In February a nation-wide survey of community attitudes to safety and well-being will begin. The survey is being conducted for the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs by the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation together with the Australian Institute of Criminology and the Social Research Centre.
What is the survey about?
The survey is focused on community attitudes to violence. The survey is being conducted across Australia. The results of the study will help to inform policy on violence and related issues in the Australian community in order to improve public health and safety.
Who is conducting the survey?
The Department has contracted The Social Research Centre to conduct the telephone interviews required for this survey. Your household has been selected on a random basis to take part, along with many others across Australia. Any information provided will be treated in the strictest confidence by The Social Research Centre. The Department will not receive any information from the survey that could identify you or your household.
How will the information be used?
The information collected in this study will be used by the Department and other government health planners to help improve the health and safety of all Australians.
Why you should participate in the survey?
It is vital that the survey represents all sectors of the Australian population accurately and fairly. Feedback on these issues helps the Department to improve the public health and safety of all Australians.
How did we get your telephone number?
In order to ensure that the sample represents all sectors of the Australian population, telephone numbers have been generated at random and therefore include both listed and unlisted numbers. The process used to randomly generate numbers was to select all eligible 6 digit prefixes in Australia and then randomly add the remaining digits to generate a phone number.
How long will the survey take to complete?
The survey will take about 20 minutes to complete, depending on your answers. If you would prefer to participate in the survey at another time that is more convenient for you, this can be arranged. The survey will be conducted until the end of April.
Is the survey compulsory?
The survey is entirely voluntary, but your participation is important if the Department is to get accurate feedback on the health status of all Australians.
Why do we need to speak to the person with the most recent birthday?
In order to ensure a representative sample as possible, we need to randomly select a person aged 16 years or over in each household.
How do we ensure your privacy is protected?
Any information you provide will be completely confidential and your own answers will not be identified as individual responses. Responses are used for research purposes only and are treated in strict confidence. No other agency or department will have access to your details. We are bound by the Provisions of the Commonwealth Privacy Act, as amended in December 2001.
Where can I get more information about the survey?
If you have any questions about the survey:
- call the Social Research Centre on 1800 023 040 (free call)
- visit the Social Research Centre website (http://www.srcentre.com.au)
- call the Department’s survey enquiry number at 02 6212 9065. (This is not a free call.)