Private Violence: Survivors & Advocates Confront Victim Blaming & the Epidemic of Domestic Abuse

[Jefferson23]

Just days after a Utah police officer shot dead his wife, two kids and his mother-in-law before killing himself, a new HBO documentary premiering at the Sundance Film Festival examines the shocking nationwide epidemic of intimate partner violence, focusing on the struggles of survivors of abuse and the advocates who support them. Set in North Carolina, "Private Violence" follows Kit Gruelle, herself a domestic violence survivor, as she helps other victims seek healing, justice and social change. Gruelle joins us along with the film’s director, Cynthia Hill. "We’re so desensitized to violence in the United States that oftentimes women have to be beaten badly enough before our criminal justice system responds," Gruelle says.

Transcript


AMY GOODMAN: Yes, this is Democracy Now! The War and Peace Report. We are in Park City, Utah, at the Sundance Film Festival following the documentary track, dealing with the critical issues of the day.

BRIAN CARLSON, ABC 4 Utah: It’s believed a Lindon police officer shot and killed his entire family. Today five people were found dead in his Spanish Fork home, including the officer and his two children, just five and seven years old.

BOB EVANS, FOX 13: Authorities say Lindon police officer Joshua Boren shot and killed his mother-in-law, wife and two young children before turning the gun on himself.

AMY GOODMAN: That’s actually not a clip from a documentary; it happened last week here in Utah as the Sundance Film Festival got underway.

remainder: http://www.democracynow.org./2014/1/22/private_violence_survivors_advocates_confront_victim

[truedelphi]

1. Good to see that film makers are covering this

Aspect of modern life.

So many police officers end up killing their wives.. Just watching Dateline and "48 hours" shows on TV indicate how many police officers think killing their spouse is an activity they will get away with.

How can we expect "those who serve and protect" to protect us, when they are too busy designing the perfect, fool proof murder of their own spouse?

[Jefferson23]

2. Awareness, but we need to make the investment..which we don't do. As you know, we

neglect many aspects of " civil society " and all its imperfections, flaws and then the
blowback that follows.

American Psychological Association:


Support public policy initiatives in research, prevention and intervention areas, including legal and legislative reform.

Support legislative efforts that seek to redress gender-based power imbalances, including legislation on civil rights, dependent care and family support, and pay equity.

Explore avenues to improve training of psychologists to recognize and treat victims of violence and to conduct research on prevention and intervention with the women themselves, their children and perpetrators.

Explore interventions for children and adolescents who have been exposed to family violence and who are therefore at risk for violent behavior or victimization.

Explore avenues to disseminate materials available on violence against women including those of the APA Task Force on Male Violence Against Women to policy makers, professional communities, church and community groups, educational institutions and the general public.

Explore ways to increase public and private funding for research on violence against women.

Explore avenues for showcasing, in the Association's publications, research on male violence against women so as to increase the extent to which it is viewed as within the mainstream of psychological concerns.

Explore avenues for greater collaboration with legal, medical, and other professional disciplines on international, national, regional, and local levels to prevent violence against women.

Explore psychoeducational and sociocultural interventions designed to change male objectification of women.

Statistics taken from the Report of the Male Violence Against Women Task Force: Koss, M.P., Goodman, L.A., Browne, A., Fitzgerald, L.F., Keita, G.P., & Russo, N.F. (1994). No safe haven: Male violence against women at home, at work , and in the community. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.
http://www.apa.org/about/policy/male-violence.aspx