Govt. to provide support programme for perpetrators of domestic violence

Dec 08, 2018 News

Perpetrators of domestic violence within Guyana and the global Diaspora have been on the receiving end of very little empathy. Society, in painting a rather rigid image of these offenders has forgotten in the process that these persons are people as well.
As such they do deserve empathy and some level of psychological reform.
Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally, in Thursday’s Parliamentary Debate, conveyed that a support programme for perpetrators of domestic violence is slated for 2019.
“Hands were not made for Hitting” seeks to act as a support and reform system for perpetrators of domestic violence.
Guyanese women account for more than half of the country’s demographic and are disproportionately affected by domestic violence. This concludes that men are largely considered as the main perpetrators.
According to Minister Ally, the Ministry holds the protection and empowerment of women as one of its fundamental responsibilities to the nation. Ally, in responding to a statement made by member of the opposition Dr. Vidya Persaud, went on to list the major programmes that are in place as well as those slated for budgetary allocations by the ministry for women.

Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection

The Minister believes that targeting perpetrators for psychosocial support is a key factor in the eradication of domestic violence in all of its forms. She further went on to add that it is through the ministry’s actions for women empowerment that progress may be seen.
“It is through actions and not words that the Ministry represents women.”
Furthermore, it is through programmes like “Hands Were Not made for Hitting” that the rights of women and people are asserted, she said.
The programme, created in the pretext of influencing behavioral changes within perpetrators is focused on changing the person’s desire to control his/her partner by assessing his/her own attitude.
However, programmes like these are often posed with major difficulties since various factors such as mental health issues, drug misuse, intergenerational abuse, unemployment and other social deficits are intermixed in that perpetrator’s behavioral pattern. With all this being said, it should be noted that these factors do not suffice as reasons for domestic violence.
Reports by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) have concluded that at least one in three women in Guyana is a victim of gender-based violence. While, this is quite alarming, one can attribute these statistics to the normalization of unequal power dynamics in relationships between men and women worldwide. Notably, it was also found that 58% of child abuse cases, both physical and sexual, were girls.
Perpetrator programmes have the potential to transform the lives of men through attitude and behaviour changes. However, programmes like this hold the maintaining of victims’ safety as its primary focus.
Domestic violence crosses all social and cultural barriers and stymies the growth of a country’s economy. This form of violence stymies the fundamental right of freedom for individuals, negatively affects their social and physical wellbeing and furthermore affects that of their families. Perpetrator programmes holds efficacy once integrated with police, courts and corrective services.
Domestic violence against individuals is a gendered phenomenon and perpetrators are fully responsible for the decision to assault, Ms Ally said.

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