Combatting family violence is Whittlesea council’s top priority this year, mayor Ricky Kirkham says.
A council commitment to responding to family violence was made at a launch of its family violence and gender equality strategies last Tuesday.
Cr Kirkham said the council would take a leading role to promote cultural change in gender roles and relationships.
The council has identified 1316 incidents of family violence per 100,000 Whittlesea residents, compared to 1129 per 100,000 in Victoria.
“The rates of family violence in our city are alarming,” Cr Kirkham said.
“Our local police attend to six call-outs every day. The situation is even more distressing when you read that only 20 per cent of women report family violence.”
The council’s strategies will target specific demographic groups at increased risk of violence, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children, children under four, culturally and linguistically diverse women, and older adults.
The family violence strategy will focus heavily on prevention, while the council will also build up a war chest of data on incidents of family violence and behavioural patterns seen to be precursors of violence.
Cr Kirkham said attitudes and stereotypes that condone violence needed to be challenged.
