Men reveal family violence a result from stress: Cakacaka
Men who have recently been laid off from work because of COVID-19 have resorted to violence because of uncontrolled stress and pressure.
This was revealed by the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre Western Division male advocate, Joji Cakacaka.
He said the centre has five male advocates in various divisions who have reported calls from distressed males seeking counselling.
“I’m the only one based in the West while the others are in Suva. For me, over this period of more than a month, I’ve received 10 phone calls from men,” he said.
“It’s mostly bread and butter issues and as leaders of the household they are being pressured to provide for the family, and this causes stress resulting in them taking it out on their families. This frustration transfers to their family.”
He said male advocates advised these callers about the legal consequences that might follow their impulsive actions.
“It is not a formal approach that we take, it’s more like an informal conversation so we tell them if they are frustrated then they can call their friends because some cases I have come across some who have gone close to self-harm,” he said.
He said he referred to complex cases to a qualified counsellor based at the FWCC office in Suva.
“It’s a challenging time so people are bound to feel like this but life goes on and we have to accept the current situation and ensure that you move forward because we are all survivors,” he said.
“We have also received some prank calls, people trying to joke around and we have received five so far but it’s important that people take mental health seriously.”