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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 6 Hansard (23 May) . . Page.. 1669 ..

MR HIRD (continuing):

Violence is a community problem and prevention must be a joint effort. It is not just a school problem. Violence does not necessarily start in schools. Parents cannot abrogate their responsibilities. Violence in the home transposes into the classroom. The committee heard evidence that schools and young people see domestic violence as a major issue in behavioural influence, and related experiences with violence at home and in the wider community to violence at school. The committee heard reports of increasing violence among very young students, even as young as kindergarten and preschool age. Early intervention is essential. Prevention must begin at primary school level. It is too late when children get to secondary school. There also was evidence that children's behaviour is closely related to the assistance they receive, or do not receive, at home from their parents with their homework. It follows, therefore, that influences outside school have a role to play in the social development of young people.

Mr Speaker, it is worrying that some schools would not participate in the committee's inquiry because they were afraid that they would be seen as schools with violence problems. That could be misconstrued as a cop-out, an admission that they in fact do have a problem. On the other hand, if they do not have a problem, taking part in the inquiry would have given them a chance to demonstrate to others the measures that they had adopted to control violence within their precincts. We might all have learnt something.

The committee was impressed by the role police played in easing the problem in some areas. Community policing, as it has been introduced in areas like Belconnen and Ainslie, and the Tuggeranong approach, which involves policing in the schools, convey the message that police are not the enemy; that in fact they are the friends of children. Children can relate to police on cycles wearing bike helmets, and this has led to a greater response to police school programs by children and teachers. Both of these programs are commendable and should be continued, with proper provision for funding through the police budget.

The education system has to get involved too, Mr Speaker. Teachers have to be trained to come to terms with the amount of violence they encounter in their day-to-day duties. They need effective training and support in behaviour management techniques. Evidence before the committee suggests that for far too long training programs have been set by bureaucrats. What is needed is a joint consultative approach, with teachers, affected parents and responsible students participating.

One of the biggest problems facing schools is bullying, which combines all the worst aspects of violence - physical violence, verbal abuse and harassment. It is seen as being closely related to sexual harassment. How to resolve this problem was one of the major concerns of the inquiry, just as it is within the school system.

It is significant, Mr Speaker, that, in all of the survey results available to the committee, verbal violence was the most prevalent form of violence reported in school. Perhaps this reflects the basic cause of violence - the influence that today's outspoken society inflicts on young people in our community. Perhaps this is where we should be looking for a solution. We have seen reference recently by the Prime Minister, Mr John Howard, to the influence television and videos have on violence in the community.

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