Glassing attacks on the rise, NSW

June 29, 2008

A GLASSING attack happens somewhere in NSW every nine hours.

A drinking glass or bottle was the weapon used in 994 assaults across the state last year... That's a 70 per cent increase on the 584 glassings recorded in 1998 and it comes at a time when the rates of murder, robbery and most violent crimes are steady or declining...

In a joint stance with senior police from around Australia, NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione last month nominated alcohol-related violence as the force's "number one priority"...

James Arvanitakis, a cultural researcher at the University of Western Sydney, said the glassing statistics supported the theory of a rise in some violence-specific offences linked to time poverty, competitiveness and stress.

"People aren't just growing meaner, we're getting worn down by traffic congestion, crowding, petrol prices, poor services and a whole range of issues," he said. "And what appears to be a spontaneous outburst actually involves a build-up of extreme frustration or anger." ...

Latest crime and justice figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show almost half of NSW residents believe there to be a crime or public nuisance problem in their neighbourhood.

You forgot to mention diversity, the constant tension that keeps the melting pot simmering with frustration and anger.