On a recent jog through my local park in London, something stopped me in my tracks. As I came around a corner in a wooded area, I passed a young woman standing in the middle of the path, looking around frantically, sobbing. While I usually tend to leave people who are crying in public to themselves, this scene sent off alarm bells in my head. This woman needs help, I thought. I had to stop.
"Hey, are you okay?" I asked. When I got close enough to look at her, I realized she couldn't have been much older than 18 or 19. She squinted at me, and let out one of those loud, gut-spewing, choking sobs.
"No," she said. "Please help me. He's taken my glasses."
What? Who?
Between gasps, she explained that she and her boyfriend had just been in a fight, and it had ended with him storming off, taking her glasses with him. She had poor eyesight, and couldn't see well enough to find her way out of the park. To make matters worse, she wasn't from London, and her phone was dead.
She was stranded, far from home, and unable to see. No wonder she was so upset. What kind of jerk does that? I thought.
The sun was setting. My first idea was to get her out of the park and into a well-lit public space where we could figure out the next steps. So we walked. I tried to calm her by asking where she was from, how long she was in town. But she was distracted. She kept looking around, wide-eyed and terrified, searching for her boyfriend. Then she spotted him. He was lurking in the shadows, waiting. He was a tall, thin man, probably about the same age as her. I could tell by the way she became immediately panicked that she was afraid of him.
"He'll probably yell at you," she warned me as we neared him. "He has a bad temper. He'll probably be mad at me because I asked for help."
Without thinking, I walked up to him and asked if he knew where the glasses were. "I threw them in the river," he said. This made the woman burst into tears again, and she asked me to call the police. I whipped out my phone and began to dial, but before I could press the call button, the man pulled the glasses out of his pocket and slammed them into her open palm with force. "They're right here," he said with a grumble. "I was just kidding."
Then he turned to me and became verbally aggressive. "Who the f— do you think you are? You think I'm abusive or something? This is none of your business."
I tried to ignore him and offer my help to the woman. I said I was worried about her. Would she like to come back to my place? Did she have someone she could call? The man eventually wandered off down the path and left us alone. That's when she told me she was pregnant with his child, and their relationship was fraught with physical and verbal abuse. "He would never really hurt me," she said. "Sure, we fight a lot, and sometimes we hit one another, but all relationships have their ups and downs, right? He would never actually do anything to hurt me."
I wanted to tell her to snap out of it, that non-consensual physical violence is not normal in a relationship, and that this would only escalate. She had to get out now. But I thought it would be futile. As is the case with many abuse victims, she said she needed to be with him. She was in love. She begged to go after him. I knew I wasn't going to be able to convince this young woman to change her life here and now on the sidewalk, so I let her go. But not before giving her my number. "Call me anytime," I said.
As I tried to go about my business that evening, I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd messed up. Did I do everything I could? Should I have called the police? Forced her to come home with me?
This isn't something they teach you about in school. There's no real protocol. People tend to not get involved, even when they should.
In a recent Swedish social experiment, researchers exposed people to what looked like an instance of domestic abuse. Fifty-three people saw the staged abuse. Just one of them actually intervened.
Part of the reason for our inaction in the face of public abuse may stem from the fact that most abuse happens behind closed doors. "With most abusers, they're smarter than that," says Bea Arthur, a licensed therapist and women's advocate who worked as a domestic violence counselor for two years. "They're very charming, and the woman defends him and doesn't say anything. So people don't know what's going on."
That's true. But it needs to change. We need to educate people on how to deal with abuse when it does happen publicly, or we risk them ignoring the situation and leaving the victim to suffer.
So, if you do find yourself in this unfortunate situation, here are some guidelines.
1. Call the police.
Many domestic violence groups say this is the best thing you can do. "If you see an incident of domestic violence, always call the police rather than intervening, as it could put you directly at risk," Polly Neate, chief executive of Women's Aid, told HuffPost. "It could also make the abuse worse, or if the victim is frightened of her abuser she may also turn against you out of fear."
In other words, I might have messed up by getting involved myself. But it also stands that sometimes calling the police "can make things harder on the women," says Arthur. This is especially true if the victim is an undocumented immigrant and risks deportation, or is financially or physically reliant on their abuser. And while you might think that calling the police will put a stop to the abuse, that's unlikely. Victims often go back to their abusers. "Everyone blames women for staying with the guy, but a lot of times it's a pattern of power and control," says Arthur. "They find people who are susceptible. They're predators." The victim will probably go back, and when they do, their abuser is going to be angry. The violence is likely to escalate.
But interfering yourself could put you in physical danger. I only thought about this after the fact, when I was at home making dinner and still turning the whole thing over and over in my head. I realized things could have gone much worse. What I did wasn't necessarily wrong — but it also wasn't safe.
2. Make sure you're in a public space.
If possible, move to a well-lit area with some foot traffic. If things do escalate further, you need as many witnesses as possible, says Arthur.
3. Speak only to the victim.
"The best thing to do is to speak directly to the woman, because it reminds her that she has options, that she's a person," says Arthur. "For her, this is embarrassing. They have a lot of shame about the situation, they keep it a secret. She believes it's her fault. So, speak supportively, warmly."
Directing your words toward the victim does two other things: First, it starves the abuser of attention. In some cases, as in my experience, they will simply walk away if they don't get the feedback they desire. Second, it demonstrates coping behavior that the victim could mirror. "Show her what it looks like to ignore him," Arthur says.
4. Make sure the victim has someone to help her.
"Ask if there's anybody she wants you to call," Arthur recommends. "These guys sometimes take their cell phones." In my case, the victim's phone was dead. So I sent her a text message that she'd receive whenever she could find a charge, to make sure she had my number. "Giving them a lifeline to the outside world and outside of the abuse is the best thing you can do," Arthur says.


Later in the evening, when I was getting ready for bed, I got a text message: "Hi Jess, thank you so much for this evening. I really appreciate it. I'm on my way home now. Thank you again."

I ended the correspondence by giving her the number of a domestic violence hotline. I'll never know if she used it, but I really hope she did.

​This article was written by Jessica Hullinger and was copied from here.

• After a brutal domestic violence attack a woman reunited with her neighbour
• Simone O'Brien was viciously injured when she tried to end her relationship 
• Her two daughters, 12 and 15, were home at the time and witnessed the attack
• The divorced mother met her ex-partner on a dating website 10 months earlier

A Brisbane woman who faced a violent attack at the hand of her ex-partner has returned to her former street to meet with the neighbours who saved her life.
After ending her relationship with a man she had met online, Simone O'Brien was severely injured when he used a baseball bat to inflict such significant trauma to her body she spent months in a Brisbane hospital's intensive care unit fighting for life.
Without the immediate intervention of Karen Roper, Ms O'Brien's former neighbour at her Carseldine home,  the divorced mother-of-three doesn't think she would have made it.
Ms Roper held her friend's skull together following the attack. 
'If I didn't know my neighbours I might not be here today,' Ms O'Brien told 9 News.
It was September 25, 2012 when Ms O'Brien placed a phone call to her then partner Glenn Cable, saying she no longer wanted to be in a relationship with him following growing doubts, 10 months after they had met.
Within minutes Cable arrived at her home, and in front of Ms O'Brien's two daughters - aged 12 and 15, shattered her skull while breaking multiple bones, while her son was at basketball. 
He rendered her unconscious after using a baseball bat to beat her senseless which he had previously, unknowingly to her, stored under her bed.
On Monday Ms O'Brien told Daily Mail Australia the prior placement of the bat was an indication to the courts the attack was planned.
She knew she was in danger the moment 'he shut the door to the bedroom. Then I was on the ground and looking at the girls, I felt helpless. I honestly thought I was going to die.' 
Her neighbour Ms Roper quickly ran to help and was horrified to find her face like 'mush'. 
'When Karen came over to help she had said to the girls ''get some me ice'' thinking I would be bruised. When she saw me she realised she needed towels instead.'
She said their friendship today is extremely 'special'.
Ms O'Brien's left arm was snapped in two places, her top jaw was shattered so badly that she could barely open her mouth two millimeters, her nose and right cheek bone were broken along with both eye sockets, her skull was completely shattered and she was left blind in one eye.  
Almost five years on from the attack Ms Obrien returned to the street where the attack took place, revisiting Karen and her two other neighbours who helped detain Cable following the brutality.
'It was a goal of mine and Karen's to do this… it was just amazing to be in her car, and we held hands - and I've got the power back to be able to come back here,' she said. 
'I think that night put a bond between us together that's incredibly strong.'  
She is now using her experience to speak out about domestic violence, with an important message, urging women to get to know their neighbours. 
White Ribbon, Australia's male-led campaign to end violence against women, wants to build a future free from male violence and abuse. Ms O'Brien is now an ambassador for the organisation.
On July 28 a national event across the country encourages neighbours to start conversations and build relationships that could be important later.
Ms O'Brien reunited with her ex husband Trevor after being divorced for six years.
Mr Cable was jailed in the Supreme Court in Brisbane for 15 years and is not able to apply for parole until 2025. 
Keen to use her traumatic experience to help others her message today is clear: 'Let's make a change together - speak up and stop the domestic violence. 
'A pinch is too much - it can escalate so quickly.
'I am no better than anyone,' she said 'I just want to help others.'

This article was written by Fiona Connor and was published here.

IT WAS too early for bed and I was just about to watch another episode of House of Cards when I heard thumping, like kicking a wall, somewhere just beyond my lounge room.
I heard it a few times over a few minutes before I turned to my partner with a curious look on my face.
“Is that one of the kids?” I asked, before muting the television, but it was not.
The silence in my house revealed the thumping was accompanied by thunderous shouting, and it was coming from my new neighbour’s place.
They moved in 16 days ago, and I first got a sense of foreboding on their second night. Their angry shouts permeated the walls as they fought their way up and down the floors of the old wooden house. His rage was palpable and explosive, cursing and screaming.
Was that sound throwing things? Hitting things? I could not quite discern the crashes and thuds. I didn’t hear a second voice and I decided to mind my own business.
We went away for a fortnight but on our return the cloud of rage descended upon our quiet, suburban, family neighbourhood once more. Now, my ear was pressed to the laundry window, where I listened to the furniture being hurled with as much force as the profanities.
Each shout, thump and thud made my eyes blink. I knew I should call the police, but I was paralysed. My feet were rooted to the laundry tiles and my mind skittered back to the time when it was me living in a relationship similar to this.
A time where my boyfriend’s rage was unpredictable, and violent. A time where I lost sight of what love is, and accepted something so much less.
Adrenaline shot through my veins and I began to shake uncontrollably. I remembered the times when the police would come to my house during a domestic dispute, or a concerned passer by would ask if I was OK if we were in public. I remembered the taste of hot terror. I remembered the shame I felt.
In time, the vicious symphony quieted next door and only shuffling remained. I went to bed, my partner wrapping me in his arm to quell my shaking and I attempted sleep.
An ambulance came some time in the night. I know not why, I just saw it out the window and cast a million aspersions in my head before once more trying to sleep. At 6am, the vicious screams and thuds began again and I knew I could mind my own business no longer.
I am the only neighbour who would hear. The other side is a building site, and across the road is a row of double brick, double-glazed fortresses that would lock out the sounds of the usually peaceful street. I knew it would be obvious that I called the police so I waited until the kids were at school, called my local police station and filed a report.
This is absolutely the best course of action, says the President of the Police Association, Scott Weber. In fact, I should have done it sooner.
“You should contact 000 straight away. Stay on the line and give as much information as possible. Police will never disclose who made the call, especially in a situation as sensitive as domestic violence, but if you are concerned you can remain anonymous when you ring emergency,” says Weber.
If you are concerned that there is someone aggressive, threatening or violent in your neighbourhood, ensure the safety of your family by taking precautions, and never approach the person during a dispute.
“The first thing is to make sure that you have adequate security at your own premises, but also you and your family have contact details for police and contact them straight away if you have any issues,” says Weber.
Domestic violence is not only when people are beating each other. Domestic violence is classified as any behaviour that may be deemed as threatening, intimidating, or harassment of any kind.
If you are feeling worried or frightened about what you are seeing or hearing you don’t need to wait for it to escalate before calling for help, even if you’re not certain that someone is in danger.
“It’s important to be vigilant. It’s more important that the situation gets checked out because you could save a life. If it turns out to not be too serious, or it’s a loud party or children playing up, the police are also trained in how to deal with that situation too. It’s more important to check on the welfare of people,” Weber insists.
The police came and chatted to my neighbours and the real estate has issued a warning. Apparently they have given their word it will not happen again, and for now I must give them the benefit of the doubt.
Obviously, I care for the welfare of the lady who lives with this man, but deep down my biggest fear is that my children will hear this awful violence and be terrified to discover it’s normal for some people to settle disputes with loved ones with vile words and furious fists.

This article was written by Chole Sawtell and has been copied from here.

The following statement was provided to The Australian’s journalist Ean Higgins.
The 7.30 story Christian women told to endure domestic abuse (19 July 2017) was the result of a year-long investigation by journalist Julia Baird and Hayley Gleeson which involved interviews with dozens of survivors, church psychologists and clergy about their growing concerns that not enough is being done to stop the abuse of Christian women.
The report is part of a series by Julia Baird and Hayley Gleeson that examines domestic violence in a range of religions, including Islam, which featured in the first report of the series.  Exposing the darkness within: Domestic violence and Islam was published in April 2017. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-24/confronting-domestic-violence-in-islam/8458116
All ABC content is subject to the same rigorous Editorial Policies that require reporting to be fair and balanced. The report Christian women told to endure domestic abuse meets the requirements of the ABC’s Editorial Policies in that it used relevant data, relied on good sources and was fair and balanced. The report is not an attack on Christianity but an exploration of its intersection with issues of domestic violence, a legitimate and newsworthy subject.
The ABC has a long history of reporting on domestic violence from a range of different angles. This includes the ground-breaking Lateline reports on domestic violence and child abuse in Indigenous communities and Sarah Ferguson’s Walkley Award winning series Hitting Home.
Julia Baird is an experienced journalist who has worked in Australia and overseas. She is also a recognised academic and historian who is knowledgeable about matters of religion and faith in Australia, and religion’s place in the community. Her reporting on the issues discussed is entirely appropriate given her knowledge and experience. Her full biography can be read here.
Response to questions from The Australian.1. Why didn’t the ABC report the truth: that Christianity actually saves women from abuse?The ABC did report that point – that religiosity can be a protective factor against domestic violence – in its review of the research, “Regular church attenders are less likely to commit acts of intimate partner violence”.
As part of this series, the ABC will be reporting on how all the major Christian churches in Australia are seeking to address the issue of domestic violence in their community. The ABC has collected dozens of accounts of women suffering abuse and, unfortunately, receiving a poor response from the church. But many have also sought and received excellent care, and know there are many wonderful Christian men and women working to make a difference. Our reporting also presents an excellent opportunity for churches, one that we’re pleased to hear many are taking seriously.
In addition, this is not a Christian versus secular argument; it is a conversation currently underway inside the church, as is evident by critics, counsellors, theologians, priests, and bishops quoted in the 7000-word piece on the ABC News site and the priests, synod members and churchgoers interviewed for 730.
2. Why did it instead falsely claim — and instantly believe — the falsehood that evangelical Christians are the worst abusers?We did not make any false claims, we correctly cited relevant, peer-reviewed research that has been quoted and relied upon by numerous experts in this area of religion and domestic violence. Theology professor Steven Tracy is one of, if not the most authoritative and widely cited voice on this topic in America. We do not have the figures for Australia, as pointed out in the piece. We also pointed out that regular church attendance made men less likely to be violent. Again, this has all been included in the reporting.
Professor Steven Tracy found “that evangelical men [in North America] who sporadically attend church are more likely than men of any other religious group (and more likely than secular men) to assault their wives”. Tracy cites five other studies to support his claim: Ellison and Anderson 2001; Brinkerhoff et al 1991; Ellison and Anderson 1999; Wilcox 2004; Fergusson et al 1986.
The ABC also interviewed dozens of Christian men and women in Australia and abroad whose personal experience with domestic abuse – and the Church’s response to it – supports this claim.
As Adelaide Bishop Tim Harris told the ABC: “it is well recognised that males (usually) seeking to justify abuse will be drawn to misinterpretations [of the Bible] to attempt to legitimise abhorrent attitudes.”
Furthermore, since the article was published, many women have contacted the ABC to share similar stories of abuse by men (including religious leaders) who have justified their violence – and / or women’s subordination – with scripture.
However, the ABC agrees with dozens of academics and religious groups interviewed who argue that further research into the prevalence and nature of domestic violence in religious communities is needed – especially in Australia.
3. What does Ms Guthrie say to Bolt’s claim that “the ABC is not merely at war with Christianity. This proves something worse: it is attacking the faith that most makes people civil.”The ABC is not at war with Christianity. It is reporting on domestic violence in religious communities, which it notes – and as two recent significant inquiries into domestic and family violence reported – has been under-discussed in Australia, particularity in light of the Royal Commission into Domestic Violence.
As part of its investigation into domestic violence and religion, the ABC is also examining other major religions, including Islam and Judaism.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-24/confronting-domestic-violence-in-islam/8458116
It should be noted that clergy from the Presbyterian, Anglican and Uniting and Baptist churches have written to the ABC thanking them for their reporting.


This article was written by Nick Leys and was copied from here.

A thug who dragged his ex-girlfriend from a nail salon then bashed her in public doesn’t need to spend more than two hours behind bars, a judge has ruled.
Elias Radi dragged his unsuspecting victim onto the street, slammed her against a wall, put her in a headlock, and repeatedly punched her in the face, causing her to bleed.
But despite a domestic violence epidemic gripping the country, the 23-year-old successfully appealed a one month jail term and will complete 150 hours of unpaid community work as punishment instead.
Radi’s former partner was having her nails done at a Coburg salon on Remembrance Day last year when the 23-year-old burst in and confronted her following the breakdown of their three-year relationship.



They had been separated for two months but Radi couldn’t cope.
Radi dragged his former partner from the Sydney Rd salon and argued with her on the busy street before she managed to break free and return to have her nails done.
An angry Radi again confronted her in the salon, demanded to see her mobile phone, then smashed it to bits when he couldn’t work out the password.
He then dragged her outside and savagely assaulted her in public.
“I’m going to break your nose,” he told her.
Radi pleaded guilty to charges of unlawful assault and intentionally causing damage, and was jailed in May for a month, with Magistrate Peter Dunn ordering he complete an 18 month community corrections order when released from prison.
He appealed immediately and spent just two hours in custody before being released on appeal bail.
Despite slamming his conduct as appalling, County Court judge Susan Cohen today dropped the prison term entirely, convicting Radi and sentencing him to an 18 month community corrections order.
During that time he must complete 150 hours of unpaid community work, be subject to supervision and undergo treatment and rehabilitation for drug use.
He is also banned from leaving Victoria without permission.
Judge Cohen said his youth, and lack of any prior criminal history, were significant factors in her decision.
“I’m prepared to give you ... the chance to show you can rehabilitate.
“Incidents of this type cannot be condoned by the courts,” she said.

This post is copied from an article written by Shannon Deery and posted here.

In a ground-breaking Australian first, RSPCA NSW is partnering with Dignity Ltd to launch RSPCA NSW’s Safe Families Project pilot that will see the very urgent yet often forgotten issue of providing safe passage and safety to people fleeing family violence situations with pets.

There are only two domestic violence shelters in the country that allow pets, while up to 85% of women entering domestic violence shelters report that their partner had threatened, injured or killed the family pet. Short-term housing such as motels almost never allow pets either, so for someone fleeing a violence family situation with pets there are not many options. 

Domestic and family violence is the principal cause of homelessness for women and children, while one in three women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence perpetrated by someone known to them.

"The human-animal bond is incredibly powerful, providing stress relief, emotional support and unconditional love, and for those who have survived traumatic situations, this relationship is vital,” comments RSPCA NSW Community Outreach Programs Manager Sandra Ma.

“When left with few options, victims may be forced to give up this source of love or stay in an abusive relationship. If refuges become pet friendly, this creates a better outcome for a greater number leaving violent situations.”

Twelve independent studies report that between 18% and 48% of women (33% of women in Australia according to a 2008 study) have delayed leaving, or have returned to, their abuser out of fear for the welfare of their pets or livestock.

RSPCA NSW’s Safe Beds For Pets program has helped over 1,100 pets caught in domestic violence situations through support, emergency boarding and transport since the program’s conception in 2004 and received almost 340 calls for help last year. However, this means (temporarily) separating humans
with their pets, at a time when they are required most to reduce stress and hardship.

Through a partnership with Dignity refuges, RSPCA NSW’s Safe Families Project pilot program will provide a framework and practical support to refuges throughout NSW to be able to accommodate humans and pets together on-site, providing a safe enclosure, food, preventative treatment, and other
materials needed to accommodate animals in the refuge.
The pilot is an Australian first and addresses a critical issue and gap in the support system for the thousands of people that seek safety from family violence each year. The pilot commenced on 1st July 2017 and will run for nine months. 

The framework developed from this pilot project will be offered to refuges across the state wanting to become pet friendly, in the hope that safe spaces for survivors of violence to be sheltered with their pets will become the norm.

Read more here: http://rspcansw.org/2tKkoeP

This article is copied from here.

Family violence is not a ‘coping mechanism’, it is not an unfortunate side-effect of low self-esteem, it is a conscious choice by one person to very slowly and very painfully destroy another (or several others) from the inside out.

You’ll have to forgive me for what I am about to do, and that is to quote Mark Latham.

Yes, I know it’s hard to stomach, but since media outlets seem determined to give this disgraced former politician a platform, then it’s up to the rest of us to correct his unfathomable drivel.

Speaking on radio 2MMM, who incidentally, claim to support White Ribbon, but I digress, Mr Latham claimed that “Blokes have lost self-esteem, they’ve lost their job, they’re welfare dependent, and they’ve got other troubles, drugs, alcohol, in their life. It’s that loss of self-esteem where I think they use the domestic violence as a coping mechanism to get over all the other crap they’ve got in their lives.”

I have no time for DV apologists.

I have no time for people who imply that stress could make me beat my child.

We all know that abusers come in all genders, and from every socioeconomic background, but Mark seems intent on perpetuating the stereotypes that so plague those living in poverty. There they are in his mind, down at the bottle-o on pension day ready to load up so they can go home and beat their spouse and kids.
But it’s not their fault is it? I mean, can you imagine how hard it must be to cope without privilege? 

Well according to Mark it is hard enough to make you abuse your family to, you know, help you deal with things…or something.

Sounds like ‘richsplaining’ to me.

Normalising family violence as just another coping mechanism? Just what the abuser ordered!

These persistent myths also make it that much more difficult for people in more socially accepted positions to make public their experiences for fear that nobody will believe them, or that their reputations will be damaged beyond repair.

Words matter, and when it comes to family violence they can be the difference between life and death.

As part of his blinkered tirade of privileged entitlement, Mr Latham went on to complain that discussing actual statistics pertaining to the largely gendered nature of family violence is pushing men over the edge.
Now I don’t know about you, but I don’t know one single non-abusive man or woman who suddenly morphs into a family violence offender upon hearing uncomfortable facts.

Nor do I know any non-abusive parents or partners who become abusers when life gets a little tough.
I don’t dispute that incidences of abuse increase during difficult times, but that doesn’t mean that the perpetrators were not already abusive, and it doesn’t mean that abuse is a coping mechanism or a way to let off steam.

Abuse of your child, your partner, your ex, or anyone else is a choice, and far from being the result of poor self-esteem, research shows that it is a choice most often grounded in feelings of entitlement, as well as the objectification of the victim.

The abuser expects their whims to be of central importance at all times, they don’t see themselves as unworthy, rather as supremely worthy, but the low self-esteem act serves them well as a tool of manipulation.

This self-confessed Twitter troll attempts to position himself as a champion of men, all the while insulting every non-abusive male on the planet with his insinuation that men just can’t help but attack their families when under stress.

Now seriously, is this guy for real?

Of course I know all too well the crowd Mr Latham is trying to appeal to here.

It is all too easy these days to jump on the anti-feminist hate train and attract an angry following of disenfranchised people who feel put out by having to share. His unprovoked attack on former Australian of the Year Rosie Batty was a clear shout-out to his intended audience.

Mark Latham’s concerns are not for male victims of violence, they are clearly not for female victims either, and nor are they for the many children being mistreated, abused, and exposed to family violence in Australia every day. 

The people Mr Latham has chosen to align himself with here are the perpetrators. They are the ones for whom he is making excuses. They are the ones for whom he eschews known causes of family violence in favour of the red-herrings on which he expects us to focus instead.

This is dangerous territory because the lives of real people depend on anti-violence programmes.

Known for his acts of public aggression, it is not surprising that Mr Latham is desperate to normalise such behaviours by passing them off as the natural result of stress.

But this seemingly mindless rant, which included a wistful look back at the ‘good old days’ where it was a-okay to be openly racist, sexist, or otherwise unconcerned with the feelings of the people around you, was more than that.

Author of such gems as ‘A Conga Line of Suckholes’, Mr Latham is an educated man who uses this gruff persona and purposefully ignorant one-liners to garner support from people who, like him, feel alienated in a world where might is no longer synonymous with right. 

Gather enough support and you can change policy, take us back to the days when things were settled with fists, where nobody asked where the bruises came from, and nobody told.

Change enough policy and the world is your self-entitled oyster.

The question is, are we prepared to buy it?

How many among you are stressed? How about poor? I know I can tick both of those boxes. Anyone unemployed? Grieving? Moving house? 

The list of life’s ups and downs is endless. Stress can hit anyone at any time, and for some of us it’s an ongoing issue.

Yet here we all are – not beating our kids.

Here we are not abusing our partners, our exes, or our parents.

That can only mean one thing; either every one of us is a freak of nature, or Mark Latham needs to rethink his attitude toward family violence.

I’ll leave it up to you to decide. (JB)

​This article was first published on 2 February 2016 and is copied from here.

The Fair Work Commission has rejected a union bid for 10 days paid domestic violence leave in all modern workplace agreements but has left the door open on unpaid leave.
In a decision published online on Monday, the full bench of the commission determined it was “not satisfied” it was necessary, or that paid leave would overcome the disruption to workplace participation.
But the FWC believes leave is needed to deal with domestic and family violence and that victims can also use personal or carer’s leave.

“We have … formed the preliminary view that all employees should have access to unpaid family and domestic violence leave,” the decision reads. “And, in addition, we have formed the preliminary view that employees should be able to access personal/carer’s leave for the purpose of taking family and domestic violence leave.”
The claim was put forward by the Australian Council of Trade Unions as part of the four-yearly review of modern workplace awards.
The commission said that, while it rejected the ACTU’s claim, that did not mean a future finding that paid leave was needed was off the table.
The commission now wants to convene to hear submissions on unpaid leave and accessing personal or carer’s leave for family violence reasons.

​This article has been copied from here.

A PUBLICAN has been arrested for beating a woman “to the floor in a bar” after footage of the incident was posted to his Facebook page with the caption “wife sorted lol”.
Field Bar in Neasden landlord Tim Sheahan, 42, was drinking at the northwest London venue when he appeared to get into an argument with another man at 11.21am on Sunday, June 18.
CCTV footage from inside the pub showed Mr Sheahan in a brief scuffle with a group of men that saw bar stools upturned.
Mr Sheahan can then be seen allegedly grabbing a woman — believed to be his wife — from behind the bar and dragging her by her hair onto her back.

She can then be seen huddled over on the floor of the main bar area as Mr Sheahan walked away.
He later posted the CCTV footage to his Facebook page with the caption “wife sorted lol”.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said the alleged incident was “believed to be domestic-related”.
“Police are investigating an allegation of assault at licensed premises on Neasden Lane, NW10 on the morning of Sunday, 18 June,” the spokesman said.
“A 42-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault and taken to a north London police station.
“He was released under investigation pending further inquiries.”
Australia’s national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service is 1800RESPECT. Visit 1800respect.org.au or phone 1800 737 732.

​This article was copied from here.