Violence
in general, is the use of force to kill, injure, or abuse others. It is an
issue which involves a perpetrator and a victim. This essay, however will discuss two types of
violence under found under physical types of violence. The first type of
violence is family violence, family violence can be both verbal and physical
and sexual violence is a physical form of violence with long term effects that
are traumatic. Family ad sexual violence are global issues meaning that they
are found everywhere in the world despite the geography, race, language and
religion. Sub-topics to be discussed in this essay are family and sexual
violence as a global issue, the situation in Papua New Guinea on family and
sexual violence, the social and economic impacts on family and sexual violence,
and will propose ways to minimize or say no to family and sexual violence in
the homes in our country.
Family
violence according to my understanding is a crime against humanity, which
happens within a family. Family violence can be physical, sexual, verbal,
psychological and economical. It happens everywhere in the world. In most cases
violence in the family is left unpunished because many families say it is an
internal issue. That more people universally see it as an internal issue, it
becomes disastrous and indirectly cripples development. Why? Because when there
is violence in the homes people develop low self esteem automatically. Thus,
when they go in to join their social groups they do not contribute effectively.
When there is violence in the home how can there be order in the society. And
if there is disorder in the society how can there be peace in the world? Sexual
violence in the similar sense is a global issue because once a man or a woman
is sexuality abused the aftermath will be suffered by the victim for the rest
of his or her life. Family Sexual family is sexual violence within a family; it
can be between fathers and mothers, fathers and children or children
themselves. Sexual violence amongst couples is sometimes referred to as marital
rape. They may be a recognized couple but against one’s consent they have sex.
Father
to children relationship is a reality in a village called Kupe in Bougainville.
This father by the name of Marata impregnated his four daughters and they gave
birth to sixteen children who were boldly identical to each other. Their death
also fell after the other.
In
December 1994, approximately 1,100 women were reported raped and sexually
abused in Yugoslavia.
Family
violence in PNG is very common as well, for example violence in the family I
come from was once an issue. Almost every day my stepfather bashes my mother
and uses very abusive languages on her at the sight of my two elder sisters and
me. Most times we go to school without eating and personally I do not
concentrate in doing schoolwork. If this
can happen in my family then there is a possibility that the same happens in
most families in PNG as well. Sexual violence is another phenomenon in our
country. From my own point of view, I believe that many of the male folks in
PNG are victims of sexual violence but men keep these issues to themselves,
thus they are document. An example of a male victim of sexual violence I can
give is about one of my best friends. He was two years old when his own uncle
molested him. His uncle was a student at the University of Papua New Guinea and
he used to come to go to the house when my friend’s parents go to work. So he
will remove my friend’s shorts and molest him as long as he wants. And when he
reached his teenage period he had a girlfriend who was three years older than
him. One time she called the boyfriend over to her house and in the night she
forced him to lick the girl friend’s vagina. Up to this date he developed
hatred towards opposite sex. He never told anyone until this year. It cannot be
denied that ladies are also victims of sexual violence. Judging sexual violence
from a psychological point of view, it can be said that the perpetrators in
sexual abuse may have been once in their lifetime victims of sexual abuse.
The
social and economic impact of family and sexual violence is it cripples the
economic growth of the country and socially it tears down good relationships. A
family that is full of violence is a family that will always experience
presence of disunity (no love and care). Thus, the family will not live a
harmonious life. Every family member from the violent family will bring the
similar spirit out to the social groups they belong to, for example; workmates,
business friends and school friends. Remember that if the social relationship
with the workmates is not good, it will affect the economic progress of the
country.
Family
sexual violence is almost the same as the family violence; however it is more
serious than just violence. That is because sexual violence is more than just a
physical violence. Take for instance, if a father has sexual relationship with
all his daughters including the mother, there will not any freedom of
communication. For the daughters especially, they will feel inferior and become
unproductive people. They will not have the will of contributing positively in
strengthening the economic growth of the society they are living in.
All
these issues cannot be denied at the global level and in our country. All we
have to do is to look for sustainable way to minimize these problems. There is
no way we can stop family and sexual violence but we can look for ways to
control it from affecting us locally and globally. First possible way we can
minimize violence is through education. Education has to offered by committed
and integrated teachers. Christian ethics has to be taught from the primary
school level up until they graduate to find job. Marriage and family issues
should also be compulsory all across the tertiary institution. The reason for
this is because parenting is the integral parent of a good family. “Family is the very place where peace starts “(Mother
Theresa)
“The
structure of violence has been learnt from our fore fathers, victims as it was
passed on from generation to generation.”(Nelson Mandela) What will we do now to stop family and sexual
violence? Presented here are nine steps a person can take to address the issue.
Firstly, become aware of the problem and recognize its form of existence.
Secondly, recognize its causes and effects, third, you reflect on the hidden
moral concepts that govern everyday life. Fourth, identify actors which have an
influence on the moral concepts and the dynamics of violence. Fifth, learn
about legal rights, sixth, learn about strategies to overcome violence: the strategies
can be political, economic, spiritual, seventh, adapt a strategy depending on
the situation of the time. Second lastly, devise action plans and finally, you
act.
If
Nelson Mandela can say the violence has passed in from generation to
generation, then indirectly he is challenging us about what we can do to change our world and make it
a better place to live and enjoy life. We have to work together to break the
chain of violence. The tips presented in the essay can be very effective to
families with the presence of wisdom and love: not so much of knowledge.
Family
and sexual violence is a threat to the development in the Papua New Guinea and
the world as a whole. There a various forms in which violence can come but
either of those can be classified as physical, economical, psychological,
verbal or sexual. Violence is an immeasurable phenomenon crippling our lives
first of all. So far, in our country we are experiencing economic, political
and social crisis all because there is crisis present in the family circles
already.
Papua
New Guinea has set up a lot of faith based organization to address family
violence, marriages and children. However, the question is those people
occupying the offices of such organizations coming from good family backgrounds?
Or do they have experiences of such in their own families at least so they can
help the victims with understanding. Papua New Guinea will always be challenged
by this social issue because most citizens internalize the problem. Family and
sexual violence is a crime against humanity.
The
aftermath of family and sexual violence is severe that it develops low self
esteem. A victim of violence in the early age will always become is perpetrator
in his later age is not disciplined in his or her growing up years. We need
holistically developed families in PNG for the betterment of our nation.
References:
·
Lauer. H.R (1998) SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND THE
QUALITY OF LIFE 7th Ed, McGraw-Hill, New York, United States of
America.
·
Laka. R (2011) Social and Ethical Leture Notes
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