I do believe however, that poverty exacerbates problems that are there already and allows them to run riot.
This, I agree with. There's obviously a lot more to it, but as things currently stand in this country, it is a fair thing to say.
I don't think anyone is saying that poverty is the cause of DV, any more than it's the cause of (say) alcoholism.
This, I don't. No one in this thread is advocating for it, sure, but the spark for this particular topic contained this gem:
Its clear. Welfare traps create the conditions for domestic violence.
Unless I'm misreading this, she said it. It's complete rubbish.
Abusers are taking out their frustrations in an unacceptable manner. While there are numerous possible sources of frustration, I will admit that poverty can be a constant source of frustration. Even so, I highly doubt that if you take someone who isn't prone to bouts of misdirected anger or rage and put them into those conditions that they are likely to change into someone who is, just as much as I doubt that the reverse would be true.
I'll mention one thing from personal experience that I feel is applicable here. It may seem off-track, but please stick with me. As you likely know, I have ADHD and was diagnosed when I was age four. One aspect of this disorder is a low frustration tolerance. Another is an inability to regulate emotion. Just these two aspects (ignoring numerous others) combined can give rise to more frequent bouts of anger and rage, often misdirected. Poor financial management skills, future planning skills and others all combine to cause problems in life and can easily create an environment where domestic violence or some kind of abuse could occur, depending on the severity.
ADHD is hereditary and if the gene is present in one parent, the chance one of their children inherits it is around 50%. Even without the genes present, consumption of cigarettes, alcohol, and some drugs can increase the chances of inflicting this disorder on the children. With smoking, drinking and taking drugs being more prevalent in lower income areas, these can give rise to a higher percentage of ADHD sufferers than the average of around 4%. Couple this with the high cost of health care, especially mental health like this, and you've got a larger number of sufferers of a very disruptive disorder that is easy treatable with the correct medication (if not preventable in the non-genetic cases).
I know 4% of the population isn't large, but it isn't exactly small either. I also know that ADHD sufferers aren't exclusive offenders of domestic violence or abuse, but they do make up a statistically relevant portion of the prison population. Untreated ADHD, especially in the wrong environment, can bring about conduct disorder which can also result in sociopathy.
My point is that even using this small example, the problem isn't poverty itself, but the cost of healthcare which is beyond the means of those that could benefit most. This is but one that I know, understand and have personally experienced to one step shy of it being as bad as it gets. It makes me wonder, how many other little things are there that make up the larger picture? I wasn't, nor am I an abuser, but I could have just as easily ended up that way.
Miranda almost got onto a worthwhile commentary and then she lost it. Again, thought and empathy being required. The aim of the thing she was railing against is to reduce violence against women
and children, isn't it?
I know this isn't the thread for sharing, but I did a little bit above, so feel free to skip ahead if you like (you've done well if you're read this far). My mother was not financially strained at all, but having an ADHD child was a constant source of frustration for her. Even though I was diagnosed early, the knowledge and medication just wasn't there then like it is now (and it's still quite lacking). Guess who the frustration was taken out on. As far back as my memories go, there was physical, verbal, and emotional abuse. By both her and one of her long term partners, which continued until a year or two into high school.
Awareness of the issue makes a huge difference, no matter how many people say it's a waste of time. I'm sure it won't be hard for anyone to guess how many people (read: adults/teachers) asked me why I was wearing a tracksuit for a couple of weeks in the middle of summer in forth grade. None. No one asked. Of course, I wouldn't have told them because my mum asked me not to, after she covered me in welts and bruises and I had to take the next day off school because I could barely move without pain. Maybe they knew, I don't know. I would like to know where Castle Hill and a beachside suburb on the Central Coast fall in Miranda's statistics, because I didn't live in a welfare trap and the conditions were perfect.
Sorry if my over-sharing here was a bit much. Please don't read it as me being upset or annoyed at any comments here, I'm not at all. AusGAF would normally be where I'd post this, but the political talk that sparked it was here. Anyway, to steer the topic a little back on track, here's a pic of Malcolm talking about his latest fishing trip (or telling a dick joke):
_/¯