Striving to break cycle
AFTER 30 years working with people who have experienced the worst types of abuse and violence, it takes a lot to shock Betty Taylor.
Yet the killings of 72 Australian women and 20 children in the past 11 months have shaken the Queensland Domestic Violence Death Review Tribunal member to the core.
Across the country, a total of 212 Australians have died as a result of alleged murder or manslaughter in 2018, with male violence accounting for almost 90 per cent of these deaths.
Domestic violence is still the main killer of women and children – at least 66 per cent of this year’s 92 femicides and child deaths were perpetrated by loved ones.
During the past 12 months, there has been a steep increase in DV deaths compared the previous year.
Yesterday, Australians took time to remember all the women and children lost to violence as they joined in the annual White Ribbon Day activities.
One of the highest profile events on the national anti- violence calendar, the day encourages men and boys to proactively reduce violence against women and girls.
Yet, this year’s toll of violence has left experts fearing things will get much worse before they get better.
“There are a lot of campaigns – including White Ribbon – that are getting the message out about male violence in Australia,” Ms Taylor says. “But unless this messaging is backed up by tougher actions from the courts, police and policymakers, we might as well be whistling in the wind.”
Pressure is mounting on authorities to take a no- holds- barred approach to family abuse perpetrators.
Ideas include throwing abusers in jail as soon as they breach domestic violence orders, forcing perpetrators – not victims – out of the family homes and making offenders wear non- removable ankle bracelets that allow police to trace their movements in real time.
Queensland Police have the ability to keep high- risk perpetrators under constant surveillance, with their GPS trackers alerting officers when the abusers approach exclusion zones.
Pushing for national change is David Nugent, who agrees there needs to be a much stronger emphasis on ensuring perpetrators’ ability to cause harm is removed the moment they enter the legal system.
Mr Nugent has been working with violent men for about 20 years.
His organisation – The HEAVY M. E. T. A. L Group – runs behaviour change programs that are voluntary and designed to teach violent men to acknowledging their “destructive” habits in order to break the cycle of abuse.
Perpetrators who choose to take part are more likely to change than those forced to attend by courts, he believes.
“All of these guys who are going to programs after court are not changing because they are not willing to change their beliefs to minimise violence,” Mr Nugent says.
“To put a stop to violence against women we have to get men to choose to address the culture that allows violence to continue.”
For 24- hour domestic violence support phone the national hotline 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.