Andrea Davidson, Victoria's interim head of the new violence reduction unit (VRU), recalls a call from a hospital trauma director who was tired of patching up injured children only to see them die later. Davidson, formerly the commissioner for youth justice, has attended several children's funerals. The VRU was established after a spike in youth offences and high-profile incidents, including knife fights at a Melbourne shopping centre and the stabbing deaths of two boys, Dau Akueng, 15, and Chol Achiek, 12, in Cobblebank.
Public health approach to violence
The VRU treats violence as a public health issue rather than a law-and-order problem, a model pioneered in Scotland by Karyn McCluskey, a former police officer and nurse. In 2003, Glasgow was known as the murder capital of Europe, but after McCluskey led the VRU for 14 years, homicides, attempted murders, and serious assaults plummeted. In 2024, Scotland removed its last youth from prison. McCluskey stated, 'We jailed lots of people, [and it] didn't make any difference. If that worked, we'd have had no crime.' Instead, they viewed violence as a disease caught from violent homes and communities.
Hospital and school interventions
The strategy involves embedding youth workers and 'lived experience' mentors in hospitals. Davidson is finalising a program at the Alfred and Royal Children's hospitals to intervene when young people are admitted with traumatic injuries. 'When a young person turns up to an emergency department, there will be an immediate response from a youth worker rather than wait for them to retaliate,' she said. Another program places social workers in 23 schools identified as high-risk through extensive data analysis, including justice, crime, health, and school attendance data, as well as postcode-level disadvantage indicators.
Election uncertainty and political context
The VRU was launched alongside punitive reforms, such as bail measures and adult sentences for children as young as 14. The state's police commissioner, Mike Bush, supports both prevention and mandatory minimum sentencing. Davidson acknowledges the coexistence of these approaches, saying, 'They're on the same spectrum.' The government claims the Liberal party intends to axe the VRU if elected, though the opposition declined to confirm this. Annual crime statistics showed a drop in Victoria's crime rate for the first time in four years, with a 6% reduction in youth crime. The police minister, Anthony Carbines, attributed this to hardline measures, while the minister for violence reduction, Sonya Kilkenny, credited the VRU.
Long-term commitment needed
McCluskey warns against short-termism, noting that while homicide rates dropped a year after Scotland's VRU began, real change takes years. 'You need a 10, 15 year plan,' she said. Davidson remains focused on the approach regardless of political changes. The VRU also explores links between adult homelessness and retail violence, with 189,536 people on Victoria's public housing waitlist and a median wait time of 10 months for those in greatest need.
