A spike in domestic violence in B.C. this year is a stark reminder that more must be done to address why men focus their emotional disturbance on women they know.
More often than not, it’s women who suffer at the hands of their male partners in cases of domestic violence. There are certainly studies and case files of why men become violent and their inappropriate actions towards women and others.
This is a call to politicians, activists, health care professionals and law enforcement agencies to not just leap to the defence of victims after the fact, but to provide resources to anyone when they need help dealing with massive and unwelcome change.
It’s also a call to parents, family and friends to confront emotions and uncomfortable situations with their loved ones head-on, and change attitudes about how men deal with it. This is not responding to violence with violence – it’s simply a request to be willing to talk about life with a friend or partner instead of avoiding it, and allowing it to fester.
It’s also about individuals being responsible for their reactions to any given situation, stressful or not. Only individuals can control how they react and if we want them to avoid violence, they need the tools to take a better path than one that leads them to violence against another person.
Everyone needs to speak up if they feel threatened or if they are in crisis – men and women.
– Black Press
