DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN A SUBTROPICAL ENVIRONMENT - POLICE CALLS AND WEATHER IN BRISBANE

Possible relationships between weather and telephone calls to police' complaining of domestic violence, were investigated for Brisbane durin g 1992. Having accounted for the effect of the day of the week, signif icant associations were observed between calls and maximum air tempera ture, during all seasons. Prediction equations have been established f or different days of the week. At the weekly level, the temperature as sociation was enhanced by barometric pressure, yielding a regression w hich explained nearly 50% of the overall variability. It is suggested that the inputs into these regressions can be adequately forecasted, a nd that appropriate procedures may be developed for their practical ap plication.