Counselling psychologist Dr Keshawna Salmon-Ferguson asserts that reaching a world free from gender-based violence (GBV) is inconceivable with out addressing males’s psychological well being and their position within the cycle of abuse.
She mentioned that many instances of GBV stem from deep-seated emotional wounds, childhood trauma, and unaddressed ache that males carry into maturity. Social norms typically discourage males from expressing vulnerability, resulting in emotional detachment, anger, and, in some instances, violent behaviour.
“When males are given the assist to course of their feelings and heal, they turn into allies moderately than enablers of violence. A dedication to emotional well-being permits males to interact in relationships constructed on belief, respect, and accountability,” mentioned Salmon-Ferguson. She highlighted three important methods males may help break the cycle of GBV, particularly: therapeutic previous trauma; encouraging males to hunt remedy and emotional assist; and establishing programmes and boards the place males can overtly talk about feelings, psychological well being struggles, and wholesome relationships.
4 in 10 ladies in Jamaica expertise some type of intimate companion violence. Circle of Care Jamaica, a non-profit organisation, is dedicated to offering holistic assist for GBV survivors. Founder and CEO Alicia Bowen-McCulksie mentioned the entity has empowered, inspired, and impressed survivors to interrupt their silence and search assist.
“We goal to attach victims with the sources they should heal and rebuild,” she mentioned. Survivors achieve entry to important providers, together with counselling and psychological well being assist to handle trauma and rebuild vanity. Financial empowerment programmes equip them with expertise coaching, whereas info, sources, and care packages help them of their therapeutic journey. These efforts foster a way of hope, resilience, and renewal, providing survivors a pathway to independence and self-sufficiency. At its core, love needs to be a basis of mutual respect, assist, and progress. But, for a lot of survivors of GBV, love has been distorted by cycles of management, concern, and ache.
“Relationships require effort, however fixed emotional misery and concern are usually not indicators of love–they are indicators of dysfunction,” mentioned Salmon-Ferguson. “Real love ought to construct, not break.”
