Published: Thursday, March 28, 2013
Sascha Wilson
From a very tender age, boys are taught and encouraged in some cases to deal with their problems through violence. It’s
one of the major problems with the way in which young males are
socialised, says chairman of the Coalition against Domestic Violence
Diana Mahabir-Wyatt. She
was commenting on Justice Mark Mohammed’s warning that there would be a
“crisis of untold magnitude” if young men were not socialised
differently.
The judge made the comments on Tuesday as he sentenced a man to 12 years in jail for raping his nine-year-old sister. Mahabir-Wyatt, in an interview yesterday, said men were socialised to deal with conflict not through talking, but through fighting.
Recalling that once she saw her son’s kindergarten teacher teaching her son how to fight, she said, “I think Mark Mohammed was referring to this. It’s okay for girls to cry and quarrel, but boys have not learned how to cry or express their feelings by talking about their emotions and feelings, to say I am hurt and uncomfortable or sad. “They don’t get a chance to express their emotions which all human being need to do.”
In addition, she said, domestic violence in families teaches children to be violent. “Once children see their parents fighting and using force, they think that it is a socially acceptable way to deal with stress.” She recommended that programmes geared towards helping young men deal with issues without resorting to violence should be introduced in all schools.
Hazel Brown, head of the Network of NGOs for the Advancement of Women, believes the media have an important role in how males are socialised. “I think we have to focus on the messages in the media that tell young fellas that their behaviour is acceptable because they are men and men rule, it’s a man’s world.” Leader of Men Against Violence Against Women Dr Russell Foote believes the change in mindset must begin in the home.
“I think for too long we have associated proper socialisation with providing children with material things, and more important than that is teaching them proper manners, how to be respectful and courteous from an early age.” Without fundamental values, he said young people could be easily led astray and “lose control.” Mohammed also called on the State to provide proper counselling to victims and offenders of sexual offences.
Commenting on that, founder of the Victim Support Foundation Loverne Henry noted that support and counselling, especially for the victims, was not only the responsibility of the State, but also of communities, families and the workplace. Henry said there were several support mechanisms put in place by non-governmental organisations.
However, she said, what was lacking was the sustained multifaceted support system necessary for victims to “continue living their life, because you can survive the trauma, but you don’t necessarily live again.”
Source: http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2013-03-28/experts-young-men-learning-handle-conflict-violence
The judge made the comments on Tuesday as he sentenced a man to 12 years in jail for raping his nine-year-old sister. Mahabir-Wyatt, in an interview yesterday, said men were socialised to deal with conflict not through talking, but through fighting.
Recalling that once she saw her son’s kindergarten teacher teaching her son how to fight, she said, “I think Mark Mohammed was referring to this. It’s okay for girls to cry and quarrel, but boys have not learned how to cry or express their feelings by talking about their emotions and feelings, to say I am hurt and uncomfortable or sad. “They don’t get a chance to express their emotions which all human being need to do.”
In addition, she said, domestic violence in families teaches children to be violent. “Once children see their parents fighting and using force, they think that it is a socially acceptable way to deal with stress.” She recommended that programmes geared towards helping young men deal with issues without resorting to violence should be introduced in all schools.
Hazel Brown, head of the Network of NGOs for the Advancement of Women, believes the media have an important role in how males are socialised. “I think we have to focus on the messages in the media that tell young fellas that their behaviour is acceptable because they are men and men rule, it’s a man’s world.” Leader of Men Against Violence Against Women Dr Russell Foote believes the change in mindset must begin in the home.
“I think for too long we have associated proper socialisation with providing children with material things, and more important than that is teaching them proper manners, how to be respectful and courteous from an early age.” Without fundamental values, he said young people could be easily led astray and “lose control.” Mohammed also called on the State to provide proper counselling to victims and offenders of sexual offences.
Commenting on that, founder of the Victim Support Foundation Loverne Henry noted that support and counselling, especially for the victims, was not only the responsibility of the State, but also of communities, families and the workplace. Henry said there were several support mechanisms put in place by non-governmental organisations.
However, she said, what was lacking was the sustained multifaceted support system necessary for victims to “continue living their life, because you can survive the trauma, but you don’t necessarily live again.”
Source: http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2013-03-28/experts-young-men-learning-handle-conflict-violence
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