What is YOUR plan to tackle family violence in 2019

What is YOUR plan to tackle family violence in 2019

You might have made your new year resolutions and then promptly broke them.

But here is a challenge that just can’t be put aside.

In 2018, 69 women were murdered by their partner or former partner in Australia, more than 1 per week.

This is in the context of unprecedented public and media commentary about the causes of family violence and the issues victims/survivors face just dealing with daily life.

As a man, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a White Ribbon Ambassador, I know I am not alone in “Standing up, Speaking Out and Acting” to prevent men’s violence against women (and all of the other forms of violence that beset out society).

It would be too easy to say at 62, “I’ve done my bit. Time to hand over to someone else.” And in some senses I could. To see the graduates of the Pilot Youth Ambassador program become so passionate to do something about it means it not just all of us “grey hairs” doing all the talking but a new generation who are taking action.

But it is not just our role as Ambassadors. It is not just White Ribbon as an organisation. It is not just all of the other family violence services.

It is YOU. As individuals, as family members, as community members in your workplace, in your sporting clubs, in your community groups, in your schools and I ask you again this question. What is YOUR plan to tackle family violence in 2019.

For me, I am still battling on to finish my book “Real Men Challenge” and promote a “Positive Masculinity” message. But on this journey I still see some major themes that all of us can contribute to and I have used an acronym around R.E.S.P.E.C.T to highlight them.

  • R = Red Flags
  • E = Educate
  • S = Speak Out
  • P = Passion
  • E = Expand
  • C = Challenge
  • T = Tame the Tongue

I will write more about each of these over the coming weeks and look forward to your input and your own plans.

Neil Stott
White Ribbon Ambassador

This entry was posted in Family Violence, Men, White Ribbon Ambassador, White Ribbon Australia. Bookmark the permalink.

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