Domestic Violence - Guest Blogger!

Today we actually have a guest! I’m going to be interviewing someone who I am sure a few of you are familiar with. She is the daughter of an alcoholic, and has recently joined the blogging community to share her story about dealing with domestic violence and alcoholism, a social issue often suppressed from public view.


Right, thanks for your interest Kirsty, could you tell us a little about yourself?


I'm a 23 year old Mum of one baby girl. I am studying for a PhD in environmental radiochemistry and love my work! This interview came about because of contact through our blogs, I decided to start writing a blog to release some issues from within myself which have gradually built up over the years. My parents are both alcoholics and as a result of their drinking they have had a very unstable and often violent relationship since I was about 12 years old. Obviously this has contributed to many thoughts and feelings and any decisions I have had to make in my life and I thought it was about time I shared these experiences with others.



Ok, so obviously, you’ve grown up a bit since. What is the most important thing you’ve come away from your experience with?


There are a few lessons I have learnt growing up. Firstly that alcohol is more dangerous than a lot of people realise. So many of us take it for granted and incorporate it into our lives as a completely innocent thing but I have never been one to drink a lot because of the things I have seen. In a way I guess I missed out on some aspects of growing up, I wasn't hitting the bars and clubs when my friends were etc but I would rather it was like that so I have no regrets. I have also had learn how to seriously put myself first, I spent so many years making sure that what ever I did would still enable me to be there and care for my family, it took me a very long time to stop putting my life on hold and gain some independence where I didn't feel constantly tied to my family.



Being the oldest sibling in your family, did you ever feel a sense of personal responsibility in regards to your younger brothers and sisters?


I felt I had complete responsibility! In my mind if I was there to care for them then no harm would come to them. As we grew up it was me they came to with problems rather than my parents. Even now that we are all older I still feel I have some responsibility towards them. If there is a bad episode at home and one or both of my parents gets violent as a result, I feel terrible for not being there to support my siblings. I am almost certain that were one of them to get seriously hurt then I would blame myself.



Do you feel that as a result of your childhood, you have been granted perhaps a quality or trait that not everyone has? Have you matured as a result?



I think I matured very very quickly. I practically became a carer for my parents and a parent to my three younger siblings when I was just 13 years old. And to make things worse it was all behind closed doors so I couldn't turn to anyone for help or advice. As far as quality and traits are concerned, I have incredible self control, I never gave in to peer pressure when growing up, when my friends were experimenting with alcohol etc I never joined them, although they didn't know why!



If you were to give any piece of advice to a parent, or for that matter, a child, who is experiencing a similar thing, what would it be?


To a parent - if you are the one with the problem PLEASE get help. If your partner is the one with the problem then you have two options, get them help or leave. Having seen my parents and the way they are, no matter how much I loved my partner if they had a problem and wouldn't stop for me and my baby then I would leave them without a doubt - my child comes first. You may think they are not aware of what is going on but I can assure you they do. You can try and hide it but a child will always know when something is wrong. It ruined my childhood. It has since ruined some of my experiences as an adult. Please put your children first.


To a child - I know it is very difficult to talk to somebody outside of your home. There is the fear that the violence will get worse and things will be taken out on you. There are counsellors offered at every school, speak to your teacher or school nurse about getting in touch with them and making an appointment. These people will listen to you and can't repeat anything you say to them so at least you can get things otu of your system. If you feel you CAN talk to your parents but don't know what to say, let them know how it makes you feel, how it is affecting your life. Point out to them they are unlikely to see you marry or have children. Try and shock them into reality. It may not work but it is always worth a try.




Ok, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with us. I'm sure the awareness that you are helping to raise will serve to better the social recognition of this issue. If anyone wants to check out Kirsty’s own blog, which shares a number of her experiences, you can do so at:

http://kirstf1986.blogspot.com/

Once again, thanks for reading, many thanks to Kirsty, and thanks to everyone who is following, and have a good weekend, wherever in the world you may be.

On a final note. If there is anyone that feels they have something to share through either an interview or direct guest blog, drop us a line at 2700@joeys.org, or leave a comment below. thanks guys.

Violence in video games

Another widespread, contemporary social issue is the presence of violence in video games. In Australia for example, there is currently no “R” rating for video games; that is, when a game is deemed to be under the “R” classification, then it cannot be legally sold or distributed. This is a unique situation, which is at the current time bringing a lot of the argument I have raised into very prominent political debate. Should Australia have an “R” rating? Is the amount of violence currently seen in many games too much?

The main argument against allowing the “R” rating, and subsequently the amount of highly mature themes (being mainly violence, drug use, sex etc), is the high level of interactivity that video gaming grants to the user. Sure, movies and television programs incorporate a large deal of these themes as well, but gaming allows the gamer to actively engage in acts of extreme violence, and outlandish acts of generally unacceptable social behaviour. The extreme of this was reached when Infinity Ward released their latest installment in the Call of Duty franchise, the highly popular Modern Warfare 2. In one of the opening sequences, the plot guides the user into engaging in a direct act of terrorism, running rampage through an airport, killing anyone and anything in their way. Not a particularly pleasant message to be sending out to our young people really.

On the other hand, there are also a number of reasons FOR allowing “R” ratings and violence in the game industry. Firstly, Australia is the only place without this classification, and so we have been slightly left in the dark with regards to these games. Secondly, many fail to realize that the average age of the active gamer is now low-mid thirties, a far cry from the stereotyped gamer; a slightly chubby young teenager yelling at his X-box out of rage. Many of this grouping are therefore above the age of 18, and so should come to expect access to the same range of games available anywhere else in the world. Another potential point to raise is the required informed decision to be made by the parents should a young person wish to purchase one of these games in question. If the person is socially/mentally unstable, then surely it’s the parent’s responsibility to identify that, and realize that allowing them to engage in acts of digitalized violence is perhaps not the best idea.

Once again, this is no simple matter to resolve. People come from differing backgrounds, differing levels of religious engagement and differing social perspectives. It is therefore understandable that not everyone agrees on this issue. In offering my own opinion, I feel that if someone is over the required age to purchase such games, then it is their decision. If you don’t like it, then don’t buy it. If they are below this age, then it is up to the parents/guardians of the child to make an informed decision as to whether they wish this content to be granted use by their children. Any thoughts?