School crime shock
20th May 2010
From the Parliamentary Library
Author: Education| James Dowling and Andre Awadalla
Publisher: News Ltd Regional/Suburban
Publication: Leader-Moonee Valley, Page 3 (Mon 17 May 2010)
Keywords: Martin (1),Dixon (1)
Edition: 1 - MV
Section: News
School crime shock
GOVERNMENT schools reported thousands of crimes last year, with Melbourne's west among the worst areas in some categories.
Western metropolitan region schools which includes schools in Moonee Valley, Brimbank, Maribyrnong, Hobsons Bay, Wyndham and Melton reported 1192 incidents to the Education Department's 24-hour emergency and security management unit last year, including 327 cases of alleged criminal activity.
Documents released to the Leader under FoI laws revealed reports of burglary, property damage, trespassing, fights, assaults and sexual assault from the region's 139 government schools reported to the department's emergency hotline.
The document lists 225 reports of aggressive behaviour, including fighting and bullying; 182 burglaries; 139 reports of antisocial behaviour, including graffiti and vandalism; 97 reports of suspicious vehicles or intruders; 64 reports of missing students; 35 assaults; 34 sexual assaults; six criminal fires and 14 police lockdowns.
Victorian Principals Association president Gabrielle Leigh said principals were crying out for welfare officers attached to each school to address the violence.
``We need far more resources to work with those really troubled children,'' Ms Leigh said.
``It's about being proactive and providing the help students need before the negative behaviour starts occurring.''
Statewide there were 2265 reports of criminal activity, 1521 reports of aggressive behaviour and 820 emergency situations, which include 420 reports of missing students and 40 school lockdowns.
Opposition education spokesman Martin Dixon said violent schools were a reflection of a more violent society.
He said principals needed more power and department support to discipline violent students.
Education Department spokesman Nick Higgins said Victoria's 1555 government schools were overwhelmingly safe places and incidents of violence were dealt with quickly.
He said about 500 ``allied health professionals'', including psychologists, social workers and speech pathologists, worked with schools in 2009-10.
Have you witnessed criminal behaviour at your school? Tell us at mooneevalleyleader.com.au
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Martin Dixon MP
State Member for Nepean
Shop 1, McCrae Plaza
Cnr Lonsdale Street and Pt Nepean Road
McCRAE VIC 3938
Phone: (61) 3 5986 6661
Fax: (61) 3 5981 1360
Email: martin.dixon@parliament.vic.gov.au