NCJ Number
75597
Date Published
1977
Length
27 pages
Annotation
Concern with violent aggression, reinforced by the media, should be replaced in New Zealand by attention to car accidents and other acts of violence which claim more victims.
Abstract
The New Zealand public is increasingly concerned with criminal violence. However, according to the New Zealand Official Year Book, the chances of a New Zealander being admitted to a hospital as a road accident victim is on the average, 1 in 268 per year, as compared to one in 1500, as a result of a violent offense which results in a court conviction. Apparently, the emotive response to violence causes the public to operate with definitions of violence which do not reflect reality. This attitude is reinforced by the mass media which caters to the public's appetite for violence and overplays the extent of violence in the community, thus contributing to the public's general readiness to equate violence with aggressive acts. Furthermore, the media are often exploited by politicians during pre-election campaigns when crime threats posed by gangs of 'bikies' and 'outsiders' such as Polynesian migrants and Maoris are overemphasized by the press. By 'getting tough' with these groups, politicians can demonstrate to the community tax revenues are being well spent on reducing violent crime. However, by equating the threat of violence with a distinct group of 'outsiders,' the community grows complacent about the violence threat within. Policies made to reduce the violence associated with motor cars, such as reduced speed limits and lowering of the permitted blood alcohol level are needed, as well as more attention to domestic violence. Such policies are not popular because they affect community members. However, they are a function of a real concern for victims of violence. A discussion of sociological theories of violence, statistical data, footnotes, and about 50 references are included.