The Gladstone Observer’s report on a 21 year old man’s conviction for contravening a domestic violence order is a shining example of how NOT to report domestic violence.
Violence is a choice made only by the person who commits it. Putting the victim’s actions in the headline makes her responsible for his choices – and she isn’t.
He didn’t just “shower her in glass”, he was standing outside her home after she had asked him to leave. He was screaming and banging on a window, demanding she let him in. When she quite understandably refused he smashed the window, injuring her. Her child was in the house and she suffered further injuries trying to protect her child from the broken glass. It would have been a terrifying experience for both the woman and the child so starting the first line of the article bemoaning the “future still ahead of him” is a bizarre and repellent take on a dangerous event.
Making excuses for violent offenders, minimising their crimes, expressing implicit sympathy for the consequences of their choices and blaming the victims. This is pretty much a litany of the things no responsible publication should do in reporting domestic violence.
FixedIt is an ongoing project to push back against the media’s constant erasure of violent men and blaming of innocent victims. If you would like to help fund it – even $5 a month makes a big difference – please consider becoming a Patron
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