JAMES JUST
Queensland Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk has recently said she will change her language on domestic violence after becoming aware of the impacts of violence against men.
Ms Palaszczuk is hoping to start a new inclusive campaign for men after hearing the stories of men who have experienced domestic violence.
According to the Australian Men’s Rights Association, 50 per cent of partnerships reported an almost equal amount of physical violence between both the men and women.
Director of Midwiferey and Nursing Education, Dr Kathleen Baird said all violence against a person should be seen as wrong.
“All violence against a person regardless of gender should have conversation and debate around it, but we must not lose sight of the fact that domestic violence is predominantly a gendered issue,” she said.
“It’s important that we address all sides of the argument and acknowledge that violence against anyone is a bad thing, even though most domestic violence perpetrators are men.
“Regardless of upbringing, a person makes the conscious decision to be violent towards another person, and some of the most violent incidents can occur behind doors because those people know there are no consequences.”
Senior researcher and co-founder of One In Three, Greg Andresen said men often have a hard time getting the support they need when suffering from domestic violence disputes.
“It’s been somewhat established in society that domestic violence is something a man does to a woman, so issues can occur for a man seeking help when he challenges that cultural narrative of men not being the victim,” he said.
“So unfortunately, men end up not getting the support they need from friends and family, police, or support services where they’re much more likely to be sent away and told to ‘man up’ or not to be given the kind of assistance that they need.”
Ms Palaszczuk will be asking Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull for his support in making a national inclusive awareness campaign during their next meeting.