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Community Violence
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Institution

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Date

Table of Contents
Executive Summary.........................................................................................................................3
Statement of Problem(s)..................................................................................................................3
Background......................................................................................................................................4
Pre-Existing Policies/Activities.......................................................................................................5
Considerations.................................................................................................................................6
Recommendation...........................................................................................................................11
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................12
List of References..........................................................................................................................13

Executive Summary
The following is a report concerning community violence particularly against women in
Australia. This has been identified as a global health issue and has currently become a great
concern in Australia. The main problem is stated under the problem statement. This is followed
by a background study that looks into the statistics of gender violence and the prevailing
attitudes towards the issue of gender violence. References have been made to the collective issue
of community violence but a lot of emphasis is placed on violence against women. An analysis
of a study carried out by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in regards to the attitudes of young
people towards gender violence compared to the attitudes of the older generation is also
presented in a bid to explain why community violence has increased despite the creation of
awareness and progress made in gender equality. Considerations of proposals have been outlined
along with their advantages and disadvantages. Recommendations then follow.
Statement of Problem(s)
Community violence has been reported by the World Health Organisation as a global
health problem. In Australia, this problem cuts across all socio economic classes, ages, and
cultures and mostly affects women. Research studies conducted by the Australian Bureau of
Statistics show that women are more likely to experience violence from a person known to them
than men are from someone unknown to them. The same studies show that many people have
experienced violence at least once in their lifetime. Violence against women is especially a
community concern especially because most incidents of sexual and domestic violence against
women go unreported. It is feared that community violence is much more serious that it currently
appears as most of the assault cases especially against women and children go unreported.

What action is required to eradicate community violence against women and who is responsible
for this action?

Background
Community violence, in particular, violence against women is not only costly to the
victims but also to the government. In 2013, it was estimated that violence against women cost
the government about to 13.6 billion dollars. Women are more likely to experience sexual
violence compared to men as the study showed that 17 percent of women experienced sexual
violence after the age of 15 compared to 4 per cent of men (Phillips, 2014). Even so, women are
more likely to experience physical violence compared to sexual violence. Majority of them suffer
violence at the hands of someone they know, often their partner.
Overall, every one in three women in Australia experiences violence. According to the
National Community Attitudes towards Violence against Women Survey (or NCAS), there is
cause for concern over the attitudes of young people towards gender violence. The percentage of
young people that recognises men as the main perpetrators of violence has declined. A greater
number of young people explained the cause of the act as a result of inability to control anger. 40
percent of young people do not think that violence against women is common and only 50
percent of young people think that violence will likely result in fear and anxiety for the victim.
Young people also showed a tendency to identify violence only to physical harm as opposed to
including emotional, psychological and verbal abuse as forms of violence. 2 out of five women
are likely to excuse rape as a result of men being unable to control their sexual urges, which is a
slight rise from 1 in every 3 women in about five years ago (Anita Harris, 2013). About 20
percent of young people think that the victim in sexual assault bears some of the responsibility. A

large proportion of the participants also believed that women are increasingly falsifying violence
claims against their partners which lessened their perception of the gravity of family and
community violence significantly.
On the bright side however, they showed positive trends in the fact that less than 6
percent were likely to justify the violence. Young people also showed more openness to sharing
of gender roles and were more comfortable with gender equality as a normal concept. They also
agreed that children and women who suffer violence should not have to deal with this issue alone
and that the perpetrator is supposed to leave the family home.
The family law in Australia defines violence as any form of threat, physical harm,
humiliation, sexual assault, emotional abuse, financial restriction and psychological abuse. The
underlying explanations for violence against women are often complicated, but they all have an
undertone of gender inequality. Incidents of gender violence are the most difficult to measure,
but cases of prevalent violence are easier to measure and are more likely to eventually be
reported (Boyd & Todd, 2003). Some groups appear to be more at risk than others according to
studies. For instance women who suffer abuse as children often go on to suffer victimisation in
their adult hood. Women with disabilities are also vulnerable to more abuse compared to the rest.

Pre-Existing Policies/Activities
The family law today has been reformed to include all the relevant case scenarios of
family violence and to protect the victims while ensuring that perpetrators are punished
adequately. As gender equality as a concept has grown, the law has been altered to accommodate
it donning discrimination laws and laws against every form of violence. So far, the law has been

successful in dealing with all reported cases as the justice system has shown diligence in
investigation and enforcement.
Various organisations over the years have dedicated their day to day operations to dealing
with the issue of violence especially against women and children. Most of these are not-for-profit
organisations that depend mostly on funds from the government and the private sector. They
include but are not limited to counselling services for victims of violence, intervention in
extreme cases especially in cases where children are involved and creation of awareness. These
organisations deal specifically with the welfare of women and children in other cases men too.
They have managed to publicise the problem of community violence and the need for change.
The media has played a huge role in social reform even though some of its initiatives
have been accused of being insensitive and supportive of gender inequality. However, they have
been at the forefront of reporting the progress made in gender equality, and promoting programs
that create awareness on this issue (Jones, 2008). They have managed to help change cultures
that demean women or support community violence. This exposure has helped further the course
against community violence particularly against children and women and has brought the issue
to the attention of the relevant authorities.
Considerations
In light of the increased levels of community violence and the discouraging attitudes
among the young people in regards to community violence, it goes to show that the young
generation may be in trouble. Attitudes usually are passed on, often from one generation to
another and the normal process involves an improvement in social issues as generations pass. In
the case for domestic violence however, it appears that there has been deterioration in both

attitude and action in spite of the progress by the law in regards to gender violence and the
enforcement of gender equality.
Young people are at a crucial age when influence is possible and attitudes and character
become more grounded. Helping them find their footing is one of the ways proposed to solve the
issue of community violence in particular against women and children. This can be done by
introducing educational programs that cover this issue extensively. Programs can be integrated
into school curriculums as mandatory learning material and the education system needs to ensure
that the material availed for leaning is both practical and relatable. Young people, especially in
the adolescent and young adult stage are usually in a crucial character building phase and can be
influenced positively. The fact that they show a less concerned attitude towards community
violence compared to the older generation is worrying at best and enabling of this problem at
worst.
Various differences between the older generation and the younger generation appear to
have contributed to this attitude. The older generation may have focussed on negative
reinforcement as a method of discipline, but this method sure was effective. They show more
respect for authority, greater diligence in working and are less entitled. This generation not only
understands the concept of respect better but they are more sensitive to changes in the society
around them as they are less self absorbed. Social inclusion is also more important and prevalent
in the older generation compared to the younger generation.
The younger generation for starter has been exposed to too much information most of
their young lives. They are exposed to violence and sex earlier on through the media and the
internet and therefore have their childhood tainted by too much grown up stuff. The games and
books they read today show more undertones of violence and sex compared to those that the

older generation were exposed to as children. While this has often been downplayed, it obviously
has had an effect on their view on violence. They are more accommodating of violent acts and
have almost been numbed to its gravity. A certain important aspect of innocence is lost when
children become okay with violence and this lessens the gravity of the current cases of
community violence.
The proposal, therefore, is that greater efforts be made by authority to ensure that
children are not exposed to too much violence at a young age. While the influx of information
has resulted in smarter children and encouraged innovation it has also resulted in the interference
of healthy growth as children are exposed in the same breathe to things their young minds and
emotional intelligence cannot deal with. This coupled with the fact that more children today
grow up in broken families and the fact that today parents spend less time with their children
because they have to work, children lack the close monitoring required to positively influence
their attitude. The proposal to affect children and young adults positively in terms of mentorship
and guidance is one of the most important actions towards curbing community violence and
changing the attitude found among young people today that downplays violence.
Advantages of this recommendation

It works towards a prevention strategy as opposed to treatment. Prevention of these

attitudes is better than treatment of the attitudes.

It focuses on creating a generation that is responsible for the steering of the nations
future. Prioritising them is important.

It communicates the gravity of the situation making it difficult for people to take part in
violence.

It is aimed at building ethical considerations in regards to this issue as opposed to

prevention through fear of punishment. Ethical motivations are always more effective
than negative reinforcements (Lee at al., 2005)

Disadvantages

It may take a long time to incorporate into school curriculums and to have the students
warm up to learning.

It may be counterproductive if victims instead of feeling emboldened feel like they have
been put on the spot making them shy away from reporting or seeking help

The other proposal is to take on campaigns that create awareness, allow for intervention
in cases of unreported violence and encourage the population to embrace new attitudes towards
how community violence is dealt with. In the past, social reform has been successful and entire
cultures have been changed. It goes to show that focussing on a certain aspect of change can be
successful in altering societal norms and attitudes. In this case, campaigns against gender
violence and violence against children if carried out effectively and over time will result in
creation awareness which will help communicate the gravity of the situation. The research
carried out by NCAS showed that more than 50 percent of the young population did not think the
issue of community violence was as grave as it was made to appear.
Creation of awareness can be carried out by the media and welfare organisations all over
the country. Such initiatives as the dedication of a day or a week of the year to this issue have the
effect of forcing the population to take notice and understand the seriousness of the issue. The
media especially has been identified as a strong tool for social reform. They have the ability to

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either influence the crowd for or against a certain concept. This would require a lot of creativity
in the way the information is presented so that it is backed by facts and professional analysis.
Advantages

Creation of awareness- Information is power. Sometimes, the victims may not be aware
that emotional abuse and non physical abuse is considered violent and harmful to the
victim (Reese at al., 2011).

Disadvantages

It will be an expensive affair.

Enforcement by the justice system in regards to laws that govern community violence
and gender inequality has to increase in intensity. Victims of violence must also be encouraged to
report the perpetrators and have them brought to justice. There have been concerns that the fact
that most perpetrators of violence among women are persons known to the victim makes it that
much harder to report (Carrington, McIntosh & Scott, 2010). They could be relatives, friends or
spouses and the emotional entanglement makes it difficult to bring in strangers on the case.
Therefore, intervention by the government in cases where victims do not report should probably
be improved. As it is, most perpetrators escape punishment because their victims are unwilling to
press charges. This endangers the victim further as well as other people (Johnson & Ferraro,
2000).
These recommendations have been made because they can only be effectively and
efficiently applied if they receive full unwavering support from the government. Government
backing has the effect of communication seriousness and gravity. The government also risks
continued monetary losses resulting from the issue of community violence.

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Advantages

The intervention of the justice system in cases where the victims do not press charges will
result in less violence as the perpetrator will be charged regardless

Consequences also determine the likelihood of perpetrators being violent. The graver the
consequences the more control they will have over their actions. When people think they
can get away with wrong doing, they have fewer inhibitions.

Disadvantages

It may take a long time to debate some of the reforms required in the law to
accommodate this proposal

It is a slippery slope to tread as it may infringe on choice

Recommendation
It is strongly recommended that greater focus of young people be enforced. The young
people being the future of the nation must be prepared and disciplined enough to ensure that the
future societies are based on better ethical and moral grounds. The lack of empathy shown
among the young people will translate into their being unable to effectively help eradicate the
issue of community violence (Boyle et al., 2007). It is recommended that more research be
carried out among the young people to determine what needs to be done to improve their
attitudes towards community violence and also to identify the causes of their current attitudes
towards community violence (Flood & Pease, 2006).
The stricter enforcement of the law is also strongly recommended. The processes may
need to improve to encourage more reporting of violence cases and therefore discourage the
perpetration of violence. Some victims have reported feeling harassed as they were made to

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recount their experience in front of law enforcement officers and the court all the while worrying
that even after the humiliation of reliving the experience in front of strangers, the court may still
not find sufficient evidence to convict the perpetrator and have justice served (Merry, 2009).
Most of them may not have the emotional capacity to go through the process of bring the
perpetrator to justice and find it easier to forget the whole issue and move on. This has the effect
of making these cases more likely to happen and the perpetrators less afraid of harming their
victims. In light of this, they may have to be improved to include processes and procedures that
maintain the victims dignity. The law can also encourage victims to report by making the
processes less strenuous and investigation more thorough. It is worthy to note that false
accusations have been made in the past concerning violence, especially among women. This has
had the effect of making it difficult for the public to take these accusations seriously and has
resulted in cases where laws meant to be helpful end up causing harm. This can be discouraged
by making the punishment for false accusation graver that it is currently (Skjelsbaek, 2001).
Greater accountability from the persons responsible for ensuring that the
recommendations and proposals outlined above is required. This includes tracking and
monitoring improvements and success levels. The same goes for the government that is charged
with facilitation and the empowerment and protection of its citizens.
Conclusion
In conclusion gender violence in Australia has reached a critical point calling for
immediate intervention from the government and drastic measures. The trend among young
people in regards to their attitude towards the issue needs to be changed because the only thing
worse that having nothing done is entertaining indifference or apathy (Ajzen, 2005). However,
the recommendations if applied and monitored to ensure they are effectively applied the issue of

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gender violence specifically and community violence as a whole can be dealt with once and for
all. It is worthy to note that the world has come a long way in improving gender equality and
curbing gender violence (Bulbeck, 2009). That said, it is important that their efforts do not
regress and that indifference to this situation is discouraged.

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List of References
Anita Harris, N. H. (2013). Young Australians attitudes to violence against women. 11-13.
From https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/ncas
A thorough research carried out by National Community Attitudes towards Violence against
Women Survey (NCAS) covering the attitude of young people in Australia regarding gender
violence.

Ajzen, I & Fishbein, M 2005, The influence of attitudes on behavior, in D Albarracin, BT

Johnson & MP Zanna (eds), The Handbook of Attitudes, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates.
As the title suggests, the author links behaviour to prevailing attitudes and the basis for these
attitudes. She also looks into the influence that culture has on attitudes.

Boyle, A., & Todd, C. (2003). Incidence and prevalence of domestic violence in a UK
emergency department. Emergency medicine journal, 20(5), 438-442.
This journal article looks into the statistical information of violence prevalence against women in
the United Kingdom and links it to the prevailing attitudes regarding gender equality. It also
outlines the differences in statistical information regarding prevalent violence experiences and
incidents of violence.

Boyle, M., Koritsas, S., Coles, J., & Stanley, J. (2007). A pilot study of workplace violence
towards paramedics. Emergency Medicine Journal, 24(11), 760-763.

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This article mainly covers workplace violence with specific reference to the medical field. It
however makes important inferences that show the relationship between superiority attitudes and
violence.

Bulbeck, C. (2009). From justice to choice: changes in generational understandings of

feminism and gender equality, unpublished paper presented at Feminist Transitions
conference, Edge Hill University, UK.
This report looks into the progressive steps made by feminists in regards to gender equality and
the effect it has had on behaviour and attitudes.

Carrington, K., McIntosh, A., & Scott, J. (2010). Globalization, Frontier Masculinities and
Violence Booze, Blokes and Brawls. British Journal of Criminology, 50(3), 393-413.
The author highlights some of the risk groups that are more prone to perpetrate or experience
violence. This article gives good insight into some of the causes of violence and the underlying
attitudes that encourage their occurrence.

Flood, M & Pease, B. (2006). The Factors Influencing Community Attitudes in Relation to
Violence Against Women: a Critical Review of the Literature, Victorian Health
Promotion Foundation, Melbourne.
The author analyses the factors that influence certain attitudes for or against gender violence.

Johnson, M. P., & Ferraro, K. J. (2000). Research on domestic violence in the 1990s: Making
distinctions. Journal of Marriage and Family, 62(4), 948-963.

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This shows the differences in the situation regarding gender violence today. It also outlines the
progress that has been made in curbing gender violence and the effort it took to include it in
laws.

Jones, N. (2008). Working the code: On girls, gender, and inner-city violence. Australian &
New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 41(1), 63-83.
The author delves into the lives of women living in poverty and the heightened risk of violence
faced by minority groups. It delves into some of the complexities surrounding family violence.

Lee, C., Dobson, A. J., Brown, W. J., Bryson, L., Byles, J., Warner-Smith, P. & Young, A. F.
(2005). Cohort profile: the Australian longitudinal study on women's
health. International Journal of Epidemiology, 34(5), 987-991.
This article does not deal with gender violence in depth, but it gives a sneak peek into the
attitudes among women in regards to their safety and how they perceive the perpetration of
violence.

Merry, S. E. (2009). Human rights and gender violence: Translating international law into local
justice. University of Chicago Press.
The author offers helpful insight for recommendations for solving the problem of gender
violence.

Phillips, J. (2014). Domestic, family and sexual violence in Australia: an overview of the issues.
Retrieved

from

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http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/
pubs/rp/rp1415/ViolenceAust
A critical analysis regarding violence against women in Australia. It contains the most up to date
statistics in regards to community violence.

Rees, S., Silove, D., Chey, T., Ivancic, L., Steel, Z., Creamer, M., & Forbes, D. (2011).
Lifetime prevalence of gender-based violence in women and the relationship with mental
disorders and psychosocial function. Jama, 306(5), 513-521.
The author makes a link between violence and mental and emotional well being. They go on to
show that the victim suffers more than physical harm and often the emotional scarring is linked
to their mental health.

Skjelsbaek, I. (2001). Sexual violence and war: Mapping out a complex relationship. European
journal of international relations, 7(2), 211-237.
This journal article gives insight into sexual assault and the complex attitudes surrounding the
interpretation of the perpetrator and the victim. The author attempts to explain the psychological
reasoning behind these attitudes.

Yost, N. P., Bloom, S. L., McIntire, D. D., & Leveno, K. J. (2005). A prospective observational
study of domestic violence during pregnancy.Obstetrics & gynecology, 106(1), 61-65.
The author looks into the relationship between increased vulnerability and increased cases of
violence specifically looking into the cases of pregnant women.