I don't know that violence and bullying are increasing. Perhaps it is all a matter of definition. Although definitions used by social researchers and lobbyists can be very broad, it is interesting that the subject of child neglect seems to be studiously avoided.

While the author is right to point to violence as a priority for government, much of it has to do with drugs where windfall profits ensure that all sections of the community are compromised. Organised crime involved in drug dealing could be considered one of the major businesses in Australia such is the money involved. What is a major problem is that law enforcement is hampered by the strange reluctance of government to support the continuation of highly effective teams and cooperation between the State police forces and with the federal force.

However there are other contributors to violence such as the loss of the traditional family.

Semi-autonomous governmental organisations like HREOC should be set up under a sundown clause to prevent continual re-jigging and expansion of goals. To be blunt, I am strongly in favour of closing down the Commission and directing the saved funds into the delivery of services through ministerial departments, which are also subject to the direct scrutiny of parliament.

I inadvertently witnessed an act of indecent assault on a twelve year old girl by her Father during a surprise visit when checking the welfare of my own daughter. The girl in particular, on further investigation was habitually sexually abused by friends of the Father also. I was naturally disgusted by what I had witnessed, but what most disgusted me was the obvious enjoyment of the child involved.
Q: What did I do in response?
A: Got the hell out of there and quickly;
So here is the answer to the question you posed. I then became actively involved in keeping my daughter away from undesirable elements in society. Protecting my own backside was a priority, especially since I could be co-accused by Police by simply being at the scene of a crime. Why would a male in particular intervene, it is just too dangerous

Graham, as R0bert says, this is a very one-sided article, Hardly worthy of the Commissioner for Human Rights. Of course, she is significantly hamstrung in any efforts to be even-handed by the grossly discrminatory framework in which she operates. The Commission is expressly charged with protecting the human rights of "minorities", which are defined as including women, depite the fact that women make up slightly more than 50% of the population.

The Commission's Website says this: "Working towards an Australian society where the human rights of all are respected, protected and promoted". It goes on to say:
"The Commission has statutory responsibilities under the following federal laws:

* Age Discrimination Act 2004
* Disability Discrimination Act 1992
* Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986
* Sex Discrimination Act 1984
* Racial Discrimination Act 1975

We also have specific responsibilities under the Native Title Act 1993 (performed by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner) and the Workplace Relations Act 1996 (performed by the Sex Discrimination Commissioner)."

I wonder what internal process of sophistry the highly-qualified lawyer Ms Branson QC applies to justify the one against the other?

On the subject of bullying specifically, the Commissioner discussed the case of a young woman who suicided, apparntly due to workplace bullying. I mentioned elsewhere the behaviour of a school principal and teacher toward my son and the broader issue of the treatment of boys at that large Brisbane school. I believe my son has been significantly bullied by those teachers, yet there is absoluttely no way the Commission can hear a complaint. It is simply not something they are intereted in according to their legislative remit. My son is a white Asutralian boy from a middle-class family. Even if I can demonstrate that he has been discriminated against, the Commissioner will not act, because he is of the wrong gender. His experience is excluded by legislation from her notice.

The Commision's website says (among other things):
"We fulfil our responsibilities by:
# holding public inquiries and consultations on important human rights issues
# working with and advising parliaments and governments to develop laws, programs and policies that protect and promote human rights
# researching human rights issues
# making submissions to parliamentary and other inquiries about human rights issues
# providing independent advice to assist courts in cases that involve human rights principles"

I wonder if the Commissioner could advise us of what her organisation is doing to address the issue of routine bullying directed at boys by teachers and Principals, often significantly deleteriously affecting their scholastic outcomes?

If the author was that interested in women, she would obviously read women’s magazines.

A quick scan through a women’s magazine immediately reveals the amount of spiteful gossip, innuendo and general bullying going on.

- Blown up pictures of a line of cellulite on that female movie star
- Before and after pictures of possible plastic surgery.
- Pictures of two women wearing a similar dress.
- Gossip about whether Mary will wait to get her divorce until after the Milan fashion festivals, or get her divorce before the Milan fashion festivals
- Pictures of the baby with rumors that it might not be his
- What Jill said to Margaret about Isabel
- Will Harriet ever lose weight etc, etc etc.

And of course the author overlooks the greatest amount of bullying carried out on girls, which is carried out by other girls.

And the author overlooks the amount of fighting so often carried out between mothers and daughters.

Someone doesn’t need a study undertaken to see these things, and the HRC is now just a bigoted, gender biased, feminist propaganda machine.

Ok thats just weird, get some person on Kerri Anne talking about how she had plastic surgery..........people are just weird.......why didnt they have another person who had plastic surgery talking about how it all went wrong. Its not something to be glorified.... Ok thats just weird.