Social Services Minister Melanie Griffin said Bahamians cannot continue to \u201cbury their heads in the sand\u201d when it comes to reporting domestic violence as the country\u2019s crime problems will not be solved until the problem of domestic violence is solved.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo put it bluntly, many of the young males paraded before the courts today charged with violent crimes and many of the young girls committed for uncontrollable behaviour were themselves likely victims of some type of abuse,\u201d Mrs. Griffin said recently.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the years we have hurt ourselves by ignoring the problem, because studies show that unchecked domestic violence not only escalates, but manifests itself in many other different ways.\u201d<\/p>\n
Addressing the premiere of the docudrama \u201cGet Out\u201d at the New Providence Community Centre, Blake Road, on Saturday, Minister Griffin said studies by the Bahamas Crisis Centre have shown that children who are abused, are desensitised to violence, more likely to carry weapons to school or social events, and more likely to carry weapons regularly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe stark reality is that our crime problem will not be solved if we do not solve the problem of domestic violence,\u201d Mrs. Griffin added.<\/p>\n