Nightclub Owners Release Research Paper on Domestic Violence
The Nightclub Owners Forum has released a report into domestic violence it commissioned from former Victoria Police Inspector and consultant, Matt Dillon.
According to the Forum’s convenor, Peter Iwaniuk the report was commissioned to provide some perspective on violence in our society.
“There has long been an assumption that people are more at risk in public places, and this myth has been perpetuated in the tabloid media with the long standing Media and Government campaigns demonising late night entertainment venues” said Mr Iwaniuk.
Mr Iwaniuk added “This couldn’t be further from the truth. There were 42,076 recorded assaults in total in Victoria in 2011/2012 which was a staggering 14.0% higher than the number recorded in 2010/2011 (36,907).
“However the number of assaults associated with licensed premises was actually 4.9% lower than in 2011/2012 totalling only 1,418[1]. This represents only 3.37% of all recorded assaults, and approximately only half of these assaults (or around 1.7%) would be associated with late night licensed venues including Crown Casino” stressed Mr Iwaniuk.
“Nearly half of all recorded assaults occur in the family home, and the amount of actual assaults in the home would be much higher still in reality given that many assaults go unreported.
“Another fact that needs to be stressed is that of the small proportion of assaults that are associated with licensed premises, many of these would also be the direct or indirect result of family conflict, relationship issues or rejection by the opposite sex.
[1] Source page 29 Victoria Police Crime Statistics 2011/12
“Domestic violence doesn’t just happen in the home. It also commonly occurs in public places. So using the term ‘Family Violence’ rather than domestic violence might more appropriate to understanding and addressing the magnitude of this social problem.
“The factors that lead to family violence are complex and Matt Dillon has done an excellent job in highlighting these in his report. Serious problems with Intervention Orders have been raised recently in the media and Matt Dillon’s report makes some very pertinent comments and recommendations on much needed reforms in this area.
“It is been long recognised that having culturally relevant opportunities for socialisation is vital to the mental health of individuals and families. In contrast, being stuck at home for too long with nothing to do, compounded by financial, employment and other stresses would be a key trigger of family violence.
“State and Local Governments should therefore be actively supporting the development of a healthy, diverse nightlife and providing an even safer environment for people to go out safely.
“The promise of more CCTV cameras is a step in the right direction but the key issues for public safety are improved public transport and more police and private security in the street. Catching an offender after the act is important but obviously not as important as getting someone home safely in the first place.
“The Nightclub Owners Forum and many prominent public figures have highlighted the serious safety issues with thousands of people being stranded in the inner City at night.
It is therefore extremely disappointing the Baillieu Government in a reply to the Nightclub Owners Forum dated 24th September 2012 has once again refused to consider providing all night train and tram services on the weekend, and of course there is no word yet as to whether the Government will undertake much needed reforms to the taxi industry” concluded Mr Iwaniuk.
END