This project was funded by the Crime Prevention Branch of the Criminal Justice Division, Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department.
This project was funded by the Crime Prevention Branch of the Criminal Justice Division, Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department.
Many crime prevention and criminal justice responses involve interventions with people who are in contact with a number of justice or welfare agencies. CRM 38 and 41 both address evaluation and outline how to set up measures, indicators and outcomes for the evaluation of programs. Intended outcomes of programs may not be manifest in the short term, but seek to prevent involvement in the justice system or to reduce recidivism in the longer term.
Crime prevention partnerships are often beneficial, but relationships between different agencies can affect success (see CRM no. 49). Even when partnerships are successful, there is often some form of tension in the relationship. Cohen and Gould (2003) refer to this as turf wars. The turf can include resources, time, recognition for work or funding, and tension can exist on many levels: between members and lead agencies, between individual agency representatives and the partnership, and between individual members of the partnership.
There is no simple or single solution to violence. It is a multifaceted problem with biological, psychological, social and environmental roots. Therefore, violence must be addressed on multiple levels and in multiple sectors of society simultaneously. In issue no. 7 of this series, the public health approach to the prevention crime and violence was briefly summarised. Here, some examples of specific violence prevention interventions are described.
Kidnapping/abduction is defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics as the unlawful seizing or taking away of another person either against that person's will, or against the will of any parent or legal guardian of that person. Between 1995 and 2004 the rate of kidnapping/abduction increased from 2.5 to 3.8 victims per 100,000 population. Throughout this period the rate of kidnapping of persons aged 19 or less has been more than twice as high as of persons aged 20 and over. Victims of abduction are more likely to be female than male.