Silence. Secrecy. Shame. Changing the narrative of gendered violence

Domestic violence is a profound, systemic, social issue that warrants both our sustained attention and action. Odessa Hamilton dispels a number of misconceptions around the issue, as she discusses the behaviours of men and women, along with the possible causes of this violence. She recommends changing the narrative and calls on corporations to step up to the plate and help deal with domestic violence amongst their employees.

 
A critical caveat

It is time to expel the myths that distort our perceptions of the dyad of abuse in domestic violence. Let us not ignite a battle of the sexes. Not all men are perpetrators. Not all perpetrators are men. Equally, victimisation is not exclusive to women. Irrespective of the gendered configuration, domestic violence is a violation of human rights. Still, the distribution of abuse informs us that most incidences of violence are perpetrated by men and there is a statistical slant toward victims being women. Worldwide estimates indicate that 1 in 3 women have been subjected to domestic violence in their lifetime (WHO, 2021). There are, curiously, a plethora of statistical reports on the number of women who experience domestic violence, but a dearth of prevalence statistics or formal estimates of men who have perpetrated domestic violence. This knowledge deficit has limited the development of effective evidence-based, preventative interventions (Hales & Gannon, 2021). Any other societal trauma experienced at this scale would be dealt with as a crisis, with the solemnity it deserves. But domestic violence has been normalised; rendered a personal issue of unimpressive magnitude, unworthy of legitimate attention or widescale action, and is likely why the corporate voice on this matter has become silent.

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Πηγή: blogs.lse.ac.uk