Head of the European Union Delegation Ambassador Mikael Barfod says domestic violence is a complex problem that needs to be understood in its entire social context. His comments came as he addressed the European Union-funded None in Three domestic violence prevention project, which was convened to disseminate information on the preliminary research findings.
The EU diplomat, who is winding up his tenure in the region, said there is the mistaken view that domestic violence is only a working-class problem, as he noted it permeated all facets of society, irrespective of education, environment and class.
Ambassador Barfod said while regional societies must tackle violent behaviour between adults, efforts must also be made to change the attitudes and values that children learn when they witness this behaviour, so that the cycle of violence can be arrested.
He said he hopes the None in Three sessions, would further equip social service, health and other professionals to pick up the signs of violence and direct women towards help at an early stage. The EU official also placed emphasis on the need for timely research in an effort to assist as it could improve our understanding of the nature and scope of the problem and its causes.
Ambassador Barfod described the Caribbean in general as being faced with the challenges of defining the boundaries of family and redefining domestic violence, as he noted that men must be included in these efforts.
As part of the None in Three project an immersive, role-playing computer game will be developed that can be used in schools as an educational tool to develop empathy and emotional intelligence and to reduce the negative attitudes developed in childhood which fuel violence in later relationships.
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