Drink-fuelled violence soaring among women

Perth, June 2 : Violent behaviour amongst drunk women is escalating day by day, reveals figures released by WA Police.

According to the latest crime statistics, an increasing number of drunken and loutish behaviour has been recorded by women going high on drinking.

While in 2007, the number of women arrested for assault and anti-social behaviour was recorded at 30 percent more than that in 2005. Also, there is steep rise in the number of women arrests connected with alcohol-related offences.

It was seen that alcohol-generated assaults have grown manifolds once females reached the legal age of 18 and it then dwindled once they touched the 30 mark. The same pattern was also observed in other crimes like disorderly conduct, property damage and threatening behaviour. However, the police was least bit surprised by these findings

“It is a changing world for our officers who are facing increasing aggression from young women. These are alarming trends. There is an increase in violent incidents, but what is more disturbing is the greater increase in aggressive anti-social behaviour,” Perth Now quoted Acting Assistant Commissioner Dwayne Bell, as saying.

He added: “What is just as alarming is the hidden picture, the anecdotal evidence from my officers of other incidents where the aggressive behaviour of the woman has inflamed a situation.''

He further said that these figures gave an insight into the changes in drinking patterns.

“Binge drinking is increasingly prevalent in young females and alcohol-related offences are showing the greatest increases. There is a greater propensity to young females binge drinking and being involved in aggressive anti-social behaviour -- and it is our officers who have to face this,'' he said.

Bell said that the police would support all those measures that work towards reducing binge drinking, this would also include abolishing “happy hours''.

“People have to address these issues and take personal responsibility for their actions,'' he said.

Acting executive director of the WA Drug and Alcohol Office Eric Dillon said: “Recent police data about the number of alcohol-related offences involving women, particularly those involving violence and aggression, is quite disturbing. That is why it is so important for parents and the community to work with young people to rethink the way we drink alcohol.”

Dillon added: “We don't want young people or anyone else becoming tomorrow's crime statistic. Drinking alcohol has become a firmly entrenched part of our everyday life. The problems associated with binge drinking affect us all and the community will need to work together with government to ensure that alcohol is consumed responsibly.

“The Drug and Alcohol Office has launched a hard-hitting campaign asking the whole community to rethink the way that we drink, to reduce the health impacts, violence and injury that drinking too much alcohol can cause. Advertising is just one way to connect with young people and change their behaviour.''

According to statistics from the 2007 National Drug Strategy Household Survey, teenage girls scored higher on boozing than their male counterparts.

Girls in the age group of 14-19 were nearly twice as prone to alcohol as their male counterparts, at a level that was a high risk of long-term harm. (ANI)

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