“My mum was a nasty lady but sometimes she was right, since she beat the child when the child didn't go to school.”Another peacebuilder reflected on how childhood experiences of family conflict (both how the parents treated each other and the children) strengthened her own resolve to build a healthier family of her own.
“They didn’t care how we felt as children. Never will I behave that way towards my children. I will do my best to protect them.”Peacebuilders also referred to common cultural attitudes toward violence toward women regarding use of “bad words,” as well as potential violence within sexual relationships within marriage, a problem one case encountered in work interactions.
“Sexual relationship becomes a more serious problem for some couples, as I understood so far from my work experiences. This case frequently led to divorce or using violence in family.”Focus group discussions added that “Society accepts yelling at and scolding your wife” and that intimidation and shame are often acceptable in the family context. They also discussed their perception that there is currently a society-wide discussion about whether physical punishment (e.g., spanking) used as a form of discipline should be considered violent.
It should also be noted that, as peacebuilders by conviction and profession, the cases all had deeply held values of peace and nonviolence.
