Violence and Aggression

Editor: Justin Healey ISBN 978 1 921507 01 4 Year 2009 Price: $20.95		Violence and Aggression Volume 291, Issues in Society Violence can occur in a wide range of social contexts. Violence can be physical, emotional, verbal, sexual, financial, social and spiritual. Its effects can be widespread and have lasting effects on individuals, communities and the overall social fabric and economy. This book focuses on the the extent and effects of violence, and examines its causes. Key issues include trends in violent crime; dealing with aggression through anger management; domestic, relationship and sexual violence; and youth violence and the effects of violence in the media. Chapter 1 Trends in Violence and Aggression Violence: a fact sheet, Physical violence, Violent crime statistics, Trends in violent crime, Binge drinking violence rising: survey, Just one bad turn creates purple people haters, Road rage fact sheet, Anger management. Chapter 2 Domestic, Relationship and Sexual Violence More than arguments - domestic violence, What is domestic violence?, Family violence among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, What is violence against women?, Violent crime against women, An abusive relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual violence. Chapter 3 Youth Violence and the Media Young people and domestic and family violence, An assault on our future: The impact of violence on young people and their relationships, Alarming rise in teen abuse of parents, Violent video games don't create killers: research, Kids, violence and computer games, Overview of the effects of violence in the media, Short-term and long-term effects of violence in the media. Glossary; Fast Facts; Web Links; Index

		FAST FACTS from this volume
Violence is not only physical assault. It is any action that is meant to make others feel hurt, scared, small or humiliated. Violence can be physical, emotional/verbal, sexual, financial, social and spiritual. Violence or abuse can be a behaviour used to get power over other people and/or to try to look more powerful in other people’s eyes. It can be an inappropriate expression of anger. We live in a society where there are power differences. If there is a power difference, or if people are seen to not “conform” or “fit in” to our society this can lead to others being violent towards them. Violence is never OK. It is a learned behaviour. It is a choice we make based on a belief we have. We always have non-violent choices. You are the only person who has control of your choices. If you feel you have tried everything, ask for help. Men and women experience different levels of physical assault. In the 12 months prior to the survey men were twice as likely as women to be victims of physical assault (6% or 485,000 men and 3% or 242,000 women). In 2005, over two-thirds (68%) of the people who experienced physical assault in the 12 months prior to interview were under 35 years of age. Men and women aged 18-24 years were more likely than other age groups to have experienced recent physical assault, with 21% of men and 7% of women in this age group having reported at least one incident in the last 12 months. Most men (89% or 430,000) who had been physically assaulted said that the perpetrator was a man. A smaller proportion (16% or 79,500) of men were physically assaulted by a woman. Almost half (48%) of the men physically assaulted by a man said that there was more than one person involved in the incident. In contrast, 90% of men physically assaulted by a woman said there was only one person involved. Of women who experienced physical assault, 81% (195,000) said that the perpetrator was a man, with 27% (66,500) reporting that the perpetrator was a woman. The majority (93%) of women physically assaulted by a man reported that there was only one person involved in the incident, as did 79% of those physically assaulted by a woman. Around two-thirds (66%) of men physically assaulted during the last 12 months said that the perpetrator was a stranger. In contrast, women were less likely to be physically assaulted by a stranger (22%) than by someone they knew (82%). Almost a third (31%) of women physically assaulted said that the perpetrator was a current or previous partner, and 37% reported their attacker as being a family member or friend. In keeping with the high proportion of men physically assaulted by a stranger, men most frequently reported that they were physically assaulted by a man in the open (35% or 149,000) or at licensed premises (34%). Of those who were physically assaulted by a woman, just over three-quarters (77% or 60,900) said that this violence occurred in their home or another person’s home. The most common location where women were physically assaulted by a man was in their home or another person’s home (64% or 125,000). This was also the case where the perpetrator of the physical assault was a woman (38% or 25,300). Rates of reporting to police for personal crimes like assault are quite low compared with reporting rates for property crimes such as motor vehicle theft. Many incidents of violence are not reported to the police. In 2005, 65% of men physically assaulted by a male perpetrator said that the incident was not reported to the police (by them or by anyone else). A similar proportion of women (64%) said that the police were not told of the physical assault. The trend in the rate of recorded assault increased steadily from 1996 to 2006. The rate in 2006 was 829, compared with 623 per 100,000 in 1996. The 2006 rate was the highest recorded since 1996. The homicide rate was 1.9 in 1996 (which includes the 35 victims of the Port Arthur massacre) and was at its highest in 1999 at 2.0 per 100,000. By 2004 it had dropped to 1.5 and has remained stable since then. The rate of recorded sexual assault increased between 1996 and 2006 from 79 to 88 persons per 100,000. However, the increase has been much less marked in more recent years. Homicide rates since the early 1990s have fluctuated slightly from year to year (influenced by the relatively small number of victims), but the overall trend has been downward. Since 1989-90, there has been a significant downward trend, with the number of homicide victims declining by nine per cent from 330 to 301. Assault is the most common form of violent crime; rates of recorded assault have been increasing steadily over the past 10 or more years. Between 1995 and 2006, the rate of recorded assault rose significantly from 562.8 to 829.4 per 100,000 people, an increase of 47%. Other research suggests this increase is not a recent phenomenon, but started to rise in the 1970s. Around one-third of people who experience an assault report the incident to police. Reporting rates for assault have increased – 31% in 2005, up from 28% in 1998. Since 1995, the rate of recorded sexual assault increased by 22%, from 72.5 per 100,000 people in 1995 to 88.4 in 2006. Most victims of sexual assault are female and few report the assault to police. A 2008 Roy Morgan poll shows one in five Australians has either been affected or know someone who has been a victim of alcohol-related violence. The survey shows about 60% of people are more worried about alcohol-related violence than they were three years ago. One in four 12-20 year-old Australians surveyed was aware of domestic violence against their mothers or step-mothers by their fathers or step-fathers. Living with domestic violence can shape young people’s attitudes to violence in positive or negative directions. Young men who have experienced domestic violence are more likely to perpetrate violence in their own relationships, although the majority do not. Violence in the media is easily accessible to children. It occurs in cartoons, in news updates in family programs, in the news, in “cop shows”, and in “blockbuster” movies screened at 8.30pm on TV. There are often high levels of violence in M. MA15+, R18+ and classified cinema films and videos. Many computer games feature violent themes. Trailers for forthcoming programs on TV often contain a collection of the most violent scenes. Parents often feel ambushed by these as they cannot be anticipated.

Violence is not only physical assault. It is any action that is meant to make others feel hurt, scared, small or humiliated. Violence can be physical, emotional/verbal, sexual, financial, social and spiritual.
Violence or abuse can be a behaviour used to get power over other people and/or to try to look more powerful in other people’s eyes. It can be an inappropriate expression of anger. We live in a society where there are power differences. If there is a power difference, or if people are seen to not “conform” or “fit in” to our society this can lead to others being violent towards them.
Violence is never OK. It is a learned behaviour. It is a choice we make based on a belief we have. We always have non-violent choices. You are the only person who has control of your choices. If you feel you have tried everything, ask for help.
Men and women experience different levels of physical assault. In the 12 months prior to the survey men were twice as likely as women to be victims of physical assault (6% or 485,000 men and 3% or 242,000 women).
In 2005, over two-thirds (68%) of the people who experienced physical assault in the 12 months prior to interview were under 35 years of age. Men and women aged 18-24 years were more likely than other age groups to have experienced recent physical assault, with 21% of men and 7% of women in this age group having reported at least one incident in the last 12 months.
Most men (89% or 430,000) who had been physically assaulted said that the perpetrator was a man. A smaller proportion (16% or 79,500) of men were physically assaulted by a woman. Almost half (48%) of the men physically assaulted by a man said that there was more than one person involved in the incident. In contrast, 90% of men physically assaulted by a woman said there was only one person involved.
Of women who experienced physical assault, 81% (195,000) said that the perpetrator was a man, with 27% (66,500) reporting that the perpetrator was a woman. The majority (93%) of women physically assaulted by a man reported that there was only one person involved in the incident, as did 79% of those physically assaulted by a woman.
Around two-thirds (66%) of men physically assaulted during the last 12 months said that the perpetrator was a stranger. In contrast, women were less likely to be physically assaulted by a stranger (22%) than by someone they knew (82%). Almost a third (31%) of women physically assaulted said that the perpetrator was a current or previous partner, and 37% reported their attacker as being a family member or friend.
In keeping with the high proportion of men physically assaulted by a stranger, men most frequently reported that they were physically assaulted by a man in the open (35% or 149,000) or at licensed premises (34%). Of those who were physically assaulted by a woman, just over three-quarters (77% or 60,900) said that this violence occurred in their home or another person’s home. The most common location where women were physically assaulted by a man was in their home or another person’s home (64% or 125,000). This was also the case where the perpetrator of the physical assault was a woman (38% or 25,300).
Rates of reporting to police for personal crimes like assault are quite low compared with reporting rates for property crimes such as motor vehicle theft. Many incidents of violence are not reported to the police. In 2005, 65% of men physically assaulted by a male perpetrator said that the incident was not reported to the police (by them or by anyone else). A similar proportion of women (64%) said that the police were not told of the physical assault.
The trend in the rate of recorded assault increased steadily from 1996 to 2006. The rate in 2006 was 829, compared with 623 per 100,000 in 1996. The 2006 rate was the highest recorded since 1996.
The homicide rate was 1.9 in 1996 (which includes the 35 victims of the Port Arthur massacre) and was at its highest in 1999 at 2.0 per 100,000. By 2004 it had dropped to 1.5 and has remained stable since then.
The rate of recorded sexual assault increased between 1996 and 2006 from 79 to 88 persons per 100,000. However, the increase has been much less marked in more recent years.
Homicide rates since the early 1990s have fluctuated slightly from year to year (influenced by the relatively small number of victims), but the overall trend has been downward. Since 1989-90, there has been a significant downward trend, with the number of homicide victims declining by nine per cent from 330 to 301.
Assault is the most common form of violent crime; rates of recorded assault have been increasing steadily over the past 10 or more years. Between 1995 and 2006, the rate of recorded assault rose significantly from 562.8 to 829.4 per 100,000 people, an increase of 47%. Other research suggests this increase is not a recent phenomenon, but started to rise in the 1970s.
Around one-third of people who experience an assault report the incident to police. Reporting rates for assault have increased – 31% in 2005, up from 28% in 1998.
Since 1995, the rate of recorded sexual assault increased by 22%, from 72.5 per 100,000 people in 1995 to 88.4 in 2006.
Most victims of sexual assault are female and few report the assault to police.
A 2008 Roy Morgan poll shows one in five Australians has either been affected or know someone who has been a victim of alcohol-related violence. The survey shows about 60% of people are more worried about alcohol-related violence than they were three years ago.
One in four 12-20 year-old Australians surveyed was aware of domestic violence against their mothers or step-mothers by their fathers or step-fathers.
Living with domestic violence can shape young people’s attitudes to violence in positive or negative directions.
Young men who have experienced domestic violence are more likely to perpetrate violence in their own relationships, although the majority do not.
Violence in the media is easily accessible to children. It occurs in cartoons, in news updates in family programs, in the news, in “cop shows”, and in “blockbuster” movies screened at 8.30pm on TV. There are often high levels of violence in M. MA15+, R18+ and classified cinema films and videos. Many computer games feature violent themes. Trailers for forthcoming programs on TV often contain a collection of the most violent scenes. Parents often feel ambushed by these as they cannot be anticipated.