FEELINGS OF TRUST
Having trust in others to behave according to accepted social values and norms is a fundamental aspect of a well-functioning community and data which seek to measure levels of trust in others are recognised as being important to monitoring levels of social capital (ABS 2006g).
Respondents in the 2006 General Social Survey were asked how strongly they agreed or disagreed with a number of statements including:
- That most people can be trusted,
- That your doctor can be trusted,
- That hospitals can be trusted to do the right thing by you, and
- That police in your local areas can be trusted.
Responses were reported on a five-point scale ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree.
Focussing on the level of generalised trust, sport participants reported greater levels of trust in people than did non-participants. The participation rate in sport was found to decline as feelings of trust diminished. The rate amongst those who strongly agreed that most people could be trusted was 69%, compared with 48% for those who strongly disagreed. Some 59% of sport participants reported that they either strongly or somewhat agreed that most people could be trusted compared with 47% of non-participants.
6.2 Participation in sport and physical recreation, Level of generalised trust - 2006 |
|
 | Participated | Did not participate | Total | Participation rate | Non-participation rate | Total |
| '000 | '000 | '000 | % | % | % |
|
| Strongly agree | 1 066.8 | 470.5 | 1 537.3 | 69.4 | 30.6 | 100.0 |
| Somewhat agree | 4 507.9 | 2 235.5 | 6 743.4 | 66.8 | 33.2 | 100.0 |
| Neither agree nor disagree | 1 465.7 | 942.0 | 2 407.7 | 60.9 | 39.1 | 100.0 |
| Somewhat disagree | 1 796.0 | 1 383.8 | 3 179.8 | 56.5 | 43.5 | 100.0 |
| Strongly disagree | 685.5 | 753.3 | 1 438.9 | 47.6 | 52.4 | 100.0 |
| Total | 9 521.8 | 5 785.2 | 15 307.1 | 62.2 | 37.8 | 100.0 |
|
| Source: Sport and Social Capital, Australia, 2006 (cat. no. 4917.0) |
An indirect measure of trust is people's feelings of safety while at home or walking alone. Over half (53%) of sport participants felt very safe or safe walking alone in their local area after dark compared with 39% of non-participants, while 16% of sport participants never walked alone after dark, compared with 31% of non-participants. The sport participation rate was highest for those who felt very safe walking alone in their local area after dark (70%) compared with persons who felt very unsafe (54%) and persons who never walked alone after dark (47%).
6.3 Participation in sport and physical recreation, Feelings of safety walking alone in local area after dark - 2006 |
|
| Participated | Did not participate | Total | Participation rate | Non-participation rate | Total |
| '000 | '000 | '000 | % | % | % |
|
| Very safe | 1 954.1 | 839.1 | 2 793.1 | 70.0 | 30.0 | 100.0 |
| Safe | 3 106.8 | 1 409.8 | 4 516.6 | 68.8 | 31.2 | 100.0 |
| Neither safe nor unsafe | 1 279.8 | 634.0 | 1 913.8 | 66.9 | 33.1 | 100.0 |
| Unsafe | 1 131.2 | 719.7 | 1 850.9 | 61.1 | 38.9 | 100.0 |
| Very unsafe | 485.0 | 411.4 | 896.4 | 54.1 | 45.9 | 100.0 |
| Never walk alone after dark | 1 565.0 | 1 771.2 | 3 336.2 | 46.9 | 53.1 | 100.0 |
| Total | 9 521.8 | 5 785.2 | 15 307.1 | 62.2 | 37.8 | 100.0 |
|
| Source: Sport and Social Capital, Australia, 2006 (cat. no. 4917.0) |
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