Governments Refuse to Address the Triggers of Violence
The Nightclub Owners Forum has criticised Governments at all levels for blindly attacking licensed venues for public violence, including the recent tragic Kings Cross ‘king hit’ incident, whilst being ignorant of, or misleading the public on the true causes and triggers of violence.
Mr Iwaniuk added “Even if all licensed venues were shut down and alcohol was banned from sale, acts of violence in the streets, on the roads, on train stations, in school playgrounds, and in the home will remain unless the root causes and the triggers that violent people use to excuse their behaviour are recognised and addressed.
Mr Iwaniuk stressed “it is also unhelpful to use emotive terms such as road rage and alcohol fuelled violence to segment violence into different categories when in fact there are common triggers to all violence.
“A Victorian Parliamentary Committee Report into road rage in 2005[1] quite clearly indicated that “road violence is not the result of an uncontrollable urge that sweeps over the perpetrator due to incidents of poor driving. Rather road violence, like any other form of violence, is usually a deliberate act, committed for particular reasons.
“The Committee argued thatpeople in fact make a decision to act violently inresponse to particular triggersrather than such triggers causing the violence to occur.The choice to act violently may be influenced by a range of factors such as the individual’s personality, the stress they are suffering from at the time of the incident, cultural factors, etc. The Committee listed some of these possible triggers in a table.
[1] See overview provided at http://www.aic.gov.au/about_aic/research_programs/staff/~/media/conferences/2005-abs/smith.ashx
“As pointed out recently by Melbourne Police Superintendent, Rod Wilson, in an ABC News interview[1] one of the key triggers in Melbourne’s CBD is the lack of public transport at night. The Sex Party candidate for the Melbourne by-election, Fiona Patten also identified all night weekend train and tram services as a key plank in her policy agenda.
“Triggers don’t change and are common in all circumstances and settings. Individuals must be taught about triggers in public awareness campaigns. Individuals must be taught that triggers are not to be used as an excuse to commit acts of violence.
“It is impossible for people to navigate life in our bustling, vibrant city without awareness of triggers and the personal discipline and controls to avoid reacting to these triggers.
EXAMPLES OF TRIGGERS IN SOCIAL HUBS
· Rejection in any form (eg being denied entry, being rejected by the opposite sex etc)
· Being bumped in the street from an oncoming person
· Someone pushing in front of a queue
· No public toilet causing physical discomfort
· Gambling losses
· Economic or Social Loss (eg loss of a job, loss of a partner, etc)
· A stranger making a cruel comment about someone else’s reputation, social status, sexual orientation, appearance or race
· Public sledging (in the AFL, footballers are taught to recognise and avoid sledging so why not the general public?)
· Being the target of a joke from a group of strangers
· Perceiving a third party is competing for the attention of your romantic partner.
· Frustration in any form (eg not being able to get transport home, being forced to wait long times in queues, not being able to find a public toilet)
· Peer pressure and pressure to conform to cultural norms (eg gang initiation rituals (hazing). Also mucking up on footy trips has for a long time been seen as part of our culture)
· Carrying grudges from past experiences
[1] See http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-16/alcohol-fuelled-violence-linked-to-number-of-venues3a-police/4132694?section=vic
“Late night venues are being used as a diversion to avoid addressing the violent tendencies that lurks within all persons. People must be taught to recognise the triggers that can lead to violence, and possess techniques for anger management, self control and empathy for fellow citizens.
“The recent Kings Cross ‘king ‘hit incident is a clear example where authorities have deliberately attacked licensed venues collectively in a bid to offer the public a scapegoat and bogus solution for the issue of violence in our community without waiting for due process to occur in analysing the underlying motives and triggers for actions of one perpetrator on the night, and his state of mental health. A recent Sydney Morning Herald article provides a much more accurate perspective on the incident.[1]
“Our late night entertainment industry needs the support of the Government, media and wider community. A healthy industry is vital to our social and economic well being” concluded Mr Iwaniuk
[1]See http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/random-violence-isnt-confined-to-the-cross-20120716-2250c.html
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