Domestic Violence – Imprisonment – Prudent or Healing?
DEAR EDITOR,
Imprisonment should not dominate the domestic violence treatment landscape.
Serious daily news of domestic violence has been flooding our TV screens and airwaves. Fundamentally, domestic violence in Guyana has become synonymous with a social pandemic, with everyone and even the clergy offering various reasons for it when clamping down. Men who are physically abusive are considered a catastrophic danger to public health. In summary there appears to be a great over-reliance on the criminal justice system as an administrator of punishment and improvement. Although imprisonment can be an important deterrent to domestic violence, it is not a cure in any way
and should not be regarded as such.
Over the last few years the general question has been deceptively simple: “Has it worked? Stated plain or better – Are batteries improved? Was the prison environment conducive to reducing aggression? What re-education, basic, preparatory or otherwise awaits those abusers, (some usually) within the walls of the institution where they will serve their sentence? The answer is a resounding yes, no!
Recently in a Guyanese newspaper, adherents of the Hippocratic Oath offered the following as probable panaceas for domestic violence “We need to create a more peaceful society where there is justice for all, and where communication is non-violent. We must learn coping skills with abusers such as effective communication, problem solving strategies, anger management and self control rather than using cruel force and violence ”.
I appeal a bit differently racially as the intractable nature of the problem reinforces the fact that every domestic violence is a unique, multifaceted and enduring problem that cannot be solved by “one size fits all” intervention. Patriarchy may not explain all abuses, since not all batters are violent for the same reason. In addition, using techniques such as anger management “depresses the fact that most rapists selectively limit their violence to their partners, rarely hitting friends or co-workers” which feminists claim show that men can, in fact, control their behavior in the parts of society. where they are more likely to be held accountable. Research shows that many woman abusers have substance abuse and addiction problems, and that treatments could be improved by addressing issues of racial prejudice, economic stress, harmful community or family culture, mental illness and history the men themselves of childhood abuse. This multi-faceted approach is a co-ordinated community response, and again highlights the fact that no single intervention is expected to solve the complex problem of domestic violence. He is afraid; the fear of abandonment and this fear quickly turns into anger.
I believe that rage but fear is not the first emotion that batterers experience immediately before committing domestic violence. Fear of abandonment and this fear quickly turns to anger. Nevertheless, it is abundantly clear that the nature of the criminal justice system’s response to the domestic violence incident has not changed the course of reconstruction, as the offenders are not deterred by the severity of their sentence.
The cyclical and repetitive nature of domestic violence suggests that spouses, children, and sometimes older family members often fear the offender’s revenge. Recognizing not only the gravity of the situation, but also the urgent need for an approach aimed at phasing out, it is recommended that immediate domestic violence programs be established in prisons with a mandatory presence for all batters. Such programs should be run by appropriately trained practitioners, and are intended to target many of the risk factors identified above that may predispose to domestic violence. Similar programs should also be run in the communities. Social services and healthcare settings need to be aware, or aware of the protocols (or lack thereof) within their agencies for identifying and supporting battered women and their children, as there is evidence that some agencies have missed opportunities to Helping her, as with Caroline Kennedy and her two children, Bartica residents burned to death in a house fire deliberately set by her husband, and Linus la Cruz of Port Kaituma gold mining township, who fled the home and killed her wife and his four children. Agency liaison and communication is ideal where possible because, in many cases, separate agencies each had unique and significant risk information that, taken together, would have painted an alarming picture in relation to the need for risk assessment, control and safety. planning.
Obviously, reaching out to abused women is an essential part of preventing further abuse or death, because women often experience the violence / abuse well before it comes to the attention of the victim. police. It should be public awareness campaigns to inform women victims of strategies for getting help, and in the process of assisting in changing community norms about domestic violence, which will be part of the effort (s) ) towards stopping the violence. The last point mentioned is extremely important, because in many cases, family members, neighbors and friends were aware of death risk factors but either did not fully understand their significance or did not know how to response. Women who are planning to leave an abuser should be taught how to leave and not cause others to grieve — how to make an effort to leave alive. She must be warned NOT to personally face the decision, and should instead leave a note or call later if necessary. Some women like the idea of a healthcare professional reporting them to the police, so professionals should offer them this option.
Finally, one of the most promising and sustainable involves implementing school-based programs aimed at preventing dating violence, and educating young people about healthy relationships. Boys need to be taught the skills necessary for forming and maintaining intimate relationships characterized by equality, and how to cope appropriately with the various conflicts that can arise in intimate relationships, especially with the possible dissolution of close relationships. Remember that domestic violence not only violates basic rights of personal safety and integrity, but also an attack on the community.
The community must be united.
Y. Sam