Programs to improve interpersonal safety in Indigenous communities: evidence and issues

The issue of safety in Indigenous communities has generated great interest over recent years. Under the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER) of 2007, for example, a wide range of services and programs have been implemented that aim to reduce rates of violence, substance abuse, and child abuse and neglect and, more broadly, to promote communities in which people feel safer and in which violence will not be tolerated. This issue paper reviews the effectiveness of such programs that address community safety in either Indigenous or non-Indigenous settings. It outlines what works, what doesn't, and what further research is needed.