great insightful post Sab. and I agree the education system of the past, when punishment by violence was used against boys frequently taught us that violence was an acceptable release for our frustrations. low self-esteem/confidence was a real problem and the changes to education over the decades has ameliorated some of the affect. certainly the removal of corporal punishment helped enormously but on the downside it also made teaching discipline more difficult and nuanced.
the research that has been done over the last 40 years is extensive. I think you're right that govts do tend to think they already know most of the answers without recourse to research. any 'consultations' with experts and professional researchers the current mob are come up with many recommendations but these seem to be ignored by the pollies.
perpetrators of intimate partner violence aren't all of one or so many types. profiles have been developed but these never capture all potential perpetrators. but how to assess if any single person is of the profile of the worst offenders? how to identify them early enough to warn potential victims? how does a potential victim find out if the person they're in a relationship with might become increasingly violent, coercive, controlling etc?
this coming week will be meetings with experts in this field in parliament. hopefully this govt will prove different to previous mobs and take recommendations sensibly.
