Community Violence

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Click here to download the Community Violence Prevention Strategy>

                        

What ICCWA is doing

ICCWA began focusing on the area of community violence in 2007 after agencies and community members voiced concern over the issue.

Over one hundred people representing Government and community agencies attended a Community Violence forum in March 2010. As a result the CVPS (Community Violence Prevention Strategy- previously known as Agreed Broad Strategy/ ABS) was produced.

Priority areas in the strategy include Address the Impact of Alcohol, Early Childhood Identification and Intervention, Build Community and Resilience, Work Collaboratively and Improve Access to Services.

Although initially intended for the North Metropolitan Area, many of the themes and strategies that have emerged can easily be transferred to other communities. It is hoped that this CVPS will act as a basis for future policy and program directions amongst Government and Non-Government organisations with an interest in reducing community violence.

ICCWA has been funded by North Metropolitan Area Health Service (NMAHS) to professionally produce and launch the strategy as well as begin its implementation in the North Metropolitan Area and are seeking support from the stakeholders and the community to put violence prevention on the agenda.

ICCWA and NHAHS want everyone to know that violence can be prevented and by working together we can achieve this goal.

Project Activities

Reference Group
In August 2011, ICCWA formed the Community Violence Prevention Reference Group which consists of 19 Government and Non-Government Organisations. Members include representatives from:

    ICCWA
    Men's Advisory Network
    Mental Health Commission
    Strategic Crime Prevention Branch, WA Police
    Metro Migrant Resource Centre
    Department of Health
    Department of Education
    North Metropolitan Area Pubic Health Unit
    Luke Adams Foundation
    Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth
    Department for Child Protection
    Department of Communities
    Department of Corrective Services
    Anglicare
    WACOSS
    Department of Housing
    Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA)
    Department of Attorney General
    WA Police
    McCusker Centre for Action on  Alcohol and Youth
    Community Violence Prevention Strategy in the North Metropolitan Area 
                                                            

The CVPS is in its final stages of development and will be launched in the coming months.

The purpose of the CVPS is to:
•        inform the work of ICCWA and NMPHU in their partnership

•        provide a framework and guide for community violence prevention initiatives at a local community and inter-agency level.

The aims of the strategy are to:
1.       Prevent and reduce harm as a result of community violence.

2.       Support local planning and action to address community violence.

3.       Support coordination and collaboration between agencies working directly or indirectly to reduce community violence.

4.       Identify links between community violence prevention initiatives and strategies that improve the safety, health and wellbeing of individuals and communities in general.

5.       Identify and respond to specific community violence prevention gaps.

The CVPS looks at what is known about the nature, incidence and impact of community violence. Causes of community violence are discussed as well as factors that are known to place individuals and communities at risk of community violence, or protect them from community violence. Community violence is placed within a broader policy context and links are indicated in the CVPS with other strategic initiatives.

Five areas have been prioritised in the CVPS for community violence prevention: early childhood intervention, community capacity and resilience, collaboration, improved access to services and the impact of alcohol.

Within each priority area, the CVPS outlines the findings of consultations and research, and presents key actions for further planning and implementation. Finally, the CVPS identifies a number of specific groups or issues that require further research and/or special consideration.


Working with local groups for local solutions - Girradoola Network Group
ICCWA has been funded to pilot the implementation of the North Metropolitan Community Violence Prevention Project Model.
Click here to view the model>

This work is based on the Understanding Building and Resilience work completed in the South West 2005-2010>.

The Girradoola Network Group has been engaged to be the first pilot group to develop a local action plan to reduce community violence. The group is coordinated by Margaret Quirk MLA, and Janine Freeman MLA and is made up of forty local stakeholders and community members in the Girrawheen, Mirrabooka, Balga and Koondoola suburbs and surrounds. The group is currently in the process of developing their plan for implementation.

At the end we hope to have an action plan to be utilised in the local community with localised strategies.

For more information contact Sarai Stevely 9420 7212 or sstevely@iccwa.org.au
 

The Community Violence Prevention Scoping Project for the North Metropolitan Area Health Service (NMAHS) is funded by the Department of Health WA.

  

Media Release 25/5/2011  Community Violence - A Call to Action

Community Violence Fact Sheets

Fact Sheet: Community Violence Among Young People>
Community Violence Among Young People - A Research Report >
Community Violence Among Young People - A review of the literature>
Working Together to Prevent Community Violence: A Panel Discussion >
Community Violence Among Young People Research Project: Phase 2 Audit of programs>