News

Melbourne communities can be made safer, says author of world-first book

Media Release, Wednesday 4 June 2008

Sweeping changes need to be made by urban planners, community organizations and public officials alike if community safety in Melbourne’s suburbs is to improve, says University of Melbourne academic, Dr Carolyn Whitzman.

“While supporting services to prevent intimate partner violence are a priority of the current state government, the previous commitment to preventing violence in both homes and streets through supporting local government initiatives has been lost in recent years”, says Dr Whitzman.

“There is no state-level framework on the primary prevention of violence in communities, at a time when local governments across Victoria are facing increasing pressure to make communities safer and more liveable.”

Dr Whitzman made the comments ahead of the launch of her world-first book, ‘The Handbook of Community Safety, Gender and Violence Prevention’, to be launched on Wednesday June 4. Dr Whitzman says that the book, published by Earthscan, gathers together internationally published research, examples and practical information on what works to prevent violence in communities and within families.

“It’s the first to look equally at violence in the public sphere of streets and communities, and the private sphere of homes and families,” she says.

“What can local governments, schools, workplaces, and community agencies do to prevent the violence from an early age? What sorts of coordinated initiatives can we put in place that work? These are the questions that need to be addressed if the federal and state governments expect us to believe that they are taking community safety seriously.”

Dr Whitzman says the book allows for an innovative approach to planning that examines the connections between various forms of violence across the community. “The book focuses on the ‘how to’s’ of obtaining useful information on the incidence of violence; the development, maintenance and evaluation of appropriate policies and programs, and creating trust and effective partnerships.”

The handbook presents a number of case studies of successful initiatives from around Australia and the rest of the world, including large cities and rural areas alike. All are analysed to provide cross-cultural lessons on, as Dr Whitzman says, “what works, what doesn’t and what is promising.”


Professor Rob Moodie, (Nossal Institute of Global Health) and Dee Basinski (Senior Policy Officer, VicHealth) will be among those speaking at the launch of the book. Full details of the book launch are attached.

The book has so far received excellent feedback from global safety planning practitioners from around the world. Cecilia Andersson from the United Nations-Habitat Safer Cities Programme is among those who say the book is a must read for practitioners and local authorities who want to make communities safer. “(Dr Whitzman) brings together the best of community safety and violence prevention examples from around the world, pointing out what works well and brings forth creative solutions to achieving safer communities.”

Journalists please note: Dr Whitzman is available for interviews. Selected localized contacts of related examples are also available for comment. Please contact below.