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