducing such concepts into the public debate is a challenge. "The challenge is talking about it in way that doesn't turn people away," executive officer of the anti-domestic violence organisation SHE (Support, Help and Empowerment) Alina Thomas said. "You have to have a generational approach."
GENERATIONAL change is needed to end Tasmania's domestic violence scourge, women's advocacy groups say.
And without reform, society will only be "mopping up" the problem that has seen nearly 2000 domestic violence incidents reported to Tasmania Police in nine months.
Women's Legal Centre Tasmania chief executive Susan Fahey said the real figure - labelled "horrific" by Police Commissioner Darren Hine on Monday - is more likely higher.
"Obviously 2000 is a horrific number but I would say it's only the tip of the iceberg because we know a small number of women report it and even a smaller number of men probably report it," she said.
Anecdotally, higher rates of reporting have occurred since the emergence of Australian of the Year Rosie Batty, a domestic violence campaigner whose son, 11, was murdered by his father in 2014.
Observers call it the Rosie Batty effect and her story has made more women realise they are victims of domestic abuse.
Ms Fahey said greater resourcing was needed to introduce long-term programs such as respectful relationship education in schools.
"If they want to get ahead of this domestic violence epidemic we need progressive change," she said.
"Otherwise we're just going to be mopping up."
What long-term changes are needed?
STUDIES show that communities with greater gender equality - for example equal pay - have lower levels of domestic violence.
RMIT University's March report Opportunities for Early Intervention: Bringing Perpetrators of Family Violence Into View stated the male sense of entitlement was a predominant factor in relationship abuse.
But introducing such concepts into the public debate is a challenge.
"The challenge is talking about it in way that doesn't turn people away," executive officer of the anti-domestic violence organisation SHE (Support, Help and Empowerment) Alina Thomas said.
