One of Ballarat's top police members has linked the region's high rate of family violence incidents over the past 12 months to the city's distressing history of sexual abuse.
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Ballarat Police Superintendent Jenny Wilson said the city's history of abuse is no secret, which has created underlying generation issues leading to high rates of family violence.
"I think the underlying issue in Ballarat is that we have a community that has collectively suffered significant trauma as a result of historical sexual abuse," she said.
"When those incidents have occured, we've definitely seen generational issues come from that. It is no secret that our region has suffered more trauma than many other communities in comparison."
This comes after figures released on Thursday by the Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) show Ballarat's family violence incidents rose by 10.9 per cent over the past 12 months.
Ballarat's rate of family violence reports (1,758 per 100,000 people) remained higher than that of Geelong and Bendigo (1,508 and 1,700 respectively) and well above the overall Victorian rate (1,315)
Looking at the rise in reporting, Superintendent Wilson said there are many ways to view the numbers, both positively and negatively.
"There are two ways to look at the numbers," she continued.
"The first is that increasing numbers of reports means that more people are feeling confident enough to call the police. When things are tracking downwards, it could mean that the issue is diminishing within the community, or that people don't have the confidence to report."
Moving forward, Superintendent Wilson stressed the importance of victims reaching out for help if they find themselves in a violent situation within the home.
Do not hesitate to call any of these numbers if you need assistance: Police Assistance Line - 131444, WRISC Family Violence Support - 53333666, Child and Family Services - 53373333, or 1800RESPECT.
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