Meeting of the Parliament 24 November 2015
The UN webpage entitled “UNiTE to End Violence Against Women” tells us that, every year, millions of women and girls worldwide suffer from violence, whether that be domestic violence, rape, FGM, dowry-related killing, trafficking, sexual violence or sexual violence in a conflict situation. It also graphically shows us what that means for women in the world today, citing World Bank data that a woman aged between 15 and 44 is more at risk from rape or domestic violence than from cancer, car accidents, war or malaria.
It has been a great pleasure to listen to the speeches from members who are experts in the field. I recognise the work that both Christina McKelvie and Malcolm Chisholm have done in the cross-party group on men’s violence against women and children and in the cross-party group on human trafficking.
Prior to being elected as a councillor in 2007, I had little or no understanding of the complexity and prevalence of violence against women. As a councillor, I was a member of the community justice authority and, as such, I was on a very steep learning curve. I remember discussing with police officers the pilot project to proactively visit known domestic abusers and offenders before old firm matches, and I learned about the spikes in domestic abuse around those big matches. Strathclyde Police reported that on such occasions there were up to 138 per cent more domestic violence incidents than on “ordinary” weekends. I hope that the official report will record my use of the term “ordinary”, because I use it very carefully.
The need for that successful intervention by Strathclyde Police brought home to me how dangerously “ordinary”, normal, predictable and recognised domestic abuse can become in our society. There is never an excuse or a cause for domestic violence, and it is never acceptable or “ordinary” for it to happen in our society. That is why I recognise Zero Tolerance’s campaign in this area. As Ban Ki-moon said:
“Violence against women is always a violation of human rights; it is always a crime; and it is always unacceptable.”
It was also during my time as a councillor, in 2009, that a conference was held in Lanarkshire on tackling domestic abuse. The keynote speaker was Evan Stark, who I am sure will be much more familiar to the experts on the subject in the chamber and those who have worked on it for some time. His book, “Coercive Control: How Men Entrap Women in Personal Life”, is considered to be one of the most important research and policy reference tools in this area. His words on the subject are very strong. He talks about cases in which he believes that the pattern of violence is complemented by an extended pattern of intimidation, isolation and control. He says:
“what we’re really dealing with, although the analogy’s by no means perfect, is a kind of domestic terrorism. A kind of domestic hostage taking in which the victim has no outside to escape to because the supposed safe place, the relationship, the home, the family network, has been identified as the point of imprisonment and entrapment.”
I think that his work has significantly extended our understanding and knowledge of this area, and I look forward to introduction of the bill that might address some of those issues in the future.
As has been said, any kind of violence is a crime against our society—it is a crime against our humanity, if you like. However, I want to concentrate on the effect that domestic violence has on children.
In 2006, the United Nations Children’s Fund produced the report “Behind Closed Doors: The Impact of Domestic Violence on Children”, which explains that
“some of the biggest victims of domestic violence are the smallest”.
The report shows that children who are exposed to violence in the home may suffer a range of severe and lasting effects. It says:
“Children who live with and are aware of violence in the home face many challenges and risks that can last throughout their lives. There is increased risk of children becoming victims of abuse themselves.”
It goes on to say:
“There is significant risk of ever-increasing harm to the child’s physical, emotional and social development. Infants and small children who are exposed to violence in the home experience so much added emotional stress that it can harm the development of their brains and impair cognitive and sensory growth ... At an early age, a child’s brain is becoming ‘hard-wired’ for later physical and emotional functioning. Exposure to domestic violence threatens that development.”
The report highlights the fact that studies suggest that social development is also damaged, and that children lose their ability to feel empathy for others. They feel socially isolated, it can be difficult for them to make friends and they can be socially confused about what is acceptable behaviour. Shockingly, the report also says:
“The single best predictor of children becoming either perpetrators or victims of domestic violence later in life is whether or not they grow up in a home where there is domestic violence.”
So, it is absolutely imperative that we as a society look at and tackle those problems.
The Government’s strategy is an ambitious one. The “Equally Safe” document states:
“Equally Safe is Scotland’s strategy to tackle all forms of violence against women and girls: domestic abuse, rape and sexual assault; sexual harassment and intimidation at work and in public; stalking; commercial sexual exploitation such as prostitution, pornography and human trafficking; dowry-related violence; ... FGM ... forced marriage; and so-called ‘honour’ based violence.”
That is a big and ambitious challenge.
I finish with a quote from someone who has inspired me in my life and who perhaps lived some of the problems that we have been discussing this afternoon, Maya Angelou, who said:
“History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.”
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