Hitting Hard: Family Violence

Posted by - francisx

When family arguments come to blows, where can women run for protection?  Parents and relatives can't help when they live so far apart, and legislation and police fail time and time again to stop the beatings.

This video explores the differences between protections from violence in the past and present through the stories of two families, one traditional and one modern.  Tony and Julie live with their two children and work in town.  The stresses of their modern lifestyle-bills, jobs, and worrying about the future-lead to arguments, and these arguments lead to beatings.  Ioakim and Rita live in the village on his family's compound.  They, too, feel the strain of cultural responsibilities, and can't seem to stop fighting.  When she is hurt, Rita has the support of her family, while Julie has no one. How can her family help her from another island?  Both families must learn to avoid violence and to find solutions that work within their respective lifestyles.  In a world where past and present often clash, there is no perfect answer to dealing with family violence.  But we can learn from the past that there is help, if only we look for it.

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