Editorial: Aiming to bring end to violence

YESTERDAY'S White Ribbon march again highlighted an important - and shocking - issue.

Violence within the family home is sickening, and the march's aim - to raise awareness and try to bring an end to violence against women - is entirely laudable and deserving of support from all.

Domestic abuse and physical assault within the home insidiously erodes family life, and particularly undermines the peace and stability that children need in their impressionable early years. But I wonder if the White Ribbon campaign has missed a trick by focusing exclusively on violence by men against women.

Domestic abuse and violence, unfortunately, cuts both ways, though society chooses to highlight one particular type of perpetrator and one type of victim.

Of course, physical power plays a large part in this.

When a man hits a woman the consequences can be devastating; the roles reversed and the man may tend to shrug it off. If women are fearful of reporting domestic abuse, male victims may be equally reluctant through issues of pride and self-respect.

This lack of reporting means there is little reliable data to quantify what is happening in troubled homes, and to whom it is happening. Abuse in the family can take many forms, from the physical to the verbal to the emotional and beyond. Safe to say that none of it is good and we need to find ways to address it. Perhaps a campaign to raise awareness of all domestic violence and to try and bring an end to it is the way to go.