Domestic violence public information film.

political analyst

I know that the people who appear in the public information film (that's the correct term - it's not a commercial) that is played in commercial breaks on Irish television channels and in the cinema in which a young woman who has been babysitting hears her older sister being beaten by the partner on the baby monitor and then turns the volume down, are actors.

However, I find it hard to believe that, if such an incident with the same exact details took place in real life, the little sister would not intervene. Could she not grab a knife and use it to threaten the partner in order to stop the attack on her sister? If she doesn't intervene and her sister is killed then she would be guilty of failing to prevent her sister's death.

The King of Moo

Ideally we'd all react heroically in dangerous situations.

But the reality is that fear is paralyzing and we don't always react as we'd like to in dangerous situations, especially when our own lives or safety are at risk.

andekwarhola

Yeah, it's really incumbent on a girl to go up and threaten her older sister's fella with a knife in such a situation.

SEPT 23 1989

or maybe a pair of scissors?

degsie

But they're only actors and probably know each other quite well, why would one of them physically hurt the other in an acted scene?

retro:electro

Oh lord here we go

tigger123

I think they're trying to get a clear message across in a very short period of time. Its not meant to be taken completely literally.

MRnotlob606

To be honest I don't think a person who punches women when he's angry is deterred by one yielding a knife. These sick people would not hold back.

political analyst

degsie wrote: »

But they're only actors and probably know each other quite well, why would one of them physically hurt the other in an acted scene?

Did you miss this part of the OP?

...if such an incident with the same exact details took place in real life...

political analyst

MRnotlob606 wrote: »

To be honest I don't think a person who punches women when he's angry is deterred by one yielding a knife. These sick people would not hold back.

The threat of being stabbed in self-defence might put the frighteners on them.

The King of Moo

If they did have her grab a knife, wouldn't they therefore be advocating using violence as a solution to violence, which would be wildly irresponsible?

political analyst

The King of Moo wrote: »

If they did have her grab a knife, wouldn't they therefore be advocating using violence as a solution to violence, which would be wildly irresponsible?

Defence of oneself and others is justified in law.

The King of Moo

political analyst wrote: »

Defence of oneself and others is justified in law.

And very hard to do without injuring yourself.

Do you honestly expect a public information film to endorse using a knife against a violent person who's bigger and stronger than you?

degsie

political analyst wrote: »

Did you miss this part of the OP?

Nope

political analyst

The King of Moo wrote: »

And very hard to do without injuring yourself.

Do you honestly expect a public information film to endorse using a knife against a violent person who's bigger and stronger than you?

The violent person who is stabbed would still be incapacitated by it and so his injuries would be more serious.

Answer to question: No. But something has to be done. The beating itself could lead to her big sister's death - whether by blunt-force trauma, breaking the neck or causing a blood clot on the brain.

The King of Moo

political analyst wrote: »

The violent person who is stabbed would still be incapacitated by it and so his injuries would be more serious.

Answer to question: No. But something has to be done. The beating itself could lead to her big sister's death - whether by blunt-force trauma, breaking the neck or causing a blood clot on the brain.

And that would be the safest thing to do, which would be to call the police or raise the alarm in some way.

An attack with a knife could incapacitate the abuser, or it could lead to the two women dead, or even all three. Which is why the makers of the film would never show the woman grabbing a knife, because they don't want people to try that.

biko

Guns for everyone!

The Specialist

The question is "what would you do?", but from experience I wouldn't even bother getting involved. The last "lovers tiff" I intervened in ended up with her scumbag boyfriend getting laid out, and then her as well after she smacked me with a stiletto across the head. Couldn't care less after that, handle your own **** or don't.

arayess

..the scissor sisters didn't fare to well knifing an abuser.


so OP no...

Didas

The Specialist wrote: »

The question is "what would you do?", but from experience I wouldn't even bother getting involved. The last "lovers tiff" I intervened in ended up with her scumbag boyfriend getting laid out, and then her as well after she smacked me with a stiletto across the head. Couldn't care less after that, handle your own **** or don't.

This ad is more about abuse at home, rather than drunken couples fighting in the street.

The Specialist

tonygun wrote: »

This ad is more about abuse at home, rather than drunken couples fighting in the street.

Same thing in my eyes, if they can act like that in public it's certainly going on behind closed doors as well

political analyst

arayess wrote: »

..the scissor sisters didn't fare to well knifing an abuser.


so OP no...

Farah Swaleh Noor didn't pose a threat to anyone's life. The Scissor Sisters decided to kill him in advance.

arayess

political analyst wrote: »

Farah Swaleh Noor didn't pose a threat to anyone's life. The Scissor Sisters decided to kill him in advance.

I never said he posed a threat to their lives but the fact he beat the mother regularly and the girls on that night was never disputed so I suggest you are wrong.

Guy Sajer

I think that ad was in bad taste. What can the babysitter do? The guards won't act if it's not the victim making a complaint.
The ad essentially blames the witness for the violence "you leave another victim behind". Who funds these ads?

SEPT 23 1989

arayess wrote: »

..the scissor sisters didn't fare to well knifing an abuser.


so OP no...

Well if you are flying out of your tree wandering around with a human head in a bag in a park in Tallaght it's hardly the perfect crime

political analyst

Guy Sajer wrote: »

I think that ad was in bad taste. What can the babysitter do? The guards won't act if it's not the victim making a complaint.
The ad essentially blames the witness for the violence "you leave another victim behind". Who funds these ads?

She isn't just any babysitter - she's the victim's sister (the word "sis" is used in the conversation between the two women).

Considering that there is a child involved, social workers should, in such cases in real life, use a "tough love" approach - "Have your partner arrested. If you won't do it for yourself then do it for your children".

By the way, it's not an ad; it's a public information film.