Violence moved from homes to streets

Press, 6 October 1987, Page 4

Violence moved from homes to streets

LAW -I-JX:-*-CONFERENCE

Aggression and hostility had swept from homes on to New Zealand’s streets, a Christchurch consultant psychiatrist, Dr Terry Johnson, said during the Law Conference yesterday.

While family violence had probably been secretly present for generations, total strangers had now been affected by an outpouring of aggression and hostility, Dr Johnson said during a seminar on violence, victims and the criminal process.

“It is a tragic enough situation for a society to be simply aware that physical abuse may be occurring behind the walls of certain homes. It is of additional concern when the fabric of society is threatened by that process.”

Prevention and education were the means of slowing down and halting the deterioration, he said.

“Much of the violence witnessed today is a consequence of neglect — neglect of vulnerable mothers, unstable parents and impressionable adolescents who may be enmeshed in the web of

familial aggression. Two areas need particular attention — the identification of and support for ‘at risk’ families and the influence of news media on behaviour.” While research had shown that television could not be Implicated as the principal cause of violence in society, it had been as strongly and consistently implicated as any other single behavioural factor. For most viewers, consistent exposure to violence on screen caused an increased perception of real or imagined danger and an exaggerated sense of mistrust of one’s environment For the minority of viewers with underlying aggressive tendencies, television violence could unleash and cultivate this latent violence.

“It may well have taken a generation of television violence to help produce the current overt aggression in society. Removal of this factor could take a similar time span to have effects in making society more peaceful. This could be of some comfort for those concerned with the future development of children and adolescents..

But for those adults who are violent and psychlatrically ill, their need for attention is immediate and requires appropriate action," Dr Johnson said. The Criminal Justice Act, 1985, made provision for maintaining offenders In the community, but the emphasis had been on rehabilitation through the sentencing options of supervision and community care.

For offenders with a “significant” degree of psychiatric disorder, the options provided the option of a rational approach to prevent a replication of violent behaviour.

“But this can only occur if resources, staff, and funding are available to cope with the large numbers of individuals who will need such a service. “A comprehensive approach to the management of violence must involve adequate planning

of forensic psychiatric Cases of violence beard < by District Courts usually bad four major sources, said a District Court judge, Judge Anand Satyanand, of Auckland. . W “Spousal, where the defendant is very often the 1 male partner; the pub or food outlet brawl; assault upon police or other enforcement officers; and gang-related retribution. “Each of these were prevalent before 1980 but | now seem to be on the. ' increase. A major observation is that much of the violent offending brought to the District Court has not been affected bjf § much of the legislation in the 1980 s. “The penalties for a Summary Offences Act assault, assault on enforcement officers, or fighting do not come under the umbrella of consideration for mandatory imprison- ?> ment It seems that this matter may not have been clearly articulated to the \ f community. It may be somewhere near the heart of a perception that the courts do not -Sdeal strongly enough with episodes of street violence," Judge Satyanand said.