Domestic Violence
At the moment, we’re all spending a lot of time debating gay marriage and climate change. Meanwhile, other issues aren’t being debated as vigorously as they might be.
Today The Punch team has each selected two issues which get us hot under the collar, and which we feel deserve more airplay.
What are your thoughts on the issues we’ve chosen? And what other issues do you think we should all be talking about?
Continue reading "12 bigger issues than gay change and climate marriage" »
Each night in Australia 105,000 people are homeless, including 7,500 families. Each June leading Australian CEOs and business leaders sleep rough for one night in support of the Vinnies CEO Sleepout.
Contrary to common perceptions about homelessness, 44 per cent of homeless people are women, many of these accompanied by children. It is a shocking fact that more than 12,000 Australian children under the age of 12 are experiencing some form of homelessness. A further 22,000 young people aged 12 to 18 are homeless, most of them estranged from their families. That’s more than 34,000 kids without a place they can call home.
Speaking at the recent launch of the Vinnies CEO Sleepout 2012, Dr John Falzon, St Vincent de Paul Society CEO, National Council said: “Children who are homeless are more likely to become homeless later in life and raise families who, in turn, also become homeless. You can guess why we haven’t solved the problem.”
Continue reading "I once was lost but now I’m found, thanks to Vinnies" »
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marley says:
@Free - I didn’t say half, I said 40%. Women make up 44% of all homeless and 40% of primary homeless. Or so this report says. If you have a problem with it, take it up with the authors. http://www.homelessnessaustralia.org.au/UserFiles/File/Fact sheets/Fact Sheets 2011-12/Homelessness & Women 2011-12(8).pdf And before you start… Read more »
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Constance Fairleight says:
@Scotchfinger just to set the record straight. My name is Constance, and I am the woman in this article. My husband, the man that I married because I loved and trusted him, betrayed my trust in the worst way a man could possibly betray a woman. I did not include… Read more »
There is no Dean Martin Museum in Steubenville, Ohio. And the town’s other most famous export, former porn star Traci Lords, is not honoured with a statue in the town park.
Steubenville is a dying steel town on the Ohio River. In fact, the place is more or less deceased. Dean Martin, born Dino Crocetti, got out of here in the mid-1930s, at the age of 17, and headed for the lights of Chicago.
Ms Lords got out of here in 1980, when she was 12. Back then, her name wasn’t Traci Lords. It was Nora Kuzma. Her father’s family was Ukrainian and her mother’s side was Irish.
Continue reading "Steubenville: The place dreams aren’t made of" »
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Esteban says:
Whenever the USA has looked inwards or withdrawn from international affairs a world war has started1 Someone, militarily speaking, has to be top dog. whilst the USA is imperfect ,like the brits were imperfect, who else would you rather be top dog? It seems to me that the arts and… Read more »
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Esteban says:
I don’t think so acotrel. Mining is a primary wealth generater. All the rest of the economy can be built upon a primary generator. Stubenville doesn’t have a primary industry as a foundation for the local economy. We can stop mining acotrel and have a one speed economy but it… Read more »
On Saturday night, Robert Lui will take the field for the North Queensland Cowboys, even though his previous NRL club, the Wests Tigers, tore his contract up.
Late last season, Lui was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He’ll appear in court on March 21.
Like any person with a matter before the courts, Lui is entitled to a presumption of innocence. But that doesn’t mean the sporting code which registers him should be powerless to intervene in his affairs.
Continue reading "Our football codes need an off-field code of conduct" »
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Kate says:
Adam Goodes? Face of anti-domestic violence campaigns, advocate for victims of family violence, nice guy Adam Goodes? What’s he doing there ad nauseam? I’m a North supporter who grew up absolutely idolising Wayne Carey. Despite him being revealed to be a shit bloke, I still love footy. Read more »
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Reality Girl says:
gobsmack, i would agree with you but the problem in your argument is that the clubs, the code, the players and their agents themselves market them as role models, therefore they are expected to live up to the marketing if we stopped telling our children that they are heroes, then… Read more »
He rammed her head against the headboard. She tried to master the silent scream. She is left with a limp and her neck in a brace.
This is the ethical treatment of animals, PETA style. Watch the ad above. Then watch the Sourcefed lads’ excellent discussion.
It’s about a woman getting the ‘bottom knocked out of her’ by a virile vegan. But don’t worry, ladies, PETA also offers some tips on protecting yourself from his aggressive advances!
Continue reading "I wanna knock the bottom out of this advertisement" »
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Dave says:
Huh ? You do realise that the video was not suggesting he was belting her but that she banged her head on the wall whilst making the Beast with Two Backs ? (Or in this case, a single back). The smile at the end is not suggesting that she “was… Read more »
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cynical ali says:
This article has made me hungry… 1 large porterhouse steak, please Read more »
Picture a woman. She might live anywhere in the world. She could be part of any socio-economic group, of any ethnicity, of any religion.
On a typical day this woman starts her day before the sun rises. She works for 8-12 hours in a store or on a farm or at a factory or in someone’s home for a small wage, but her children and elderly relatives depend on her income for survival.
When she comes home, she asks her children what they learned that day at school and what they want to be when they grow up. She spends hours bent over a small stove or fireplace preparing meals for an extended family. In many parts of the world, she also grows the food that feeds everyone at her table.
Continue reading "Strike a woman and you strike all of society" »
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Men Are Not Abusers says:
Strike a woman and you strike all of society. Strike a man and it’s business as usual. That’s the very definition of systemic gender violence: When it’s business as usual. The very fact that feminists can see systemic gendered violence as a problem women suffer–when they don’t–and a problem men… Read more »
My father was a violent man.
My mother is still alive thankfully, and I don’t wish to embarrass her by delving into details regarding my father’s behaviour, however it is true to say that his actions restricted her opportunities.
My mother’s whole being was concentred on protecting and shielding her children.
As a young boy, I remember the feeling of helplessness in not being able to protect her from abuse. The community I grew up in knew what was happening to my mother, but nobody intervened or even ventured a comment.
Continue reading "Every Australian man is on the frontline of this battle" »
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damien says:
it isn’t that simple. too many people turn a blind eye. sure, i’m not violent or abusive, even more, i’m for empowering and supporting my girlfriend and other women in my lives. but, maybe it’s something about me. thirty years ago, i was just a scrawny kid on a crowded… Read more »
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Elizabeth1 says:
Domestic violence is not a cause of death listing. The listing parameters are from the WHO International Classification of Diseases (ICD). As it is not a disease, and is external it is not included under the disease listings. May be listed under actual injury or as homicide. The ABS have… Read more »
If Matthew Newton’s A Current Affair interview was his opening shot at public redemption, it was a misfire.
Both the actor and A Current Affair seemed to want the Australian public to swallow the troubled star’s “cathartic” TV tell-all and wave him off cheerfully on his road to professional rehabilitation.
But, there was one big thing lacking – free and easy use of the “s” word.
Continue reading "Sorry seems to be the hardest word for Matthew Newton" »
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anti bully says:
Hallelujah Read more »
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Heidi Mungoven (Loving wife of Bipolar sufferer) says:
If the media’s intention was to hold a loaded gun to Matthew’s head with the hope of getting an apology, then it was the media’s gun that misfired. Mental Illness already carries heavy stigma. Shame on you media. You should be raising awareness of this very dark disease known as… Read more »
Growing up in the 1950s and the 1960s I witnessed my mother being brutally beaten and verbally abused and belittled regularly by my father. For over 30 years Mum put up with this abuse and her health deteriorated over that time, so much so that she died in 1983 at the very young age of 49.
My father was responsible for her death, I don’t doubt it.
I will never get over the fact that during the many occasions Mum was being attacked by my father no one stepped in to help her. Neighbours saw and heard what was happening and did nothing to help her. I remember my brother, my sister or I running next door or across the road for help but there was none. People in the street would not stop and help when she was being abused or hit in public. Family friends would do nothing when they were around and saw the violence.
Continue reading "No-one lifted a finger as Dad raised his hand at Mum" »
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Mark says:
I appreciate your kind sentiments Susan. Thank you. Nevertheless, as I have discovered so often-no-one has ever responded to the question I pose. Domestic violence is also a very private, painful thing to endure but that has not prevented you and many others from writing about it in great detail.… Read more »
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Susan says:
Great post Gidgee, agree with everything you have said. Sadly both male and female think things will change, somehow by merely “wishing” it away. Leave - piss off - depart - under no circumstances should either party stay - go - write it off as a mistake, best advice I… Read more »
As the 11-hour Parramatta siege was unfolding on Tuesday, with a 52-year-old man occupying a lawyer’s chambers with his 12-year-old daughter, allegedly claiming to have a bomb in his rucksack, a remarkable discussion was taking place in real time on social media sites among Australian men’s rights advocates.
Knowing nothing about the personal circumstances of the perpetrator, the consensus among these advocates was that the man who started the siege had to be regarded as the victim here. The victim of the Family Court, the victim of a system skewed against men, the victim of a feminist conspiracy.
Knowing nothing about how the siege would resolve itself, and indifferent to the risk of harm to the 12-year-old girl, police and office workers, there was even a sense among these men’s rights advocates that the man was something of a hero. Poor bloke, pushed to the brink, someone has to stand up to the system. Here’s some examples, with the names deleted:
Continue reading "Angry men have never met a thug who wasn’t innocent" »
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Mark says:
Ronny Jonny- are you as simple as you appear to be? What I wouldn’t give to see your reaction to a woman coming at you with a knife or accusing you of abuse and have people believe it. You big tough stoic. Wanting balance and truth to be the guiding… Read more »
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The nation was stunned by the gruesome triple homicide in Kapunda last year. A husband, wife and their 16 year old daughter were each butchered by multiple stab wounds in their otherwise peaceful rural home. Also shocking was the neighbour who heard repeated screams of “help, help” and stated that he heard a woman who “sounded desperate to get away from someone” decided against calling the police. He believed it was probably just a domestic dispute.
On this, the 100th International Women’s Day, our country now has a female Prime Minister. We have a female Governor General. Three of the seven justices of the High Court are women.
These are some pretty good statistics. Here are some more: In Australia today one in three women experience physical violence after the age of fifteen. One in five experience sexual violence.
Continue reading "There’s no such thing as “just” a domestic dispute" »
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hopsissish says:
What do you think about new Social Network website http://facesepicentre.com/ ? Read more »
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Today marks the hundredth anniversary of International Women’s Day. It is an occasion to celebrate the achievements of women, to reflect on how far women have progressed on the journey towards equality in the last century, but also to recognise that significant challenges remain, here and abroad.
The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is “Female Leadership and Political Participation” and, on this score, Australia has much to celebrate. One hundred years ago, we were one of only three countries in the world that could boast women’s suffrage.
The significance of this achievement is evident when one reflects that Kuwait’s Parliament extended suffrage to women in 2005 and only then by a 35-23 vote, and in Saudi Arabia women are still deprived of voting rights.
Continue reading "Aussie women: You think you’ve got it bad?" »
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Squeeze the Middle says:
marley. Isn’t Outraged really just saying: you Aussie women are just as bad as us Aussie men so drop the whole ‘it’s all because of men’ charade. If so then why the personal attack? Read more »
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Tahera says:
St. Michael, you did very interesting observation. As you said ” Women are as much part of the system as the men are.” So to began with the facts are: First woman our mother Eve was created from the rib of Hazrat Adam. Secondly man and woman they both got… Read more »
As the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day approaches, we can and should celebrate a century of achievements for women, both small and gigantic.
But no-one could say gender equality is ‘done and dusted’. As we celebrate, we should pause to acknowledge the areas in which there has been insufficient progress, including in our working lives.
Our workplaces are still fraught with gender pay inequity, an underrepresentation of women in leadership positions, unequal treatment of men and women with caring responsibilities and the omnipresent scourge of sexual harassment.
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haverin books says:
Why… is it okay to talk about murdering 100,000 women? How could you think that was an okay thing to even think of murdering 100,000 people, let alone say it? If just one (ONE!) of you so-called men had stood up and said to my ex-partner, “Mate, it’s not okay… Read more »
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Squeeze the Middle says:
Generally? Probably. But there are still spot fires of inequality all over the place. Some have women burning men. I’m new to this Women’s Studies and Feminist Theory thing. I used to fear and diss it but now find observing how Women’s Studies are being applied a great study in… Read more »
Sleepless nights, heartbreak and endless analysis and yelling at the screen have been an intimate part of many of our lives during the World Cup. With all the commentary, the goals, and the bad sporting puns ad nauseam there’s one thing that no one has really talked about during this world cup - violence against women.
It’s a horrible thought, that an event we love could have such a dark underside. Sadly it’s something we do need to talk about. During the 2006 Fifa World Cup the home office of the UK found a 30% jump in domestic violence incidents on nights that England were playing.
The interesting thing is it didn’t seem to matter if England won or lost as the 30% increase remained relatively steady during England’s win over Paraguay and its loss to Portugal.
Continue reading "Home violence and the dark side of the World Cup" »
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ZimbaZumba says:
There are no studies that show that Domestic Violence peaks during the Soccer World Cup or the Super Bowl. They where myths spread by those who might benefit from them. The BBC program ‘Law in Actiom’ did a whole program that debunked the World Cup myth. http://www.snopes.com/crime/statistics/superbowl.asp http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2011-02-03-sommers04_st_N.htm Read more »
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Bev says:
Ariel have you actualy read the various reports? They say similar things. Prof. Richard Chisholm’s report finds that about 5% of divorce cases go to litigation (the rest are sorted out beforehand) of these cases 50% involve allegations of violence or abuse. Of these 30% involve violence by wives against… Read more »
‘Violence against women’ are three particularly distressing words. Words that should never go together. I’d like to think we all agree.
Turns out, maybe not.
A recent study indicates that, “one in four people think women falsify or exaggerate claims of rape and domestic violence”. That’s too many people blaming the victims for my liking.
Continue reading "Victims are not to be blamed for violence against women" »
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WestOt says:
I am a female who has been abused by my (now ex) husband for many years. He called the police and had a DVO taken out against me. I couldn’t afford to contest it. After this happened, I was too frightened to defend myself for a long time because he… Read more »
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Dr Gaye Barr says:
Victor, I absolutely agree with you and have the utmost sympathy for anybody who falls victim to false allegations. It is a terrible slight on anybody’s character and there is little (if any) right of reply. People who lie about their status or culpability in incidents of domestic violence should… Read more »
“Whadidya say?”
Thump. Her body lurches forward, her upper body, starting just below the shoulder where he had hit her, falls first, and then the rest of her body catches up and she takes two quick stumbling steps to regain her balance. The only noise she makes is the smallest of whimpers. She does not run or try to find help. She just keeps walking.
But so does he. “Were ya talkin’ to me? Is that what ya were sayin’ to me? He swings his left arm around, in a wide circular motion. Thump.
Continue reading "Witness to a sickening act of domestic brutality" »
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Dan says:
Why? Not every issue needs to be balanced between the genders. If we discuss prostate cancer, must we also discuss breast cancer? Read more »
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BK says:
This case appears to be one of a tiny minority where there is a neat little distinction between victim and villian. There is nothing wrong with discussing it, but we need to see it balanced with other articles that discuss violence against men. Read more »
A few weeks ago we ran a column here on The Punch examining the emergence of an angry core of Australian blokes who use cyberspace as a forum to unload on how women have done them wrong.
The piece documented how even the most innocent columns on breast cancer, maternity leave, childcare or body image become a vehicle whereby crotchety men can bemoan the apparent neglect of men’s health issues, the economic pressures which single dads face, the raw deal they get from the courts.
The article had the unsurprising effect of attracting, well, an angry core of Australian blokes who use cyberspace as a forum to unload on how women have done them wrong. There was a depressingly pertinent example of this mindset last week and it’s worth pinging the perpetrators over it, as it demonstrated all the nonsensical self-pity of the men-are-victims-too brigade.
Continue reading "Even White Ribbon Day is a sinister feminist plot" »
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Bev says:
Helen the stats I point to are police and court stats. None are conflict scale research. Dr Michael Flood attempted to write off the NSW DV report which acknowledges that 30% 0f complainents are men by saying just this. It is a lie! These are actual case figures not research! … Read more »
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Eric says:
Helen, you are obviously ignorant of the research - as would be expected of someone who has made the ridiculous claims you have. Here, see some real research: http://www.csulb.edu/~mfiebert/assault.htm SUMMARY: This bibliography examines 271 scholarly investigations: 211 empirical studies and 60 reviews and/or analyses, which demonstrate that women are as… Read more »
Last night I attended the launch of National Swearing Day without realising it.
Attending functions as a politician can be a bit like an episode of “Thank God You’re Here”. You walk through the door and suddenly discover that you are giving a speech, cooking a meal, or throwing a first prize sash over a pumpkin.
So last night, instead of being at the launch of National Swearing Day, I thought I was attending a function for the White Ribbon Foundation. It’s an organisation headed up by Andrew O’Keefe which aims to prevent violence against women.
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Formersnag says:
Barely a week, past “fathers day” and already, the loony, left, feminist, child abusers are trying to, blame men, for everything as usual. The stats on DV against children, are in, and the women, are beating, us, blokes, and our children, hands down. Read more »
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Pete says:
Problem with swearing the (bloody) oath: Is violence against women always unacceptable? What about self-defence? i.e. What if a man is attacked with a knife by a woman for instance? Read more »
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