30 DAY CINEPHILE CHALLENGE: DAY 14

Day 14: Favourite filmmaker of all time from Oceania – Stefan Popescu (Australia). He made some intense psychological experimental short films. My most favorite one is MUSPILLI (2004), which is very haunting. I still haven't had a chance to see his feature films, though.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/30-Day-Cinephile-Challenge/184987868220596#wall
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHPOmQhp5Yw
http://vimeo.com/12885079

Surreal Human Sculptures - Andrew Baines

Suited volunteers in bowler hats stand in the surf holding umbrellas aloft at sunrise at Bondi Beach on June 27, 2010 in Sydney, Australia. The human installation is the latest in a series of 'surreal human sculptures' by artist Andrew Baines, which included businessmen reading newspapers in the surf of Manly Beach in Sydney, and the West Australian Symphony Orchestra playing in the surf at Cottesloe, Western Australia.

Photograph and information from Education Image Gallery via Athens Portal.
Acknowledgement: Surrealist Artist Installation Staged At Bondi Beach © Getty Images.
Persistent URL: http://edina.ac.uk/purl/eig2/getty_stills.102447643.jpg

In OZ ~ Mums lead abuse shame

This will get the anonymummies in OZ in a snit and a knot. They spout they, as maternalists, (i.e. victim feminists with children) are the right parent for children but the OZ data is consistent with most every where else in western democracies. Single moms alone or in partnership with their boyfriends/new male partners are the worst abusers and killers of children. These maternalists rail against male abusers but they operate hate sites and slime their critics. Last time I checked that was abuse. Go figure at the hypocrisy and double standards. MJM









Sunday Herald Sun


(Melbourne)
13 September 2009, Page 35


By Laurie Nowell

Child abuse is rising dramatically in Australia, according to the first
in-depth study to be released on the issue in a decade.

Data shows cases of abuse against children rose more than 50 per cent
between 2006 and 2008.

In the 37 per cent of cases in which a parent was the perpetrator, mothers
were responsible for 73 per cent of abuse cases while fathers were the
cause of 27 per cent.

The data, the first of its kind to emerge since 1996 and obtained under
Freedom of Information (FoI) laws, was compiled by the Western Australia
Department of Child Protection.

The figures present a disturbing snapshot of soaring child abuse and its
perpetrators. Experts say the data can accurately be applied across Australia.

Applications under FoI for similar data from all other states were refused.

The statistics come as the Federal Government has signalled it may roll
back the "shared parenting" amendments to the Family Law Act, brought in
under the Howard government to give fathers greater access to their
children in custody battles.

The data shows fathers are most responsible for sex abuse against children
- accounting for more than 85 per cent of cases.

But mothers carry out more than 65 per cent of cases of emotional and
psychological abuse and about 53 per cent of physical abuse. They are also
responsible for about 93 per cent of cases of neglect.

There were 1,505 cases of abuse of children in WA in 2007-08 - 427 of them
were carried out by mothers and 155 by fathers.

In other cases in which the gender of the perpetrator was determined, 463
cases were carried out by women and 353 by men.

A comparison with 2005-06 data shows the number of total cases of abuse had
risen more than 50 per cent from 960. In 2005-06, mothers carried out 312
acts of abuse and fathers 165.

University of Western Sydney lecturer Micheal Woods said the findings
"undermined the myth that fathers were the major risk factor for their
children's wellbeing".

"While there are some abusive fathers, there are in fact a larger
proportion of violent and abusive mothers," Mr Woods said.

In Western OZ ~ Dads not the Demons

Author: Micheal Woods

20 July 2009

Recent data from the Department of Child Protection in Western Australia (WA) has debunked a common misconception about fathers and violence. The data shows that natural mothers are far more likely to abuse children than their natural fathers, other than in sexual abuse, where mothers were responsible for only 13% of cases.

The past practice of lumping together de factos, live-in boyfriends and overnight male guests together with fathers as "male carers" has led to skewed beliefs about who abuses children. In releasing these recent figures that identify natural fathers separately, the DCP has provided a clearer picture of who is likely to abuse children.

The figures - obtained under Freedom of Information provisions - provide a clearer picture of who is likely to abuse children in families. The data show that there were 1505 substantiations of child abuse in WA during 2007-8.

Natural parents were responsible for 37% of total cases. Of these, mothers are identified as the perpetrator of neglect or abuse in 73% of cases, including over 50% of cases of physical abuse. The accompanying graph shows the breakdown of parents responsible for each form of abuse.


Chart: Child Abuse - Proportion of Mothers or Fathers as Perpetrators by Type of Abuse

Micheal Woods, an academic from the University of Western Sydney, said:

"The data is not surprising - it is in line with international findings regarding perpetrators of child abuse. And the figures do undermine the myth that fathers are the major risk for their children's well-being".

The release of this data is timely, and shows the need for solid evidence in developing legislation and policies affecting families. Recently, some radical groups have attacked the Family Court for its role in encouraging shared parenting after separation, claiming that this placed children at risk from violent fathers. Selected instances where fathers have harmed children were used to suggest that this is a common occurrence, and that shared parenting legislation placed children at increased risk.

However, this newly available information demonstrates that while there are some abusive fathers, there are in fact a larger proportion of violent and abusive mothers. This should not mean that children are automatically placed into the care of fathers to reduce risks of abuse, but rather that unrepresentative anecdotes of violent fathers should not influence legislation and policies designed to protect children.

The difficult task faced by the Family Court in trying to ensure the best interests of children should not be compounded by irrational fear mongering, but rather by a considered examination of the evidence. Shared parenting may be inconvenient for one parent, or even unwanted, but with changing social roles many more men after separation want to be actively involved in their children's lives. And in the vast majority of cases, their children will be very safe in their care.

http://www.familylawwebguide.com.au/news/pg/news/view/700/index.php&filter=

Related Article: 'More reports of WA mothers mistreating children'

Please also read the related article published on the weekend in PerthNow:

More reports of WA mothers mistreating children, by Nick Taylor