[Warning: flight of ideas is about to ensue…]
Tuesday night Joy Behar interviewed Robin Givens, Denise Brown, Erin Gray and Victor Rivers about domestic violence on Larry King Live. I was happy to hear Victor talk about the importance of engaging men in DV prevention and the dangers of bystander behavior, and it reminded me of the documentary in which he had been featured many years ago, Breaking the Silence: Journeys of Hope (PBS).
If you’ve never heard him speak, his story is a compelling one and he is an eloquent spokesperson for involving men in eradicating DV. Although I couldn’t find video clips from Journeys of Hope, I did find one from the follow-up documentary, Breaking the Silence: Children’s Stories:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lR4pMTwTXg0]
I know that the concern about what will happen in the courts is a very real one for many of my patients. I have been asked too many times by DV patients if I was there to “take [their] kids away”. Anyone who believes that the courts are the answer for all of our patients need only watch this clip to be reminded of the limitations of the legal system.
One of the issues the video addresses is child sexual abuse and custody–if you’re seeing this as an issue in your community, consider mentioning NJEP‘s Adjudicating Allegations of Child Sexual Abuse When Custody is in Dispute curriculum at your next SART or MDT meeting. “The purpose of this curriculum is to promote the fair administration of justice by improving courts’ ability to assess child sexual abuse allegations, and to make decisions in these cases that reflect the best interests of the child.” It’s not cheap ($110), but it may be a worthwhile expenditure if there’s a disconnect between child safety and your family courts.