Preventing Violence in Australia

This book has been written for all of those who are interested in understanding and preventing violence in Australia. Whether it occurs in the home, in the workplace, whilst out socialising or on the sports field, the personal, social, and economic costs of violence are often profound. Not only does it damage the physical and psychological health of those who are directly involved, but it also impacts adversely on many others - including witnesses, family and friends, and those law enforcement and health professionals who are expected to respond. And yet, there have been few previous attempts to draw together the various disciplinary and professional perspectives on how we might approach the task of preventing violence in Australia.

This book has been written by experts in violence prevention, whether they be forensic, clinical and developmental psychologists, criminologists and sociologists, social workers, or specialists in public policy, law, and education. They tell us how they understand violence and about those prevention strategies that they know to be effective.

This is a timely contribution to the current community conversation about domestic violence in Australia. Written by experts in violence prevention across a range of disciplines, it sets out to describe those prevention strategies that they believe to be effective. Violence is an all too familiar aspect of contemporary Australian society. The editors note the size and scope of the problem the Australian community faces in dealing with not only domestic violence but other serious criminal offences where violence is an integral element, including sexual assault, robbery and abduction. Although not a legal text, this book covers what the editors say should be the core knowledge when developing and implementing effective violence prevention policy. It is a helpful contribution to the ongoing debate on violence, especially domestic violence. It deserves a place not only on the bookshelf of practitioners whose practice includes its subject matter, but also on the shelf of those engaged in policy formulation in this important area of social and criminal justice reform. Read full review... - Don Malcolmson, Ethos, ACT Law Society, September 2015 The authors propose that "rates of violence are not only relatively high in Australian youth, but have increased over recent decades", that a close association exists between alcohol and violence and that in order to design prevention strategies, one needs to understand violence and the nature of the stimulants and community mores that lead to this violence. This book asks: is there the possibility of fundamental social change that could remove the 'cultural supports' underpinning violence in Australia? This book is an important contribution to informing all of those who ought to be concerned about issues of violence (and that really is most of us) and while the political debate at present seems to be more about how best to provide lower or higher taxation regimes rather than building a better society, this book provides some signposts for those involved in policy determination. This is not a book for the bedside reading table, but rather is an important addition to the library of anyone involved in a multitude of legal issues from licensing policy to social development in indigenous communities. This book is highly recommended. Read full review... - Hon Peter Dowding SC, Brief, Law Society of WA, October 2015 Hardly a day goes past when one does not sit with jaw agape at the violence seeping out of the 6pm TV news broadcast. Unfortunately so much of the violence is domestic related. Preventing Violence in Australia -Policy, Practice and Solutions is for those who want to prevent this violence. One form of violence is endemic in Australia; it is no longer the elephant in the room. I'm talking about domestic violence and the physical and psychological mayhem that this criminal act inflicts on all levels of society. This book is a substantial discourse on the topic. There are 32 contributors to the book. Highly qualified people from across public health, medico/psych academia, and criminology and social work fields have produced a book that enhances our understanding of violence on every level. To best deal with this problem it is imperative that all the root causes are known and quantified before society can deal with it. Preventing Violence in Australia discusses many prevention strategies that have proven to be effective. The knowledge and acceptance of the need for proven violence preventing strategies are essential for a professional police officer. Read full review... - Ted Bassingthwaighte, Police News, August 2015 Violent offences account for only 6% of all crime, but are responsible for over 25% of crime costs. Rates of self-reported victimisation from violence are higher in Australia when compared to other countries. This collection of essays seeks to bring together research and ideas on preventing violence in its many forms. It presents an overarching picture of violence in Australia, an issue that is often discussed by reference to particular types of violence. The book is written by experts in violence prevention. The topics are wide ranging, addressing matters such as homicide, youth violence, alcohol fuelled violence, racially motivated violence and domestic violence against women. Research and empirical studies are presented and analysed, and the authors make suggestions about how to address and prevent violent behaviour. Each chapter concludes with lists of "key learning points" and "matters for consideration", which allow the salient points from each chapter to be easily digested. A list of key reading and resources is also included for those who wish to delve into the topics in greater detail. This book is a useful resource for those involved in research or policy relating to any or all types of violence in Australia. - Queensland Law Reporter - 3 July 2015 - [2015] 25 QLR

Andrew Day is a clinical and forensic psychologist who has worked in correctional and forensic mental health services in the UK and Australia. He is a Professor in the School of Psychology, and an Associate Director of the Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing at Deakin University.Dr. Day obtained his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Birmingham UK in 1994 and Masters in Science in Applied Criminological Psychology at the University of London UK in 1991 that included work as a Prison Psychologist with the UK Home Office.He has published many research articles on offender rehabilitation, co-edited textbooks for pre-university Psychology curriculums, and presented conference papers at national and international research conferences. His current research interests focus mainly on the development of therapeutic and rehabilitative approaches for offenders.Ephrem Fernandez is Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas, San Antonio. He has held academic positions in the US and Australia where he also maintains a psychological consulting practice. Working at the interface of medicine and the social sciences, his primary area of expertise is in the etiology, assessment and treatment of dysfunctional anger and concomitant problems of aggression and violence. A frequent presenter of workshops and talks at international venues, Ephrem is also the editor of Treatments for Anger in Specific Populations: Theory, Application and Outcome (Oxford University Press, 2013).

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