Australia has at least a "decade to go" to tackle rates of sexual violence in the same way as domestic and family abuse, advocates say, with the true extent of the issue remaining unknown.
New data released this week painted a sobering picture of how often acts of sexual violence are inflicted on people living across the community.
The Sexual Offending in Australia report was the first look at the prevalence of sexual offending in the country, revealing that one in five people had perpetrated some form of violence since the age of 18.
Canberra Rape Crisis Centre acting CEO Kiki Korpinen said the real figures were likely far higher than what had been reported.
"I would be thinking that it would be an under representation because sexual violence is so prevalent in the community and our society," Ms Korpinen said.
"The majority of the clients we support don't report to police, and we often think about the 2 per cent who choose to engage with criminal processes."
New data, released by the Australian Institute of Criminology on Tuesday, came alongside national outrage over increased rates of gendered violence.
The AIC report found the most common types of sexual violence occurring were sexual harassment and coercion, with nearly 10 per cent of having done so in the past 12 months.
Men were significantly more likely than women to have perpetrated sexual violence.
Data also highlighted that a sixth of women had perpetrated sexual violence of some kind in their lives and indicated that men were at risk of under-reporting.
The figures come just weeks after the ABS reported rates of reported sexual assault in Australia had climbed to a 31-year high.
Ms Korpinen said recorded cases "will rise" before they start to decrease as community awareness grows stronger.
"[In the ACT] We're seeing about 30 to 40 new clients each week who are seeking support or may be seeking support for longer term counselling," she said.
"What we're seeing now is a lot more younger women coming to us sooner, and I think that is part of the campaigns that have been happening."
The federal government has asked the Australian Law Reform Commission to conduct an inquiry into justice responses to sexual violence, with a report set to be released in early 2025.
Labor launched a $40 million sexual consent campaign last month that will run across TV, online and in cinemas until the end of the year.
Ms Korpinen said the broader community "wasn't quite ready" to talk about sexual violence in the same way as other forms of violent behaviour.
"I think to address sexual violence on the same scale as domestic and family violence, we need to do about decade worth of work," she said
- If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.
- For those seeking help in the ACT, call the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre on (02) 6247 2525 or text 0488 586 518.
