Film puts domestic violence in focus

DOMESTIC violence takes many forms and can affect people from all walks of life, age, religion and sex.

One agency tirelessly trying to tackle the issue affecting young people is the Oldham Family Crisis Group.

It has recently launched a DVD for school children to raise awareness of the torment many families go through on a daily basis.

USMA RAJA went along to meet a team manager to find out more.


A SHORT film featuring a dramatised Punch and Judy scene heads the latest bid to raise awareness of domestic violence.

It is the work of the Oldham Family Crisis Group (OFCG), a voluntary organisation, which has taken its campaign to stop such abuse into schools.

The Punch and Judy DVD will be officially launched in November for distribution to secondary schools across the borough.

As well as the Punch and Judy domestic violence scenario, the film explores the issues of people’s values and attitudes, what makes a healthy relationship and provides tips on how to stay safe.

Yasmin Shad, from OFCG, said: “The initial idea for the DVD emerged in 2005 when we held a domestic violence conference for young people.

Afraid

“It has already been shown in schools where awareness-raising work has been organised by staff and Oldham Family Crisis Group.”

She added: “Many children are afraid to speak out about violence in the home.

“The DVD can be used as a communication tool and to raise awareness.”

A recent study by academic Audrey Mullender, the principal of Ruskin College, Oxford, and an expert on the impact of domestic violence on children, was carried out in schools to discover children’s views about domestic violence and their attitudes towards it.

The survey found that 84 per cent of pupils wanted lessons on domestic violence in school.

Boys demonstrated less awareness than girls and appeared to become less clear, as they got older, about whether or not men should take responsibility for their own violence.

When asked whether women deserve to be hit, a shocking 33 per cent of boys aged 13-14 agreed, compared to 20 per cent of girls.

This gave strong justification for work in schools to help boys especially understand the issues of domestic violence before their attitudes hardened, which was evident around the age of 11.

This opinion was echoed in the Government’s “Safety and Justice” document of 2003, which strongly supported the use of awareness-raising sessions on domestic violence as part of the physical and social health education curriculum in schools.

Responses by children to domestic violence have included poor health, disrupted and poor sleeping habits and excessive screaming.

About a third of children intervene to try to protect their mothers or other siblings.

Pre-school children may yell, hide or shake out of terror.

Some of the effects of abuse on both girls and boys could include school problems, social problems, shame and embarrassment about his or her family, sexual activity and a tendency to get serious in relationships too early in order to escape from home.

In very extreme cases it can lead to depression and suicide.

The Women’s Aid charity define domestic violence as physical, emotional, sexual and other abuse by someone with whom they have or have had some form of intimate relationship, such as marriage, in order to maintain power and control over that person.

Greater Manchester Police defines it as an incident involving threatening behaviour, violence or abuse such as psychological physical, sexual, financial or emotional, between adults who have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender.


CASE STUDY ONE

SAMIYA Kauser, not her real name, an 11-year-old secondary school pupil, was a victim of domestic violence — that her father’s girlfriend was harassing her at school. The woman’s children also attended that school.

The father’s girlfriend was also physically abusing her partner in the presence of Samiya and other children.

Samiya would try and protect the younger children by removing them from the room as she was concerned about them witnessing domestic violence.

The youngster became subdued at school and received help from a children’s worker on safety, physical and emotional issues.

After work had been completed, Samiya was involved in the young people’s steering group for the first domestic violence conference.


CASE STUDY TWP

CAT is a nine-year-old girl who had witnessed domestic violence perpetrated by her father to her mother from the age of four.

She was referred to the service by the social care team for therapeutic support. Cat had developed sleep disturbances and was a very anxious child. The coping strategy she had employed was to remain silent and passive, not uncommon for victims of abuse.

The youngster was able to engage in meetings to learn alternative ways of expressing her emotions

Cat was described as a bright child who had low self-esteem as her father’s responses to her had been conditional and often frightening. Her relationship with her father was one based on fear and anxiety.

Children who have experienced domestic abuse frequently have a distorted sense of trust in others and themselves. In light of this time was spent building a rapport with Cat to enable a trusting relationship to develop.