Too right JS AUS, whether it be domestic violence, education or even indigenous health, or any number of other societal problems, our pollies and law makers are so intrenched and hamstrung with political correctness that they are simply too scared to address the real issues, they being what either causes, or contributes to the issues that are at the core of the problems.

Rehctub, there is a big DV problem in the wider community, not just with the indigenous community. Indigenous people make up only a small part of our population. And it occurs in all parts of the community, not just those on welfare.
And it occurs without the help of alcohol or drugs in some households.

Your simplistic 'solutions' are not workable.
Imagine what would happen if they put everyone on welfare on cards so they couldn't buy alcohol or drugs with money (of course, we couldn't just use welfare cards for indigenous recipients, because that would be racist)?

They would all simply resort to crime by stealing things to sell, or stealing cash from whoever and wherever they can, so they could buy their alcohol and drugs.
The crime rates would rise enormously.

No, there needs to be another way.
I don't know what the answer is...

@ Suseonline, your female point of view is absolutely important especially here on this thread.

You say you don't know what the answer is.
I think there are multiple answers because there are multiple causes.

I know from experience attending DV occurrences that alcohol has been the biggest single cause. I think it still would be, because more people drink alcohol than take other drugs.

Hard economic times are turning more people to drink alcohol.
But these days there is also the aggression caused by taking ice.

Many politicians like their alcohol so debate on the subject can be stifled. Media makes profit from advertising alcohol. So the subject of alcohol has been politically untenable.

Alcohol affects all races and gender.

I think more education on the subject would be a good start, especially about the impact and consequences of over-indulgence, instead of so many lessons on Captain Cook and the like.

I totally agree JF Aus.
While not everyone who over indulges on alcohol or drugs commits domestic violence, those people with an aggressive nature or past will almost certainly be more violent on alcohol.

You could be right re a much more rigorous anti-alcohol campaign and all the benefits that less alcohol in our communities would bring.

The problem is that unlike many drugs, alcohol is meant to be ok in small amounts, so an outright ban on alcohol will never work, like I am sure it will happen one day with tobacco products.

As you say, the law system is filled with people who do like alcohol themselves and thus it will be much harder to regulate the use of it in the wider community.
We need to try something though, as alcohol not only affects DV, but also all other forms of violence, car accidents and deaths, and also a multitude of health problems.

I have to disclose that I am quite partial to wine myself...

It is true as someone has already mentioned, that DV is far higher for indigenous, as represented by the numbers of indigenous women reporting to hospital EDs. Coincidentally or maybe not there is also a much higher incidence of indigenous violence generally and other crime.

It is totally illogical and BAD science to assume from that, that DV is a gendered crime. That 'men' or 'masculinity' is somehow at fault. For starters,
http://tinyurl.com/attribution-error

How is the public schooled to believe highly questionable stereotypes, especially negative stereotypes of men and boys? How is shonky, sloppy, research given oxygen as fact? Ex-federal parliamentarian Bill O'Chee gives some clues,

<Q&A domestic violence program ignored male victims
February 25, 2015

While the increased awareness of domestic violence issues is to be welcomed, its manipulation by those with other agendas is an entirely different matter.

Monday night's Q&A programme on the ABC was a case in point. Not only did it work hard on perpetuating stereotypes about domestic violence, but the producers also refused to accept a potential panelist because she was a woman.

I have seen emails which show the producers had originally invited on the panel a man from 1in3, a group working to raise the profile of male victims of domestic violence. He was unable to go on, but well known psychologist and author on men's health, Dr Elizabeth Celi, was suggested instead. The producers rejected her because she was a woman.

More precisely, they rejected her because she was an eloquent and insightful woman who wanted to speak up for men and children who were the victims of domestic violence. You see, the problem was she didn't fit the stereotype.

Yet there was a place on the panel for my old chum, Natasha Stott Despoja, the Ambassador for Women and Girls. That's because her perspective on domestic violence is finely attuned to exactly those stereotypes.
contd..

Alright OTB, I have to ask, what possible agendas could anyone have by stating that females are far more likely to be victims of domestic violence than males?

And why wouldn't any talk of solutions at least start with where the biggest problem lies?
What benefits could anyone possibly gain from stating the obvious?

If you get nasty or try to bully me with your answers, then I won't be pursuing the discussion.