How To Speak With Men In Your Life About Domestic Violence - Uncut with Tarang Chawla
Jun 18, 2024
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Listen to Tarang Chawla, a speaker and advocate, discuss patterns of violent behavior, engaging men in conversations on domestic violence, societal changes in awareness, solutions for men to combat violence, justice for murderers, media's role in shaping narratives, and teaching boys and girls about their roles in society.
Male advocates are pivotal in combating male violence against women by promoting societal change through active involvement and awareness.
Media portrayal of domestic violence cases can perpetuate harmful narratives and biases, emphasizing the need for responsible reporting to challenge existing misconceptions.
Social media's dual impact on attitudes towards violence against women highlights the importance of critically engaging with online discourse and promoting constructive conversations for cultural change.
Deep dives
Male Advocacy in Addressing Male Violence Against Women
Male advocates play a crucial role in addressing male violence against women by amplifying the impact on society. Chirang Chawla, a vocal advocate in this space and co-founder of 'Not One More Nikita,' highlights the systemic impacts of male violence against women. He emphasizes the importance of male voices speaking out against such violence, citing how impactful it is when men take a stand and actively work to change harmful behaviors and attitudes among their peers. By advocating for a shift in male behaviors and fostering open dialogue, male advocates like Chirang contribute significantly to the ongoing conversation on combating male violence against women.
Media's Role in Perpetuating Biases in Domestic Violence Cases
Chirang Chawla also delves into the media's portrayal of domestic violence cases, shedding light on the biases and problematic narratives often perpetuated. He discusses how headlines and news articles can inadvertently empathize with perpetrators, undermining the severity of domestic violence incidents. Chawla emphasizes the need for media awareness regarding language use and reporting to avoid excusing harmful behaviors. By advocating for responsible and accurate media representations of domestic violence, Chirang highlights the importance of challenging existing biases that contribute to the perpetuation of violence against women.
Navigating Social Media's Impact on Attitudes Towards Violence
Chirang Chawla addresses the dual impact of social media in shaping attitudes towards violence against women. He acknowledges the platform's potential for advocacy and awareness but also highlights the negative influence it can have in validating harmful beliefs. Chawla addresses the role of social media in fostering echo chambers that reinforce damaging behaviors and values. By advocating for a nuanced understanding of social media's role, he encourages individuals to critically engage with online discourse and promote constructive conversations around violence prevention and cultural change.
The Importance of Strategic Sentencing in Courts
Judges often strategically sentence offenders to the maximum allowable to avoid appeals that may lead to reduced sentences, causing prolonged pain and uncertainty for victims' families. Discussing the need for potential legal reforms to prevent immediate appeals, the conversation highlights the impact of sentencing guidelines and the quest for justice without delays.
Challenging Media Portrayals and Cultural Shifts
The discussion delves into media biases favoring certain perpetrators, particularly middle-class white men, perpetuating harmful stereotypes and hindering systemic change. Emphasizing the need for men's active participation in shifting societal norms, it calls for increased awareness and actions to combat misogyny, promoting a safer environment for women and fostering collective responsibility for cultural transformation.
We've had conversations about men's violence against women and domestic violence on this podcast for 5 years, but to say that it's still a huge problem in Australia would be an understatement. Many people feel as though we've been speaking about this for decades. It's time that men were a part of the conversation and the solution. This episode with Tarang should help you have those conversations with the men in your life.
Tarang Chawla is a keynote speaker, writer, broadcaster, advocate and academic at Monash University. He is also the co-founder of ‘Not One More Niki', an organisation working to end men’s violence against women. Tarang’s younger sister Niki (Nikita) was murdered by her former partner in 2015. She was 23 years old. Tarang has worked tirelessly to educate people about the cultural, political and individual factors that can contribute to men’s violence with the goal of reducing men’s violence.
In our conversation we spoke about:
The patterns of behaviour that lead to violence
Creating a solution focussed conversation with people who say ‘not all men’.
What has changed in the past decade surrounding domestic violence awareness in the public and in government
How men can be the solution
Tarang’s personal opinions on ‘justice’ for murderers
Why media and institutions shape the narrative of who the perpetrators of violence
How we teach boys and girls about their place in the world