Domestic Violences - say NO
White Ribbon Day
Every day 1,000 women are violently assaulted across Australia.
Ordinary women.
Most assaults are never reported to police.
All forms of domestic violences is wrong. Sexual, physical and emotional abuse against women and men is completely unacceptable. Not all women are saints, but that does not give a partner the right to assault their wives or girlfriends.
- Close to half of all women (40%) have experienced violence since the age of 15
- Just under one third of women (29%) have experienced physical assault
- Nearly one in five women (17%) have experienced sexual assault
- Nearly one in six women (16%) have experienced violence by a current or previous partner in their lifetime
- Since the age of 15, one third of women (33%) have experienced inappropriate comments about their body or sex life, one quarter 925%) have experienced unwanted sexual touching, one in five (19%) have been stalked
Not only does domestic violence have long term affects on the victims, it traumatises the children, it tears families apart, it impacts on the grandparents, it disrupts employment, create poverty in families and can leave deep physical and psychological scars. It also (according to a KPMG report) costs the community around $13.6 billion (in 2008-09) a year.
Whilst men are much less likely than women to be the subject of domestic violences, some still are (around 1%). Sadly though, men are more likely to be the victims of murder and manslaughter by strangers and its important that we teach our young men how to stay safe.
Whilst the Bible asks wife to submit to their husbands, this does not give husbands the right to abuse this submission and behave violently towards their wives.
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So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.
Ephesians 5:28-29
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Sources:
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Personal Safety Survey, 2006
Those statistics are quite bad, really. I wonder how different they are from a couple hundred years or so ago? Have they changed much over time? Has freedom for women changed much assault, or is it just that people are base, people lust and sin regardless of their freedoms?? It's interesting to think about. And we certainly do need to educate both our daughters and sons about these things - that those kinds of behaviours are NOT okay either to DO or to RECEIVE. :(
ReplyDeleteDomestic violence has been around for a long time, but it wouldn't have been reported, women just put up with it, they couldn't divorce or they would loose everything including their children . In upper class homes in Britian the husband just took a mistress and neglected their wives (as Charles Dickons did). Henry VIII had his wives heads removed, extreme abuse.
DeleteThe fact the Bible tells men how to behave is a good indication that they did mistreat women.
Even though I have recently had the sorrow of seeing the results of a violent and abusive relationship, I am amazed by the high stats. This case was a first for me but perhaps I move in sheltered circles. For which I am thankful.
ReplyDeleteSadly it is much higher than most would expect and no end in sight for some poor women.
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