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THE HERALD OUTLOOK Dectnber Community- wife assault A serious and violent social problem One of the greatest barriers to womens equality is the continu ing threat of violence and socie tys continuing tolerance of this violence said Anne Swarbnck Minister Responsible for Womens Issues for Ontario And one of the most serious forms of violence against women is wife assault WHAT IS WIFE ASSAULT Wife assault involves the use of threat or force by a man to in timidate his partner The purpose of the assault is to control her behavior by creating fear Wife assault is more than physical assault It encompasses a wide range of behavior in eluding sexual psychological and emotional abuse Many people mistakenly believe that wife assault is simp ly the result of an argument that got out band In fact wife assault is a serious and violent crime which results m physical injuries psychological and emo tional trauma and even death MYTHS ABOUT WIFE ASSAULT The wife assault campaign has to date laid important ground work in drawing attention to behavior that was previously hid den and not generally acknowledged Ontario Women s Directorate research suggests public perception of wife assault is shifting An increasing number of people now realize it is more than just family or private business it is a serious public and criminal matter However despite this growing awareness there is still much to accomplish to reduce the in cidence of domestic violence against women Many people continue to believe the myths connected with wife assault One of the most common of these myths is that women provoke and even enjoy violence Another common myth is that women would leave their abusive partners if they were truly unhappy about being abused In reality violence has no con with a women behavior or personality According to counsellors of abusive men pro vocation is excuse offenders use to av responsibility for their own behavior Furthermore assault victims remain in relationships for many reasons Poverty is a real possibility for assaulted women who leave their partners Assaulted women are often also threatened their husbands who say will attempt to hurt or kill them if they leave And if in abusive man sometimes shows kindness and affection to a partner she may stay in the hoping the abuse will end FACTS ABOUT WIFE ASSAULT The facts remain that Wife assault is often a silent and hidden crime Current statistics indicate that in Canada today at least one in eight women is assaulted by her male partner This may be a conservative estimate since research suggests many assaults go unreported Wife assault is a violent crime It can start out with slapp ing punching kicking shoving chocking or pinching and escalate to violence involving the use of weapons which may cause serious and permanent injury Wife assault can result in death Fifty seven per cent of female homicides in this country are the result of domestic violence Children of assaulted women also suffer harmful conse First they are themselves at risk of being assaulted They may also develop physical complaints social ad problems difficulties with school sleep disturbances and other symptoms Wife assault is a crime which affects all members of society It occurs families from every geographical economic cultural and educational background WHY MEN ASSAULT It is not dearly understood why some men assault their wives and others do not Practitioners in the field of wife abuse prevention have however reached a consen on some of the factors that contribute to a man s use of violence against his wife Men who assault their partners choose to do so because they want to exert control and dominance While assaulters blame their abusive behavior on many fac tors alcohol drugs economic stresses these men do not generally assault other men their bosses their neighbours or strangers on the street But as long as a power imbalance exists Ladies Mens Hair Styling 21 Mill Acton in relationships between men and women domestic violence against women will continue to occur In addition most violent men continue to assault their wives because no one forces them to stop In a society where behavior is highly dent and often accepted as nor mal there is considerable tolerance shown for men who use physical force against their wives The result is that society often appears to condone of fenders behavior by its unwill take their violence seriously SOCIETYS RESPONSIBILITY The bottom line is that no woman deserves to be assaulted Men wbo assault their partners must be held accountable for their actions Society too often looks the other way when con fronted with this issue It is time for all of us to take responsibility for stopping the violence Wife assault is a crime for which there is no excuse For further information call Adrian Mann Communications Coordinator Harbour on invitation In the midst of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season Harbour front invites you to enjoy an afternoon of seasonal storytelling Festive Tales takes you on a magical journey around the world featuring traditional festive tales from medieval England Italy China Haiti and Canada Part history part literature part theatre the oral tradition of storytelling is an integral aspect of many cultures Through its use of folktales and legends voice and language storytelling is a unique way for the listener to experience other cultures Manella will tell festive tales based on Italian folktales and legends Joan Badger has been telling stories for years and will re count festival tales from medieval England Festive Tales will be told on Sunday December at pm in the Bngantme Room York Quay Centre Queens Quay West For more information call MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDE Sunday Dec 2 Call For Details 71 Main SI S Georgetown 8732441 Entrance off rear parking lot ESTHETICS TANNING TONING Cm EltciroiyiJs YOU KNOW SWEETIE when we get our pizza from Country Lane we get a FREE MOVIE RENTAL of our choice delivered with it 8776767 8772254 MEATS LTD A CUT ABOVE TOP QUALITY MEATS AND FISH GRADE A BEEF AGED TO PERFECTION FEATURES THIS WEEK NY STRIP STEAKS 495 lb Fresh smoked SIDE BACON lb SCHNEIDERS MINCEMEAT 99 lb Whole lb average PORK LOIN cut while y wait 2 lb Some suggestions for Pork Loin boneless chops pork tenderloin back ribs crown roast etc ORDER YOU FRESH TURKEY NOW FOR CHIRSTMAS NOW OPEN SUNDAYS- Tim Crowd Man MILES WEST ON HWY LEFT ON ROAD FOR 9414302 85S4498 Learn to Drive and Survive Young Drivers of Canada SPECIAL DAY CHRISTMAS PROGRAM DEC 26 28 29 pm CHRISTMAS GIFT CERTIFICATES NOW AVAILABLE IF BUSY CALL 3500 GRAQUA TES YOUNG DRIVERS OS of Canada