Like the vast majority of New Zealander’s, I’m a rugby fan, infact I’ve even played a few games during my lifetime. Like most Kiwis I’m excited about the fact that we’re hosting the Rugby World Cup this year (I’m also proud of the fact that it was the Labour Party that secured the rights to host for our country…but that’s a separate issue).
One issue that I hadn’t considered till recently was the copious amounts of alcohol that is likely to be consumed over the course of the world cup and the subsequent impact that this could have on family violence, abuse and neglect. It was a report written by Debbie Hager and Diane Woolsen Neville that alerted me to these concerns, ‘Mitigating the risk of men’s violence aginst women increasing during the Rugby World Cup 2011′.
The report cites evidence of increased levels of violence, abuse and neglect during major sporting events. It looks like a successful campaign run overseas during these type of events is being rolled out in New Zealand, the ‘Blow the Whistle Campaign’ – this is a wise move. Recommendations have been made in this report with respect to advertising, policing, venue safety, safety of children and young people and a number of other areas. The Government will need to take up these recommendations to ensure that any risk of increased violence is mitigated during this time.
Oh really? It was the labour party that secured the RWC? I didn’t know that Jock Hobbs and Lahore and Pinetree all talked about the Labour Party when they went to the IRB to secure the rights. I know Helen was there and she was very supportive and did a great job, but I think it had more to do with NZers passion for rugby and both governments’ commitment to building the infrastructure to make it happen.
I do remember a threat of violence one of your colleagues made regarding a previous world cup though Carmel. Something about a beer bottle from memory. Maybe you should make sure all of your MPs read the report.
“The Government will need to take up these recommendations to ensure that any risk of increased violence is mitigated during this time”
Are you suggesting or have information that the government will not? What action did Labour take on the Rugby union when Doug Howlitt went on his alcohol fueled rampage or when Tana Umaga used a handbag as a weapon?
Thanks for your timely post. Facts are facts. Love rugby but no time for men who bash women. Christchurch shows what big upsets do to people: domestic violence figures soared since their big quake last Sept. If NZ does the unthinkable & loses, NZ will turn ugly AND toss out National
Let’s not turn Rugby into Thugby
“Christchurch shows what big upsets do to people: domestic violence figures soared since their big quake last Sept”
Thanks for that, I hadnt realised.
Unfortunately the thread is immediately distracted away from the point, being violence toward women in NZ.
If the current PM can use signs of growth and jobs (which are in fact based on the result of an earthquake) it’s only fair that credit for the RWC gos to the former PM.
I’ve posted some staggering statistics in the women are not commodities thread. Notwithstanding that some women are violent toward men the staggering majority of violence in NZ is committed by men. Perhaps it’s time to be really hard nosed about it and call it what it is, a male problem and it’s time men sorted it out.
Between 1999 and 2008 the total number of prison sentences for men convicted of assualting women was 14% of total sentences.
Interestign statistical breakdown is found here
http://www.nzfvc.org.nz/PublicationDetails.aspx?publication=13530
The McGregor study (2003) found that 94.9% of offenders were male. Over half of the total group of offenders (52.2%) were males related to the child and a further 42.7% were non-related males known to the survivor including, parents’ friends, neighbours, brothers’ friends, boarders, teachers and priests.
On sexual abuse
Less than 40% of survivors of sexual abuse are likely to disclose the abuse
ALL of the above is about attitude. THAT is the connection to this competition and those who see no harm in it.
Child abuse costs new zealand around $2.5bn per YEAR. Jülich (2004)
17 Dec 2010 Dominion POst stated results from a survey showed Sexual crimes were the least likely to be reported, often because the victim was ashamed or embarrassed.
Now, let’s see the PM’s Aspirational plans to reverse this trend!
It hasn’t exactly been established that women are at risk from domestic violence at a greater rate after major sporting events than they are on any other day of the year and I’d like to see the statistics on this. Snopes.com suggests the idea of sports and violence first appeared around the Super Bowl in 1993 http://www.snopes.com/crime/statistics/superbowl.asp
I’m all for reducing domestic violence. I’m glad to see the “It’s not ok” campaign on tv, but I would argue that the money would be better spent on intensifying current general campaigns rather than focusing on one specific event.
Sigh…we have such a long way to go. I hope the recommendations include sensible advice like:”If your team loses, just deal with it. Its only a game and you dont have any right to hurt someone else because you cant accept that.”
Did you make that up, Sp?
If so you ought to be in advertising!
“Unfortunately the thread is immediately distracted away from the point, being violence toward women in NZ.”
I agree, however if the post was ‘Labour’s plan to deal with domestic violence’ there would have been less chance for it to be distracted. But instead this post is another dig at the current government and I can’t but help agree with George when he spouts out ‘disconnect’.
George, I wrote the phrase, but I’m 99% sure I’ve seen the word thugby before.
Indiana, you draw a very long bow to justify ignoring the topic raised of the probability of increased domestic violence during the world cup. Especially if we lose.
So true Sue. “If your team loses, don’t tell the crowd that they’re stupid, learn from your mistakes and make the changes needed to the team members and make them work better so they can win the game next time.”
Maybe the whole labour party could learn a lesson from that Sue, then they might have a better chance in the polls eh? Doesn’t help when political discourse is so violent. Trev uses pretty nasty language and much of the labour party are trying to get people to hate John Key. It isn’t working.
Violent language and violent actions shouldn’t be tolerated ever. Even from left wingers.
Indiana said: “… instead this post is another dig at the current government and I can’t but help agree with George when he spouts out ‘disconnect’.”
Well now Indiana, you are – along with your right-wing blog mates – very good at accusing left leaning bloggers of spin, distortion and a lack of connection etc. I read Carmel’s post carefully and nowhere did I see her having “a dig at the current government”. What she did say was:
“… The Government will need to take up these recommendations to ensure that any risk of increased violence is mitigated during this time.”
That is true, and if Labour had been the major political party in power she would have said exactly the same thing. No spin, no distortion and no disconnect. Just an honest attempt to open up a discussion on a very important and concerning aspect around the RWC.
I think it is clear who is disconnected and it isn’t Carmel.
Anne, read my comment at 5.05pm…sorry but I do take it as a ‘dig’ because I read this post as inferring that the government is soley responsible for ensuring the risk is mitigated. If the post had said “please New Zealanders, don’t let alcohol get the better of you during the RWC” then you wouldn’t have heard a peep from me. And when Labour were the party in power no action was taken again the Rugby Union for the very 2 examples I referred to.
my gosh that IS a VERY long bow you draw, do you have any interest in discourse about the appaling level of violence toward womena dn children in NZ, despite the assertion of many that we (women) have achieved equality?
Isnt it up to the Government to lead this kind of societal change?
The PM is this very moment an invited guest at the Halberg Sports person of the Year Awards. He will enjoy some sponsors product I am sure (Villa Maria) and/or some beer and he will bask in the upside of sport. It behooves any leader to address the seedy side also.
Read the post again Indiana with an open mind. Nowhere has Carmel had a “dig” at anybody. Nor has she inferred that the government is solely responsible for ensuring the risk is mitigated. Indeed, she talks about “…a successful campaign run overseas during these type of events being rolled out in New Zealand, the ‘Blow the Whistle Campaign’”, and goes on to say this is a wise move. But the government does have a role to play, in supplying at least some of the where-withal and personnel, so that in the event problems arise they can be swiftly dealt with before someone is badly or fatally hurt.
Rugby is a violent game. It’s little wonder why the violent people who watch it do violent things to each other.
. What she did say was:
“… The Government will need to take up these recommendations to ensure that any risk of increased violence is mitigated during this time.”
So what recommendations do you suggest the Gov. should take Anne?
What suggestions would Trevor have given to the RWC org. about this issue?
When dealing with issues like this we need balance. Does anyone have figures on the number of men assaulted by violent women?
Full marks Carmel, a thoughtful post. Women often do cop it, and clean up afterwards in liquor fueled ‘sporty bloke’ scenarios. Please keep contributing when you have time as the Rebstock report is going to unleash a torrent of erroneous beneficiary bashing.
The matter of “where are the jobs” has gotta be taken right to ‘Brawla’ Bennett, repeatedly, until the westies get it. (some of my best friends are westies, an old line, but true in my case).
What what about is this carmel?:
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/259449/mythical-sharia-strikes-again-andrew-c-mccarthy
This is exactly the type of thing the Taliban (barbaric scum and the 21st centuries equivalent to the Nazi party) is doing and will continue to do in Afghanistan! Yet your party is saying oh no we shouldn’t be there, we should just leave them to it.
Domestic violence (any type of violence toward women) absolutely disgusts me, but when your speaking out about it here but your party is not prepared to put it’s money where it’s mouth is in Afghanistan, where we are seeing perpetrated on an unthinkable level, that just makes you hypocrites.
“Rugby is a violent game. It’s little wonder why the violent people who watch it do violent things to each other.”
Yeah – Lets ban rugby.
oh, and motorsports – that will stop boy racers
or – people can be responsible for their own actions (good and bad) and not have people linking a sport to domestic violence.
Rugby is a violent game. It’s little wonder why the violent people who watch it do violent things to each other.
The historical origin of all sport is as an alternative to violence. Should we have ‘it’s not OK’ ad’s appearing during tevelvise Cricket, Golf, Tennis, and Lawn Bowls tournaments?
Women often do cop it, and clean up afterwards in liquor fueled ‘sporty bloke’ scenarios
I’m interested in what you mean by ‘often’. In particular: do you really think that the mechanics of domestic violence are such that people not normally subjected to domestic violence suddenly are after All Blacks matches?
I’m willing to wager all the money in my pockets, against all the money in your pockets, that the real driver is the “lurking variable” of extremely excessive alcohol consumption by a small handful of the population. The presence of a sporting event in-and-of-tself is unlikely to directly influence domestic violence either way.
Rugby is a violent game. It’s little wonder why the violent people who watch it do violent things to each other.
It’s the people, not the game. Soccer fans worldwide have an appalling record of violence against others compared to Rugby fans.
Many (admittedly not all) of our top rugby players are superb role models for young males. They engage with great agression (which is a perfectly natural male trait) in what is a very physical game, but respect the rules and the ref, and work as superb ambassadors outside the sport (for example in reading schemes in schools etc).
Sounds like someone has a downer of the sports that those horrible rough boys play…
Yes pdm, and I posted them on the women are not commodities thread.
if you care to get incidents of domestic figures in your local area via the police you will see that there is a direct correlation between the loss of test matches and an increase in domestic violence towards women and children
excellent post Carmel and one we must all take some responsibility for stopping (domestic violence that is)