It is indeed imperative that women “speak out” about domestic violence and seek help as Mr Justice Bernard Teague said in court last week (Herald Sun, November 23).
But it is certainly no less important that we start to examine the prevalence of violence in our society.
These violent men need help too, as they are often the victims of a society in which violence and aggression are part of their conditioning, albeit even condoned amongst themselves at school, at home and at play.
Moreover, can we (should we?) blame them for violence against women when women have still to truly gain status as equal human beings in our society on a broad scale?
Until society at large accords women the respect they deserve as equal human beings, some men will continue to perpetrate violence against them.
We need to look seriously at the violence at all levels of society- against males and against females- and teach our young how to vent their anger, pain and frustration in a way that does not hurt other human beings, both physically and psychologically.
Violence needs to be seen as a collective social responsibility, and until it is recognised, acknowledged and dealt with as such, we should not be shocked by men who batter women and some of the women who kill men.