Violence preventable problem: Ambi

 By LUKE KAMA 

VIOLENCE is a very preventable problem which can be eliminated if people understand various forms of it, Dr Uma Ambi says.

“We have these fancy way of saying ‘violence against women’ or ‘violence against youths’ or ‘violence against children’, but what is it,” she said.

“It’s the intentional use of physical force or power against oneself or another person or against a group that has a high likelihood of resulting in injury or death or physiological harm.

“Therefore, we need to sit back and think because human cost of grief and pain is immeasurable and cannot be calculated.

“It is very important that we understand what violence is.

“Some are visible and some are invisible and the cost associated with the grief and pain cannot be measured. 

“So we need to do more to advocate and educate our people to respect themselves, their loved ones and others.”

She said providing more education and awareness and advocating people about the types of violence was important in eliminating violence. Sometimes violence is self-directed.

“We sit down and direct violence to ourselves and that’s when people become deeply depressed and suppressed and sometimes leads to injuries, suicide and death –  directing all the problems they have towards themselves and that is self-directed violence,” Ambi said.

“The second one is called the inter-personal violence and that is the prominent one that everyone knows –  violence between two different people like husband and wife (domestic violence), family violence between partners.

“Sometimes a woman can abuse a man or a man can abuse a woman or both.”