Community more open when dealing with abuse

SUZANNE BELLING

Johannesburg rebbetzens recently attended a Kidsafe workshop, presented by Hilda O’Callaghan “to create a common language about safety throughout our community,” according to Robyn Goldstein, social worker and founder of Kidsafe SA.

Psychologist Pinchas Shiel, who works with Chabad’s Addiction and Rehibilitation Centre, attributes those inflicting abuse on spouses or children as being “inadequate, having been abused in childhood and having a lot of psychological extras. Something in them is broken. Men often have narcissistic traits which are manifest in diminishing their wives.” 

He praised the work of People Against Women Abuse (POWA) although this was not specifically Jewish.

Rhita Russon a field social worker at Jewish Community Services in Cape Town, said her organisation, in association with the Cape Jewish Board of Deputies, embarked on a gender-based campaign against violence after the rape and murder of young Anene Booysen in Bredasdorp in the Western Cape. “The campaign was to create awareness that gender-based and domestic violence are rife.”

Russon said in their research of around 400 people, they found physical, emotional, financial and spiritual abuse in 10 per cent of cases in the survey.

“We found child neglect, as opposed to abuse. This was where women themselves were abused and children were indirect victims.” Russon confirmed that abuse was rife in the Jewish community.

Jacqui Chesler, senior social worker and co-ordinator of abuse services at the Johannesburg Jewish Helping Hand and Burial Society (Chevrah Kadisha), said the Jewish community’s statistics for abuse were in line proportionately with other communities. “There are many cases of domestic abuse and violence. We deal with child abuse, all physical abuse, sexual abuse and neglect.”

The Chev does have the statutory powers to remove an abused child “but we only do this as a last resort if it is a matter of life or death. Then they can be removed immediately.”

Chesler says the Chevrah Kadisha, when dealing with domestic violence, puts safety of the family paramount when it comes to making a decision, after looking at all the options.

“There is domestic violence across the country in all sections of the community and now there is more awareness of the problem.”

Previously, Jewish people found it difficult to come forward and Jewish wives tended to remain in situations of physical, sexual, spiritual, financial and emotional abuse longer than their gentile counterparts, Chesler told the Jewish Report.