Violence in a Box

By: Helen Austin

Narrated by: Sumara Meers

Helen grew up in a house not much bigger than a box, which had domestic violence oozing from every corner. The source of this violence was her father, Jack, and she was powerless to escape to escape or change her situation. Violence in a Box invites you to step into Helen's childhood world and experience life with a father who instils fear and terror, everyday, into the lives of his wife and children. Fifty years ago, doctors understood the behavior of men like Jack as "violent, temporary therapy", outbursts that "served to release him from momentarily from his anxiety"...In Australia today, women and children are being murdered by intimate family members at an inexcusable rate. One murder is too many, bit up to two women a week is an epidemic - a public crisis that deserves our urgent intervention. As a practicing social worker for 30 years, Helen's story is interwoven with a professional analysis of the historical and cultural context that has enabled domestic violence. Helen offers practical tips and resources for both victims and witnesses.

©2017 Helen Townsend (P)2019 Helen Townsend