Deconstructing indiscriminate violence: a mixed methods study in nightclub security

Violence in and around nightclubs has been the subject of community concern for many years and yet there has been little research into how nightclubs address the risk of violence. The study reported in this thesis explores systems of security in 20 Victorian nightclubs located within an entertainment precinct and how they address violence. Violence was defined as behaviours that include verbal threats, aggressive actions such as pointing or invading personal space, and physical attack that required actual or potential intervention by venue staff. The study grouped the 20 nightclubs into two categories (Levels 1 and 2) based upon reported incidents. The 10 Level 1 venues averaged >4 incidents each week and the 10 Level 2 venues averaged <1 incident each week. The study made comparisons between elements within the security systems that had been developed and introduced into the 10 Level 1 and 10 Level 2 nightclubs in determining which elements appear to be associated with less violence. The study found that venues with higher levels of violence tended to have informal systems, poor management methods and less preventative practices which meant they were weighted toward reactivity in addressing the risk of violence.