The letter for today is D. I went down the rabbit hole of the tubular thing and caught up on some viewing I had saved for a while. It is 'my man' Aamir Khan again, but this time in his talk-show which covers all sorts of issues. This one is about domestic violence. (Satyamev Jayate = "Truth Alone Triumphs" - there are English subtitles if you care to be inspired by the women being interviewed.)
Before everyone goes 'oh yes, well, that's India for you', look at your own Domestic statistics. Not one country on this 'slice earth' (as Da Phenny likes to call it) is immune to this terror by one gender over another. Also, let's be clear, while there are definitely instances of women terrorising men, it is by far the lesser incidence of domestic violence.
Here in the Bonny Land, a simple search reveals an almost endless list of scholarly articles on the subject. This list is only from 2018 to date. The reported numbers of incidents (reported, note**) for the last 12 months comes in at just under sixty thousand (60k). That equates to a little over 1% of the population. One per cent doesn't seem much to you? Read it this way.
One in every hundred people you meet or pass in the street here in Scotland will have been affected by domestic abuse of one type or another.
It is also known and understood that many incidents remain unreported for any number of reasons.
In India, the reported domestic abuse figures suggest 3% of the population are affected (three in each hundred you would pass), so it is higher but not as high as you might imagine given the way it is reported. My intention here is not to downplay the abuse that happens, but to ask that level heads prevail and know that the problem exists everywhere.
On this page, you will find some sobering facts about the rate of domestic abuse in the USA.
The Australian facts are equally depressing. Indeed, there is recent news about a new setup which would seek to deal with 'trauma' of such abuse in a fashion akin to PTSD.
Knowing that anyone can be subjected to intimate abuse is certainly useful, but would you know what to do about it if you became aware of somebody's plight? If you are directly involved with a person in this situation, you can always offer them the details of organisations and facilities in your neighbourhood which provide aid and safety (it is, therefore, worth educating yourself as to what those are and perhaps carrying website details, telephone numbers and or street addresses in your diary or phone). You might even suggest that you could call the authorities with their permission if they feel they cannot manage this themselves.
Conversely, you might go into the authorities if you have suspicions and voice your concerns, then it is up to the authorities to follow up from your report.
Thank you for reading this today.
Before everyone goes 'oh yes, well, that's India for you', look at your own Domestic statistics. Not one country on this 'slice earth' (as Da Phenny likes to call it) is immune to this terror by one gender over another. Also, let's be clear, while there are definitely instances of women terrorising men, it is by far the lesser incidence of domestic violence.
Here in the Bonny Land, a simple search reveals an almost endless list of scholarly articles on the subject. This list is only from 2018 to date. The reported numbers of incidents (reported, note**) for the last 12 months comes in at just under sixty thousand (60k). That equates to a little over 1% of the population. One per cent doesn't seem much to you? Read it this way.
One in every hundred people you meet or pass in the street here in Scotland will have been affected by domestic abuse of one type or another.
 |
| The darker areas are the worst affected/most reported. The 'blob' to the left is the Isle of Arran and the little blob up high on the right is the Aberdeen area. What aids some understanding of this chart is the areas darkened are also the most densely populated. |
In India, the reported domestic abuse figures suggest 3% of the population are affected (three in each hundred you would pass), so it is higher but not as high as you might imagine given the way it is reported. My intention here is not to downplay the abuse that happens, but to ask that level heads prevail and know that the problem exists everywhere.
On this page, you will find some sobering facts about the rate of domestic abuse in the USA.
The Australian facts are equally depressing. Indeed, there is recent news about a new setup which would seek to deal with 'trauma' of such abuse in a fashion akin to PTSD.
Knowing that anyone can be subjected to intimate abuse is certainly useful, but would you know what to do about it if you became aware of somebody's plight? If you are directly involved with a person in this situation, you can always offer them the details of organisations and facilities in your neighbourhood which provide aid and safety (it is, therefore, worth educating yourself as to what those are and perhaps carrying website details, telephone numbers and or street addresses in your diary or phone). You might even suggest that you could call the authorities with their permission if they feel they cannot manage this themselves.
Conversely, you might go into the authorities if you have suspicions and voice your concerns, then it is up to the authorities to follow up from your report.
Thank you for reading this today.
**(It is worth pointing out that as of this week, a reform in Scottish law ensures that psychological and emotional abuse are also acknowledged, which will hopefully mean that report figures will rise - though the same factors that prevent women from reporting their agony will still be in play.)
A heavy subject but indeed an important one to recognise.
ReplyDeleteI hope the travels are going smoothly so far. You'll be delighted to learn you have just missed two days of continuous rain in Scotland (well Aberdeen at least).
Cheers, Gail.
I agree with Gail heavy subject but we must all be aware of our surroundings always.
ReplyDeleteJust this week a University of S. Carolina student called an Uber...while she waited she was looking at her phone, a car pulled up by her she got in. Now all over the news young ladies are being warned of all the things they need to do before the get in a ride.
It was not the Uber she called. She was found dead a few hours later.
I hope you are at least downunder by now and gradually adjusting to the time and season.
Hugs HiC
As you may recall, one of our favourite charities is one that fosters animals for people fleeing abuse. It is heartbreaking. An acquaintance of mine was killed my her husband as well. She would not leave. It is such a complicated problem and my guess is the solution will be complex as well. 😢
ReplyDeleteWe have some super programs for women here. I donate monthly to Interval House, which supports women. They are excellent about preparing them to leave an abusive home, giving them burner phones, clothing, housing and the like. Those phone numbers are in a lot of pub washrooms.
ReplyDeleteI know, when I've gone to the local emergency room, and they always ask me if I am afraid at home.
It is am important problem, especially in rural situations where transportation and stalking is a huge issue.
Good post, Yam.
I was going to discuss a similar thing as Hailey and Zaphod - the pets of the abused people who may also be abused. Oh my - what a rabbit hole. It is truly sobering that many women are not safe even in their own homes.
ReplyDeleteit is so sad that we can not find a way to finsih such bad things... but I hope there is always a place for those who try to escape from such a life...
ReplyDeleteIt is a sad state of affairs. The child abuse statistics are horrifying, as well.
ReplyDelete