What exactly is family violence? For anyone who is not familiar with it, it can happen to anyone at anytime. The victims come from all cultural backgrounds, social standings and gender, it does not matter if you are in a relationship or not (violence is ultimately just a power imbalance of an individual) (Canadian Bar Association, 1983-2010). This is where one person tries to control another person, it is the chronic abuse of power. In order to maintain control of the victim the aggressor uses intimidation, fear and abuse. Family violence takes place in many different forms, physical, psychological, sexual, financial, and spiritual abuse (What is Family Violence?). In my opinion no one should have to live in fear of someone they love, family violence should be taken extremely seriously.
It is a sad state of affairs when you are more likely to be physically assaulted, beaten, killed or sexually attacked at your own home at the hands of a loved one than any place else or by anyone else (Gilda, Berger 1990). The reason aggressors choose to abuse is due to unequal gender roles, violent influences in the media, abuse as a child, or stress on the caregiver (Gilda, Berger 1990). Personally I feel that we are not educated enough about family violence, it is quite unspoken of, this is because of privacy concerns, fear of retribution and maintaining the integrity of family relations. The under reporting on the issue has resulted in ignoring the crimes and denying the harm that the abusers are actually doing to their victims. This type of abuse is often over looked, excused or denied, especially when the abuse is psychological rather than physical (Gilda, Berger 1990). Even though this kind of abuse is minimized it leaves deep scars. For example; The victims of abuse are brainwashed, children who are severely punished are told that they are bad and uncontrollable and must be disciplined. Abused wives become convinced that they are not fulfilling their obligations and responsibilities to their husbands and children sexually abused are led to believe that their fathers intentions are normal signs of affection (Gilda, Berger 1990).
I have heard a lot of my peers say, “Family abuse? That only ever happens in movies and stuff, doesn’t it?” They are incorrect. Most batterers or abusers are men either towards their wife or children, with that being said there is still a number of men who are abused by their wives. Half of Canadian women (51%) have experienced at least one incident of physical or sexually violence since the age of 16 (Canadian Women’s Foundation Statistics). One to two women are murdered per week in Canada by a current or former partner, spousal violence makes up the largest category of convictions involving violent actions in non-specialized courts in Canada, over 90% of offenders were male (Canadian Women’s Foundation Statistics). 58,486 women and 36,840 children sought refuge in one of 473 shelters across Canada between April 1, 2003 and March 31, 2004 (Canadian Women’s Foundation Statistics). Every 13 seconds a child is abused, by someone they love and worldwide approximately 40 million children are subjected to child abuse each year. In the year 2000 Bibby conducted a survey revealing that 56% of adolescents rated child abuse as their top societal concern (Child abuse Statistics, Barriere, 2005-2011). So then why do we not take it more seriously?
Victims tend to blame themselves but trust me after time you learn to forget, recognize, ignore but never forgive. Let your abuser live with the heavy weight. It is not your fault.
Word Cited
A Guide to the 20th century, “nd”, Channel 4, Women’s Liberation or Feminism
Retrieved From
http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/H/history/guide20/part08d.html
Barriere, Darlene (2005-2011). Child Abuse Statistics
Retrieved From
http://www.child-abuse-effects.com/child-abuse-statistics.html
Berger, Gilda (1990). Violence and The Family. F. Watts, New York
Department of Justice, (2010, Nov), Family Violence Initiative
Retrieved From
http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/pi/fv-vf/victim.html
Facts About Violence Against Women, “n.d”, Canadian Women’s Foundation
Retrieved From
http://www.cdnwomen.org/EN/section05/3_5_1_1-violence_facts.html
Family Violence, (2010, Dec). CBA.ORG – The Canadian Bar Association
Retrieved From
http://www.cba.org/bc/public_media/family/155.aspx
Lloyd, J.D. (2000) Family Violence, Current Controversies, Farmington Hills, MI
McGaha, Johnny. E & Leoni Edward. L, (1995, Summer). Family violence, abuse, and related family issues of incarcerated delinquents with alcoholic parents compared to those with nonalcoholic parents.
Retrieved From
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2248/is_n118_v30/ai_17150137/
What is Family Violence?, (2000) Family Violence and Prevention
Retrieved From
http://www.toolkitnb.ca/emain.asp?477
Documentary Blogs
Here are the parameters for the blogs that will accompany your documentary. If you are just producing a blog, your specific instructions are noted – but these are in addition to the ones listed below.
URL for blog is reflective of topic
Design reflective of topic. Create a banner for the top of your blog. Include a small image for each post. Place an appropriate background if that works for your site.
Create a series of CATEGORIES for your posts. Assign each post to a category. Create a MENU with the categories in it.
Add WIDGETS to your blog. Include a SEARCH, CALENDAR, META LOGIN DATA, BLOG ROLL OR LINKS. Optional widgets may include category cloud, blog stats, subscription, tag cloud, contributors, RSS feeds etc.
Posts: 6 – 8 posts (includes an image for each one): Statistics about your topic: at least one post needs to be about numbers/percentages/data on your topic. Description of your topic. Your opinion about your topic. Find out what experts are blogging about your topic, or if there are articles being written about it and post a short description of the blog and create a link. These posts to other blogs/articles or sites must be accompanies by a 200-300 word description. Take a screen shot of the web site and resize this for the post
Links: 5 – 6 links to other web sites that explain, expand or is relevant to your topic. You can create various LINK CATEGORIES
You can embed additional videos about your topic, but you MUST embed your own documentary here.
If you are not producing a documentary, then you must also include:
1. Socratic questions posted for discussion: 4 -5. Socratic questions are the ones where “yes” or “no” are not the answer. These types of questions ask why, ask for evidence for an argument, include additional perspectives or points of view, look at consequences and how things affect people and consider why the question is important in the first place.
2. Get your friends/family to comment on these questions
3. Embed video about your topic: 2 – 3
4. Interview: 2 – 3 interviews about your topic – may be friends or family. Post this video on Youtube, then embed into your blog or write out the questions and answers in a post.
Finally a Canadian version of what to avoid in beauty products with a practical resource of where to find toxin free products. Gillian Deacon’s book isn’t ground breaking, nor does it have any new information about the dirty state of affairs in the beauty product industry, but it offers the information in an easy to read conversational style. It focuses on the most important toxins and offers advice from personal experience on what alternatives are out there.
This book has been a catalyst for me. I had already been using safe cosmetics, but I was still using soaps, body lotions, hand cream and household cleaners that contained enough toxins to knock out a horse. Finding decent replacement products has not been as hard as I thought. There are new product lines that have sprung up and they are not only being consumer safe, they are also using lovely natural scents and appealing packaging. In other words, it is no longer just marketed to hippies in burlap sacks and paper bags, but they have realized that the modern woman uses all of her senses to decide which products she will introduce into her beauty regime. We need to send a message to our cosmetic and beauty producers that only the safest and purest ingredients will be acceptable – and only buy those that comply.
Visit the SKIN DEEP web site to test what is in the products that you use. Just plug in the name of the product that you use and it will tell you how hazardous it is for your health on a scale 0 – 10 plus name all of the dangerous ingredients. You can search by product name, company name or ingredient and find safer products.
David Suzuki talks about the “dirty dozen” cosmetic chemicals to avoid including industrial chemicals – carcinogens, pesticides, reproductive toxins, and hormone disruptors. His site not only offers information about how to green your personal care products, but how to avoid the toxic chemicals that have creeped into other areas of our lives.
Put this handy guide onto your phone or mobile device for reference when you are shopping.
These online shopping sites offer clean products and are based on Canada. Well.ca Saffron Rouge
Goodness Me, The Horn of Plenty and Body Sense also carry safe products in the Hamilton area.
Consider the different styles of the documentaries that we have seen so far. Jesus Camp directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady; Gasland directed by Josh Fox; Grizzly Man directed by Werner Herzog; The Thin Blue Line directed by Errol Morris.
Which style is the most effective? How did you feel watching each film?
