Suchergebnisse

After an overview of the current Australian situation, five arguments that are used to justify prohibitionist stances are reviewed. All are shown to be inadequate. The real conditions under which a successful prohibition might be attempted are discussed, and it is shown that these do not exist in Australia at present, at least not as far as some currently illegal drugs are concerned. This paper examines reasons why prohibitionist stances continue to be adopted in the face of their persistent failure, and examines some possible alternatives, without suggesting that any of these are likely to receive serious consideration from politicians involved in formulating policy.

Spouse assault (wife battering) in Australia is reviewed, detailing what is known about the extent of the problem, current legislative & political action, & popularly held beliefs about it. There are no Australian incidence data as such, but there are sufficient data to indicate that spouse assault is a major social justice issue, with massive financial burdens for health, welfare, & criminal justice provision. Political pressure in the 1970s, allied with the development of women's refuges, resulted in new protection order legislation in Australian states & territories between 1983 & 1989. In 1988/89 a National Domestic Violence Education Campaign responded to research findings of widespread community tolerance of spouse assault, & of marked lack of sympathy for victims & understanding of their circumstances by key professional groups, eg, police, doctors, lawyers, welfare workers, & clergy. These developments are placed in a political context, arguing that relatively poor funding for the Campaign is a political issue, that there is a relative inattention to research & policy on perpetrators, & that feminist positions on spouse assault, while vital in exposing the problems, may now be hindering the further development of understanding in the area. 61 References. Modified AA