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| What
is domestic violence?
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Any form of controlling or
abusive behaviour that occurs in a domestic relationship.
This can be psychological and emotional, name calling, humiliation.
Destruction of property, social isolation, denial of decision-making,
economic control, prevention of work.
Having to witness the abuse of children and pets.
Sexually
abusing the partner, rape and physical abuse of any kind. |
| The Problem
in Botswana
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Domestic violence is common
in Botswana
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Like elsewhere, it is one of
the most under-reported crimes
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Domestic violence can and
often does get worse once it starts
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About 50% of all women
killed in Botswana are linked to a history of domestic violence.
- Children
of violent homes often continue the cycle of violence as
perpetrators in later life. They can also end up as victims
accepting that violence is ‘normal’.
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| Solutions |
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- Police
and the justice system need to recognise domestic violence as a
serious crime.
- Police
must respond to all reports seriously and sympathetically.
- Police
must arrest the perpetrator immediately, and remove them from the
scene of the crime.
- Early
arrest can deter future crimes and prevent escalation of the
violence into homicide.
- Support
for the women and children are needed: we need to acknowledge the
crime, provide the victims with safety, and prosecute the offenders
rigorously.
- Short
term prevention:
- Public
education to encourage reporting and punishing such crimes
- Courts
punish guilty
- Safe
houses for victims
- Social
services to support victims in re-establishing a new life
including assistance with locating housing, employment, training
and counselling.
- Long
Term prevention:
- Public
education on breaking the cycle of violence
- Social
services and programmes for victims, both women and children, in
an attempt to end the cycle of violence.
- Social
service programmes for men who batter in an attempt to end their
violent behaviour. This last step is vital to breaking the cycle
of violence and is all too often overlooked.
(information obtained from the
Metlhaetsile Women’s Information Centre, Domestic Violence, It’s a
Crime!, 1999) |
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