NCJ Number
116236
Date Published
1989
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Knowledge about and perceptions of violence in Australia are addressed, and strategies to minimize violence are considered.
Abstract
Increased public awareness of violent crime has yielded a realization that remedial measures are urgently needed. In the public mind, the most serious form of crime is homicide, which has been relatively stable over the past two decades. Although no national studies of homicide have been conducted, regional studies indicate that homicide is overwhelmingly a crime committed by and against people who know each other. About 33 percent of homicides are related to some form of marital conflict. In most cases, suspects and victims of homicide are males. Mental illness among homicide offenders is no higher than in the general population. For serious assault, sexual assault, and robbery, there has been a significant trend upward over the past two decades. Fear of becoming a victim of violent crime is quite widespread among the general population. Apart from further research on the incidence and seriousness of violent crime in Australia, other appropriate responses are necessary. The relatively simple and immediate solutions provided by the criminal justice system are unlikely to have long-term impact and may exacerbate the situation. However, the criminal justice system still has a role to play in dealing with violence. This role involves policing, adjudication, and corrections. Because substantial evidence suggests that violence results from behavior learned from parents, peers, and the media, changing these learning experiences is a formidable but not impossible task and must involve not only the criminal justice system but all members of society. 28 references, 1 table, 6 figures.