What's causing the current spate of violence?

A man gets stabbed to death in a restaurant for complaining about the slowness of the service.

Taxi drivers are at risk - and fear for their lives.

People are attacked on trains and at railway stations.

Rocks are hurled at tram drivers.

Nightclubs have become dangerous venues - bashings are a regular
occurence - drinks are being spiked.

Bullying at schools has increased.

What's going on, and why? And how do we solve this?

Any thoughts?

Most likely caused by the massive increase in the use of Ice.
Speed used to make them feel invincible, ice fries their brains.

First, I think we need to establish that there is a current spate of violence. A handful of newspaper reports don't equal a "spate". A man was recently stabbed, but are stabbings more frequent now? If so, more frequent than when? Are taxi drivers really getting attacked more frequently? What makes you say school bullying is increasing? And I have friends and relatives who go to nightclubs in Melbourne and Sydney every weekend very safely - which ones have become "dangerous"?

To answer your question meaningfully, we need to establish if levels of violence have increased, where they've increased, when the increase began, and what was going on within the community at the time.

Jeez Vanilla, why do you have to be so rational?? And spoil all our fun? There's rampant violence out there, we shouldn't leave our houses, I saw it on A Current Affair. It's an epidemic!

i blame the schools. and the medja. and the pollies, of course. and parents. but the fundamental problem is 1,000,000 years of evolution.

genetic engineering will fix this soon. cybercontrol of proles will provide a good interim solution. and while we're waiting for this engineering, we can reduce the problem by castration of all males before puberty.

Sorry, Countryboy, you're right of course. What I meant to say was:

RUN FOR THE HILLS PEOPLE! RUN FOR THE HILLS!

But people! Today Tonight said we have an epidemic! The youths are out of control and elderly people with kittens are worried!

Old people! Kittens! Worried! Yoof!

Oops. I think I got locked into the soundbite mindset. RAGING TEENS! Egad, there it is again. I'll have to get this checked out.

What also needs to be considered, is the fact that the media is more encompassing these days, and their favourite subject is often drunk teenagers.

The thing is, drunk teenagers are nothing new. I bet the Romans had similar problems with their orgies. Either that, or it was just the old people, who actually vomited on purpose so they could get more food and wine into them.

I also know plenty of people who hit the night scene. By and large, it's pretty easy to spot fights and avoid them. It's mostly the obnoxious types who are spoiling for them who get into them.

All that being said, ice is a pretty nasty drug and can be responsible for some pretty brutal violence.

Though that being said - again, when they talk about the ice 'epidemic', bear in mind that they're really keen for that all important soundbite. "Raging ice addicts! Scared old people!"

"Kittens!"

My favourite is the "BINGE DRINKING CRISIS!"

Hell, I have been a 'binge drinker' all my life, as well as absolutley everyone I know, including my parents, who also liked to have a few drinks on the weekend when they were young. Word is my grandparents even had a drink or two as well! Scandalous!

It really really must be the end of civilisation...

DEMOS blames 'but the fundamental problem is 1,000,000 years of evolution.'

To a large extent I blame secular humanism and its supporters which has caused the demise of the family unit by encouraging promiscuity, selfishness, unfaithfulness and a rebellious attitude towards all authority (including God). Blind Freddy can see that the 'no smack' philosophy has helped the increased the amount of violence, rape and general rebellion.

We now have masses of people who are hysterical about the environment and these people but turn out to be among the most violent and rebellious. Thankfully the bible foretold of these days so we should not be surprised. He are reaping what the secular humanist and the rebellious heart of man has sown.

"RUN FOR THE HILLS PEOPLE! RUN FOR THE HILLS!"

Don't be silly Vanilla. The hills used to be alive with the sound of music, but now they're alive with feral varmints, serial killers and secular humanists.

Unless the whole staff of A Current Affair are put in charge of the country right now we'll all be rooned, hills, plains and seaside settings alike.

TRTL: "The thing is, drunk teenagers are nothing new. I bet the Romans had similar problems with their orgies."

Have you ever read Satyricon? The rollicking adventures of a group of p!ssed 16-year-olds. It's unnervingly familiar. "Then I fell over backwards. Then all my friends laughed their heads off." & etc etc.

Gangs of out-of-control youths have been a target of the oldies throughout history. The end of civilisation has been expected in every age. Environmenal disaster predicted regularly throughout the centuries. We're always on the brink of extinction. Except *really*, this time.

Runner: "Blind Freddy can see that the 'no smack' philosophy has helped the increased the amount of violence, rape and general rebellion."

I don't know what I find funnier about this. The idea that not smacking children makes them rapists, or the idea that the idea itself should be blindingly obvious. Either way, as a lass who was never spanked, I'm off to rape someone, then orchestrate a violent overthrow of the state.

Unless you meant smack as in heroin? Which does tend to keep kids fairly subdued.

Well, you've given me some much needed giggles here, AND I agree that the tendency now is to sensationalize.

BUT;- I also believe that particularly in the 'first world', anger has increased dramatically. People are angry, and I believe that this is because they feel threatened, something that has been calculatedly instilled by Governments.

Those who are kept under pressure take it out on each other, but as a mass they are easier to control.

It's an oldie, but a goodie.

Dave here People & Governments want to start to realise there is only one drug that has consistently risen in use & that's alcohol.In the 50's Bex & vincent powders,60's marihuana & hashish then LSD, 70's speed,cocaine & valium[mummies little helper]80's crack cocaine, speed & heroine,90's beginning of the more designer style drugs & hydro cannabis 2000 it's now 'ice' gbh etc not forgetting the old truckies 'shakers' from 60's to 80's but the consumption of alcohol has continued to be more available & consumed in volume by younger more volite & less supervised & controlled people.It's about time that parents got themselves home instead of thinking they are still single & rare thier children & it's time governments stopped supporting these tax grabs for the benefit of revenue
May your Lord shine on you all well
God Bless from Dave
ps remeber it was prophetised anarchy would be one of the signs

Vanilla - but don't you see? If we had more smacking, we'd have sorer butts. We'd need to spend more time standing instead of sitting, therefore we'd be more tired and hey hey! Tired people are less violent. It's quite brilliant, if not a little obtuse, though perhaps if god had mandated that we all experience haemorrhoids every few months or so, we'd achieve much the same result.

Alternatively, He could have made things less violent, but that doesn't check the 'works in mysterious ways' box.

Runner - fair enough. I think sanctimonious religions have screwed up the world plenty, so I guess we're united in thinking that if everybody just dumped the other dumb beliefs and adopted ours, everything would be hunky-dory.
The difference is, I know that if we all opted in for one belief system there would be less conflict, but in your case, if it's not your brand, there's to be smiting, hellfire and rampant sex. (Actually, I don't see the problem with the last one, but my beliefs are more fun than yours).

Ahh DWG. Nice to know there's been a prophecy. I guess if you make enough obtuse claims about nuttery, a few will come true.

I'll make a prophecy that you won't be the last OLO reader to warn us of impending doom. I'll also state that one day, violent storms will wrack the planet (whether you choose to believe that this is proven by the next cyclone that hits North Qld is up to you. You can take the global warming angle if you want. That's the great thing about prophecies. Lots of angles if you're as creative as those funky bible authors).

"The Age" newspaper in Melbourne conducted an investigation which coincided with an Age/Nielsen poll on February 23, 2008.

It stated that while 56% of Melbourne residents believed their city was a better place to live than it was five years ago, 72% said violence is more prevalent.

At the same time, data obtained by the Victorian Coalition through freedom of information reveals that crimes against individuals jumped by more than 100% in 12 Victorian outer-suburban and regional municipalities.

According to police figures, during the past financial year there were more than 2000 assaults on Melbourne streets, (does that count as a "spate?"), a 17% increase on the previous year and a 24% rise since 2003-04. These are not figures to be proud of.

Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon is under mounting pressure to reduce violence in the CBD and has injected more officers into problem areas. The result, according to police, is that more drunks are being locked up, more arrests are being made for a variety of offences, including assault, and more penalties are being slapped on recalcitrant licensees.

When the Australian Hotels Association calls for a freeze on all new bars and nightclubs in Melbourne's centre, it is clear there is a serious problem. And when a senior policeman refers to the CBD's party precincts as
"alcohol-fuelled bedlam" that has led to frightening violence, injury and death, there is no question that the situation has spun dangerously out of control and that something has to be done to help create order and responsible serving and consumption of alcohol."

Last week-end crowds of 300,000 people roamed the CBD, such is the police's fear for their own safety that they are demanding Taser guns for protection. Super city venues holding up to 7000 people and clusters of bars and clubs in particular inner-suburban strips such as Chapel and Brunswick street exacerbate the problem. Nor is this culture of violence restricted to Melbourne, regional centres such as Geelong and Ballarat have felt its force and have introduced measures to combat it.

Cheers.

Oh, and by the way... Did I say "Thank-You" one and all, for your really insightful inputs.

They were much appreciated.

I think I just might head for the hills myself...

Folks:
It`s all about CRIME and PUNISHMENT! Today we live in a world where rampant crime seems to be the norm. It is splashed all over Television, Movies, Computer Games, The pages of the media!

The fear of retribution for offences committed has been reduced as the drift away from religion and the consequent fear of punishment by our God (of whichever faith you are!) along with the general attitude of modern day youth, ......a lot of whom seem to have a chip on their shoulders and seem to think that they can have whatever they want by fair means or by foul, and at the same time think that the world owes them a living!

We need to take back the streets from the hoodlums, punish offenders severely where appropriate, instead of smacking the foot that kicks a mate to death! We need to reintroduce the Death Penalty for certain crimes that are proved "beyond any shadow of a doubt", and for offenders that are incarcerated for serious crimes, return them to breaking rocks instead of providing a home away from home where these recalcitrents can while away their days of "punishment" enjoying their drugs and generally luxuriating at the Taxpayers expense, awaiting the day when they can return to the streets and continue their nefarious habits unrepentant and all too ready to continue where they left off!

Cuphandle, what you propose is just not enough! What we should be doing is banning computer games, violent films and other incitations to violence. kids and youths who commit crime must locked up in adult prisons. Children should be made to work for a living and learn about hard work from the age of 12 or 13 at the latest. Troublsome children should be identified before reaching age 5 or 6 and must be taken from their parents and raised in government centres that instill proper bredding and manners. In fact, as we all know that poor people cause the most problems and they are only poor due to laziness or stupidity, we do should IQ testing on unborn babies and abort those that don't meet certain benchmarks. Yes yes, I can see it now...the perfect society... we just have to control things better....control....

Foxy my friend you seem to have copped a hammering on this one (and from some who I though would have considered who started the thread).

As a bystander your opening post looked a lot like what some of our fundy friends who keep telling us that the world is falling to pieces because we don't follow their god post. Stuff that has been posted over and over again but not backed up by facts. Maybe if you had put the stats in that recent post up front some might have taken a different tack.

I wonder how much of that violence is violence within groups rather than random violence against outsiders and how many perpetrators are involved. A small number of people committing multiple assaults can cause a significant shift in stats.

Some reports that I've read indicate that some groups have taken to a stylised American Gang culture, not many and often not typical of their cultural groupings.

There are places I'd not choose to go in the early morning but my impression is that there have always been risky areas (Brisbane's Fortitude Valley and the Queen St Mall being two).

Bullying in schools still happens but at least teachers seem to be working to deal with it more responsibly than when I was a child. I can tell my son with some confidence that he should report bullying, not a sense I had as a child.

Please don't head for those hills, you would be missed around here.

R0bert

Well... of course.. it is the outcome of 'social evolution' :)

We were once 'bad'.. we held ideas like 'respect for elders' close to our hearts.. but that all went out in the 60s...and now.. we see how wonderfull has our social evolution become.

I blame 2 things.

1/ MIUAUG
2/ Abandonment of the best of the values of our grandparents. (some of their values we could do without)

Ultimately, being disconnected from the Almighty has the effect of creating 'anchorless moral zombies'... floating about in the raging sea of life.

Just think.....what actually 'shapes' conscience? What causes a man ro women who absolutely KNOW that they won't be found out for such and such.. from refrain from doing it ? Alternatively, a flexible, situation based conscience which is assured by all and sundry that it is answerable only to 'the law' might act according to the dictum "If I can get away with it...why not"?

So... as one poster said when I mentioned "The Answer is Christ"...
"Whats the question" aah.. well..perhaps Foxy has actually asked it ?

Dear Robert,

Thanks for understanding. You're right, I should have elaborated much further than I did in my introductory post.

As 'The Age' newspaper reported, in 1988 Professor John Nieuwenhuysen advised the premier, John Cain, to change the laws in Victoria to make it easier to open licensed premises. His aim, he says, was to promote a more European, civilised style of drinking.

Two decades later, his recommended reforms have resulted in an explosion of liquor licenses across the state, from 3,200 in 1988 to 19,000 today, and a concomitant outburst of binge drinking and unprovoked ultraviolence that has left police frayed and struggling to cope.

This is not, Professor Nieuwenhuysen says, what he had in mind. It's safe to say that it is not what the majority of this city's residents had in mind either.

I feel so strongly about this issue. My nephew (just turned 21) has a serious problem with alcohol.

Clearly, more needs to be done to tackle the rising incidence of alcohol-related crime and to gain some understanding of the cultural shift among young people that underpins it.

Police and venue operators say the 2am 'lockout' has stemmed the flow of late-night revellers from other entertainments venues around the city to the hotspots in the CBD, although there have been reports of violence occuring outside premises where people have been refused entry.

But it is time for tougher measures to be taken such as that suggested by the Australian Hotels Association chief executive, Brian Kearney, who has called on the Melbourne City Council to impose a temporary freeze on any new bars in the city. This "circuit breaker," as he describes it, is a step in the right direction: a moratorium on new liquor licences would give police, concerned licensees and the council breathing space to consider more far-reaching solutions to a problem that threatens the city's amenity and reputation.

"Tougher Measures"..... treats the symptom..not the cause.

-Alienation (self inflicted) from God....leads to
-Alienation from each other...which leads to
-Family breakdown.....
-mixed families where stable anchors or predictability are increasingly less... everything becomes a blurr....

then with Freddy Mercury we sing through our slurring mouths and glazed drunken eyes..."Nothing really matters...any more"

Oh please. why is that religious god-botherers believe that every ill that befalls mankind is due to a lack of faith and belief in god (and just your god mind, not that other bloke's who lives down the street, his apparently doesn't count)

it may amaze you to learn that you can be a hard-working professional, busy raising a family, who likes getting pissed now and then and certainly did it a lot during my youth, who has never been in a fight, never gone to jail, never rob, raped, murdered, abused, happy-slapped or generally bothered anyone, believes in gay equal rights, mixed race couples and families, gay adoption, freedom from censorship, self-responsibility and is an atheist (for want of a better word).

You don't have to believe in god to be able to contribute to society

'Oh please. why is that non religious god-haters believe that every ill that befalls mankind is due to a faith and belief in God (and just your atheistic mind, not that other bloke's who lives down the street, his apparently doesn't count)

You don't give up do you BOAZ. Everything is related to a belief in some supernatural being. I grant you that there are some good philosophies mentioned in the Bible, but there are some really bad ones too, so I don't think you can uphold that any belief makes someone's behaviour better. Just look at the revelations in the priesthood and the fact that George Bush said he invaded Iraq because God told him to.
I am convinced that behaviour relates to a disciplined upbringing. Only a few years ago we abolished corporal punishment and discipline went out of the window. People always say that violence begets violence and it is inhuman to inflict pain on another. All I can say is that I was beaten at school and it soon taught me how to behave and to consider others. It had the same effect on every one else at school. There was very little bullying, no theft, and respect for property, also an honesty and integrity that I don't see in the young these days. The cane was used sparingly, but it sure brought school kids into line quickly, cheaply and with no lasting consequences. A bit of chastisement is good for the soul and a quick learning curve.

Trivial Culture equals basic mentality equals poor behavior equals excess violence. Extremely simple & very easy to see, well for an outsider anyway.

Government oppression and paternalism causes people to become reactionary and angry. I'm not surprised. Don't blame anyone but the government and it's policies.

Has anyone got any reliable data on this topic or is this just another BBQ myth?

Excellent runner.
The best I have seen on the subject for ages.
The children of the age are simply too distracted to see what Jesus and His apostles were on about because they dont read The Word.
A very simple website is signs that we are in the endtimes.
If the youth dont know what is coming on all of the earth... how will they possibly survive?
The greatest shock of all is going to be the realisation that we are not on a "millions of years" earth but a 6,000 years earth. All the while the "Charlie Darwin survival-of-the- fittest's" of this age were dreaming of their great golden humanist age... the Bible was slowly ticking over.
Its the end of the last days...the last days prior to the endtimes... this is why the violence is there.
Satan is in a frenzy stirring up death and suffering all over the place causing the world to fall to bits prior to the appearance of the last great dictator...the Beast of Revelation 13:16-18 and 14:9-11... and the final 7 years of tribulation before Christ gets back.
You youngsters have to get ready.
Gods not waiting for you anymore than He is waiting for you to receive Jesus Christ into your lives as your Lord and Saviour.
The Bible clock ticks...dont be left on the platform with an ignorant world.
Find out whats truly going on.
Click on that site.

Foxy, now we don't have old whatshisname to kick around anymore...

Maybe we could try a variation on Philo's advice on the Total Christ thread http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=1528#28881 - I've rewritten it to suit this discussion

"I believe for once this subject could be properly discussed by totally ignoring [not reacting] to side issues by fundamentalists and their fairy tales. This then would give a proper basis for understanding how humans perceive the real world."

Although I guess I've already broken that suggestion by posting this here.

R0bert

Late on this one, but I have to say that my understanding is that the prevalence of violent crime in Australian society hasn't actually changed all that much in the past century or so - rather that the awareness of it has, and hence the perception that people are more violent towards each other nowadays.

I think that people are violent towards each other for all the same reasons that they have been for millennia - tribalism, testosterone, competition for resources, xenophobia, patriarchy, greed, lust, avarice etc etc. Some time ago I lived and worked for extended periods with people who attributed all conflict (amongst men anyway) to 'land, pigs and women'. Within their cultural milieu, that was empirically the case - but the distinction with our own culture was typically rather more one of scale rather than essence.

I guess that's why we should all strive to be more civilised in our dealings with one another :)

GREAT SCOTT ! CJ finally seeeees tha layyyt :)

I've been harping on 'difference' causes friction and problems such as: (to quote CJ's newly enlightened condition)

-tribalism (in Christ there is niether Jew nor Greek)
-conflict for resources. (Abraham and Lot)
-Greed (he who exhalts himself will be humbled)
-Testosterone (if you even lust after a woman you have committed Adultery)
-Avarice (easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God)
-Xenophobia (See tribalism)
-etc (See below)
-etc (ditto)

Sounds like CJ has been to Bible study and been immersing himself in Galatians 5

9The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.

The solution/medicaton of course is.. "Life in the Spirit"(Of Christ)

CJ..was all that a freudian slip or do you just agree with me 'on the sly' about MC/PC but just don't like to admit it publically :)

COUNTRYBOY...you forgot to add the things listed in Galatians to the things you approve of in your list of 'contributing to society'.

Oh.. 'inter-racial marriage' ? thats me.

SNAKE on corporal punishment..I agree there.
On 'belief doesn't make you better'...I'd re-think that mate.. Hitler had some curious beliefs about Jews and it made him worse...Mother Theresa had different beliefs...and...

OK you comedians. Hands up those urban dwellers who sleep with their windows open and without security screens.

Reports of weekend violence are almost a common feature of Monday news headlines. In the past 18 months, five young men have died from head injuries after being punched in or outside entertainment venues around Melbourne. In other cases, victims have survived brawls but are fighting for life in comas. Some are hospital-bound with serious brain injuries.

The Victorian Police Commissioner told a recent state parliamentary inquiry that street assaults are on the rise. According to statistics from Melbourne hospitals, admissions for severe stabbings have risen 89% in the past year. Teenagers and people in their early 20s account for a third of stabbing victims.

There are many possible explanations for the rise in stabbings and assaults. Health experts blame an increase in youth binge drinking.

Federal Government statistics reveal risky alcohol consumption among 18 - 24 year old men jumped from 40% in 1999 to 49% in 2006, while rates for women rose from 33 to 36%. Youth workers report an increase
in young people carrying weapons, particularly knives, and social workers say drug taking, youth unemployment, gang cultures, anger management issues and boredom are also factors.

Some blame the negative influence of American blockbuster movies and crime tleevision shows for the surge of violence, others claim police numbers are inadequate.

There are calls for extra police and security guards to patrol nightclub areas, taxi ranks, trains, and an increase in the number of security cameras.

In the CBD there are almost 150 venues licensed to serve alcohol until 3am and later. Some argue allowing bars and nighclubs to open to 5am fuels trouble and violence on the streets and hours need to be revised.

The most dangerous age group is 15 to 24 years, and the incidence of male victims of assault is rising: from 12,786 in 2000-01 to 15,281 in 2005-06.

"What it's come to. We are working on a job where a guy has been kicked and stomped to his head relentlessly. He's going to be permanently retarded." - Anonymous Melbourne Detective, Herald-Sun,
August 8, 2007.

Yes, it's those pesky American blockbusters. Ever since last year, when they started including scenes of violence, everything has gone to hell.

Hi Foxy, sorry for the teasing earlier.

I still stand by some of this teasing, however. A quick google shows the media reports on a surge in violence every year, while the Australian Institute of Criminology shows a gentle rise without surges.

Also, where are you getting all these stats from? Some of your conclusions don't make sense. For example, if severe stabbings have risen 89% in the past year, but risky alcohol consumption has only jumped 9% in 7 years, then it doesn't look like the stabbings are linked to alcohol consumption. Some of the stats don't tally with, for example, Victoria Police's own statistics - see http://www.police.vic.gov.au/statistics/State%5CState.html

Having said that, I'm not saying there hasn't been a rise, just that it's probably not as bad as reports indicate. You mentioned Brunswick Street in an earlier post - I walk up it in the early hours of the morning every now and then, alone and with others, and have always felt (and been) perfectly safe. Likewise Melbourne CBD. People always say Kings Cross in Sydney is unsafe, but I lived their for years in my 20s without incident. I know anecdotes don't make statistics, but the lived experience is different from the stats, and that's interesting.

I'm very sorry to hear about your nephew, but a young person with an alcohol problem is not emblematic of this day and age. There was another thread about gambling on the telly. I said ban it on the basis of a gambling family member, you said gambling would be available regardless. I kept meaning to go back to that thread to say that I've reconsidered the issue, and you're right. I think the same argument applies to alcohol.

I don't mean to dispute your stats, but I do mean to interrogate them. Every age imagines it's going to hell in a handbasket, but we always seem to manage to hold back the tide (to mix a metaphor.)

Some good points in this link which attributes cause of violence/crime to three major factors - economic/poverty, social and family.

http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:ecHrOhxPhngJ:www.preventingcrime.net/library/Causes_of_Crime.pdf+causes+of+increase+in+violence&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3

It is interesting reading if you have the time.

Dear Vanilla,

The statistics were taken from The Age newspaper. And I've cited the
sources.

As "The Age,' tells us in their Editorial - Opinion - Feb. 23, 2008,
"When the architect of Victoria's liberal drinking laws voices concern at what his reforms have led to, you know there is a problem."

The Australian Institute of Criminology says that the incidence of male victims of assault is rising: from 12,786 in 2000-01 to 15,281 in 2005-06.

Recent headlines:

"In the name of the son, a family pleads for the forgotten ones - Justice for James" The Age, April 29

"The booze battlegrounds" The Age, June 9

"From party to bloodbath in 45 minutes of hell" The Age, July 8

"Thugs boasted of bashing student" Herald Sun, August 9

"Man bashed unconscious" Herald Sun, August 13

"Melbourne's nightlife should be vibrant, not violent" The Age,
February 23, 2008

"Overworked and underthreat: life behind the wheel" (taxi-drivers)
The Age, February 17, 2008.

"The Age" as listed above gives an insight into the life of taxi drivers. Arun Badgujar, president of the Victorian Taxi Drivers
Association, insists that on average at least five of the state's cabbies are assaulted, on average, every day.

Taxi driving is a hazardous business. Praboj Rhani says, "For the first few weeks of taking a taxi home, which I've done for the past 55 Saturday nights, I've heard the same story. One of being bashed, threatened or sitting helplessly as passengers do a "runner."

Foxy, you posted:

"The Australian Institute of Criminology says that the incidence of male victims of assault is rising: from 12,786 in 2000-01 to 15,281 in 2005-06."

Thats a compound annual increase of 4.5%

Hardly the end of the world

Look at the souce of funding= now wheres ours?

Well if you are an Australian born little old lady who has had her rights not respected you have probably not received much assistance. from Terry .

The do gooders need the facts. Chip Chip Chip away at our laws.

Youths are 'not' brought to justice. Oh leave him alone his just fourteen. He’s on drugs etc. "That what’s wrong "but that’s ok the do gooders

http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:DJ-grvr7ft8J:www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/pjcaad/asio_ques_detention/subs/sub107.pdf+funding+for+civil+right+authoritys&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=10&gl=au

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/lawrpt/stories/s479175.htm

http://www.qccl.org.au/Officebearers.htm

http://www.qccl.org.au/links.asp=

With the generous funding of the Law and Justice Foundation of
NSW, we are in the process of preparing a second edition of the booklet, which
will also be produced in Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia and Urdu.
Further, with the cooperation of other community organisations and community
legal centres, we have conducted a number of community legal education
seminars about the anti-terror laws. The aim of these activities is not only to
educate the community and explain some of the intricacies of the legislation, but
also to empower them with the knowledge that there are also safeguards in the
laws, and that some of their rights are also protected. In this way it is our hope
that some of the fear and paranoia in the community can be allayed.
As the Acting Chair aptly pointed out, it should also be the responsibility of the government and the agencies to allay these fears. We note with disappointment that it does not appear that governments or the agencies have taken on this role in any meaningful way.

Question posed to Islamic Council of New South Wales, 6 June 2005, Proof Hansard, p. 44.
________________________________________

2. Senator ROBERT RAY—At the moment, ASIO can apply to the Department
of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the foreign minister can have a passport suspended without reference to this legislation. Unless the AAT overturns it,it can be suspended for years on end whereas, under this legislation, it is only for 28 days from the time of the warrant, as I understand it.

Dear Country boy,

Yes, you're right. Absolutely. Hardly the end of the world... for some of us.

As I'm typing this to you, I'm also listening to the news.

An elderly lady was stabbed to-day while trying to get money out of an ATM in suburban Melbourne (Boronia of all places).
A man tried to help her by fighting off the attacker - the man got stabbed as well.

As you say, hardly the end of the world ...

Let me tell you the story of James Macready-Bryan, a young man who had his life before him. Then, in a moment, his future vanished. For the past five months, Macready-Bryan has been floating in twilight. He is 20 years old. He lies in a hospital bed, occupying neither life as most people know it or death. But for his father, Andrew Macready-Bryan, nothing is more important now than receiving some form of communication from James - something that would give hope of a potentially meaningful recovery. It is not there yet. James' eyes are open but they track aimlessly around the room. He drifts between sleep and a form of limited consciousness. Even slight recovery could take years, if there's recovery at all.

You read in the media every week on the Monday that someone's kid has been bashed inside a nightclub or in the city somewhere, and you just think to yourself, 'Thank God it wasn't my son.'

Well one day - it may just turn out to be your son. I pray that day never comes.
That's the day that perhaps you'll understand - it is the end of the world - for people who have to face facts that their child is not coming back. That would be very hard to deal with.

Foxy,

I read that story too, and it's awfully, awfully sad. Of course, for the family who suffers, all these stories are disasters. Those of us who reacted with sarcasm/humour/etc in the beginning of this thread were reacting not to these personal tragedies, but to the idea of a spate. 150 children will die of SIDS this year. Each is an unimaginable tragedy for the parents. But if I posted that there was a spate of SIDS, I'd obviously be wrong.

Anyway, while I'm still not convinced there's a spate (The Age stats still don't tally with Vic Police stats, and newspapers love accelerating crime stories), let's forget about it and focus on the question you asked. What cause crime. Pelican's link was excellent. The sentence that jumped out to me was:

"The offender of tomorrow is often the vulnerable child of today."

People, especially boys, who end up wards of the state or in the foster care system are over-represented in juvenile detention. Protecting and supporting families might be the first port of call.

Bring back army conscription, that always had a good result on: making men out of boys.

Foxy, I'm not denying that individual acts of violence are a tragedy. Not once did I imply otherwise.

I do object however to your attempts to string together a bunch of ancedotes and misleading statistics so as to paint a picture of some sort of societal collapse; which then allows you to claim you know the cause and the solution to this phantom problem.

In Boronia.. just near those ATMS there are no less than 2 martial arts schools..within 30 meters. Pity one of the 'lads' was not close at the time of this attack.

I know I'll be thinking of this and more vigilant myself each time I pass them.

One fellow I know.. is 5'2" if that.. and was confronted at those ATMs by a knife weilding attacker demanding money. He said 'Mate.. I'm only going to say this once..put down that knife" he didn't and learned quickly what a tornado of fists and feet from a kickboxer even of small stature can do.

I wouldnt say we have a 'spate' of violence here.. there are certain trouble spots (Station, Mall) if you are there at the wrong time.

I witnessed a riot at La Porchetta, young thugs wielding bike chains etc at the staff.. fortunately the dog squad and police happened to be close by. It was magic to watch them in operation.

young thugs wielding bike chains etc at the staff.. fortunately the dog squad and police happened to be close by. It was magic to watch them in operation.
BOAZ_David,
Dog Squad ? That's outrageous ! Did the poor thugs receive counselling ? Did they get compensation for their traumatic experience ?

Sometimes, Boazy, it seems that you're just itching for a fight. How odd for a self-proclaimed Christian.