Parking inspectors, police, paramedics, nurses and other such community workers are often victims of physical assaults while in the process of performing their duties. Not only do they need to contend with the stressors of their very demanding employment they often need to contend with a high degree of aggression and violence often perpetrated against them by those people they are attempting to assist.

I agree with Robert Doyle that there appears to be a rising temperature of anger together with a lack of respect in the community fuelling violence.  Over the past fifteen years of working with victims of crime in Victoria I have seen a steady and consistent increase in serious unprovoked physical assaults, often involving weapons, where a victim is seriously harmed for no apparent reason whatsoever by someone they have no knowledge of.  This is a very disturbing trend in the nature of crime and in what may be manifesting crime.

For those community workers who are victims of crime they can be assisted both via Workcover as well as via Crimes Compensation. For more information call Victims of Crime Counselling & Compensation Services on Freecall 1800 000 055.

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