In the first three months of this year alone, 28 Australian women have been murdered by a partner or former partner. The domestic violence epidemic is vastly complex, with widely varying lengths of awareness and responsibility that are the preserve of a large range of professionals.
Following a plane crash, black boxes provide some answers to questions about what happened. After suicides, the answers we most need are buried with the person. With domestic violence, we have a lot of the evidence in our midst, though we may not be comfortable looking for it in some of the most fruitful places.
It is only when we have correct evidence that we can diagnose, and then plan prevention and remedies.
We know that people who experienced violent parenting are more likely to parent or relate violently, unless they have dealt with their experiences in therapy. As Tony Cooke, social worker and the son of a Western Australian serial murderer, said, 'If you have been touched by violence you have to deal with it'.
Do we know how violent Australians operate inside their own psyches? Do they manage themselves with harshness or violence or are they moral imbeciles who have no criteria or categories of morality or ethics?
My guess is that each person is a mixture of all of these elements. Many more adolescents than we imagine are self-harming in our community. Why? Do we really know the reasons our young men will die for a foreign cult, or commit suicide at home?
Our culture likes violence, especially when it happens to someone else. The stories and images that our media select must sell papers or attract viewers. Otherwise why put the stuff out there?
Sporting games are often very violent in themselves, as is the language of their commentators. And the spectacle, which is more attractive than the game itself, is a players' or spectators' brawl.
Youths, mostly male, become the expendable gladiators fighting on behalf of their fans and financial promoters. Is it any wonder that these public combatants are involved in on-field and off-field fighting?
But as soon as the violence of sport is mentioned or criticised the intimidating voices defending the sacred taboos threaten consequences like 'If you stop that you will be developing youths into softies, milksops, pansies'.
Parliamentary behaviour very publicly often involves viciously attacking the person rather than the issue at hand. It provides a far from edifying example, for the rest of the