A Better Way...

How you going young fella?

Not good. Missus problems.My Missus had to go to the hospital.She has a broken arm.

Broken arm! What happened?

She made me wild and I flogged her.I got so angry, I broke her arm.

Will she be alright?

Be a long time to get better. She don’t want me anymore.I gotta get away for a while.

Well young fella, how you gonna fix your problem?

I dunno. She got me so wild.I didn’t know what

I was doing.

It’s not only her broken arm that needs to be fixed. You know what you‘re doing is wrong young fella? So what are you going to do to make it right?

I don’t know...I got nobody.

You can always talk to me young fella, like your doing now.

I lost it and got wild one time, with your old Uncle.I flogged him. A weak old man andI flogged him...my brother.I hurt him real bad andput him in hospital for a long time.

Yeah...I went there.I saw him.

You know why I got wild that time?

No, what for?

I really wanted that smoke.He wouldn’t give it to me.That’s why I hit him.

I got wild and put himin hospital....for one stinking smoke.

Police came. I spent the night in jail. Then I had to go to

court. They said I got an anger problem.

I gotta go do a program to help me think better ways for my

family.

You go do it?

I had to young fella, or they were gonna put me in jail.I had to do that‘Indigenous Family Violent Offending Program’A lotta men were there. Had the same problem like me.

What happened?

We all sat down and talked with them mob that run the program.

One man said he got jealous for his Missus cause he thought she was muckin around.

He got wild and flogged his Missus too.

One man beltedhis friend cause

he didn’t buy him a beer.

Another man fighting all his family cause he lost his money gambling.

You know young fellawhen we were all sitting down,I had to stop and think.What I was doing was wrong.

I put that old man in hospital for that one smoke!

Poor brother, it’s not him.I can’t blame nobody for my anger. It’s me that’s got the problem. I gotta learn how to fix it myself.

Them mob that run the programsat down with us and talked about anger problems.

I never sat down before and think about

what I was doing

....hurting my family.Every time I get angry

I hurt them.

What did they talk about?

About, ‘Family Violence’and all the people we hurt and how we hurt them.

We talked about what makes us angry.How we can turn it around, to stop and think better ways.

I sit down a long time and I think..

I don’t get wild withnight patrol.

I don’t get angry with the police.

I get angry with my family.And I give it to that Old Man. poor fella.

....Just likeme bashing my Missus.

I think to myself...WHY do I do them

stupid things.

Don’t matter how old or what colour

you are.Black fella, White fella,

We all get angry.

But not every mangets angry and takes it

out on his family.

In the program I began to learn how to be true to my family. To be a good strong man.

True to myself.

what makes me angry and wild?

So young fella that’s me..thats my story. Your story sort-a like mine or just a little bit different.

Not everyone has the same story. Some has anger, some has gambling.

Hmmm.. What’s the name of that program again Old Man?

‘The Indigenous Family Violent Offending Program’.

But I’m not going to court like you were.

You don’t have to wait for court. If you think

you’ve got an anger problem.you can go anytime.

You reckon you got a problem?

...Y..e...a...h...

So what now young fella... what you gonna do?

....Give me that paper with that phone number...

No matter what the problem is YOU gotta face it and learn

how to fix it.

Family violence in your home or your community is not OK. Look after your mob. Help break the cycle for your family’s sake. By choosing a better way your kids will grow up strong.

It’s easier to take action when you have support. Go to a support service in your community, call a helpline, talk to a friend or someone in your family you trust. They can help you make the right choice on where to go for help. It’s completely confidential. From there you can make a decision on what to do next.

To see the video of this comic in English, Arrernte, Yolngu Matha and Kriol, and more stories in Aboriginal languages go to www.italklibrary.com

http://www.nt.gov.au/justice/corrservices

You can ring:

Mensline Australia 1300 789 978Police (Emergency) 000Kids helpline 1800 551 800Relationships Australia NT 1300 364 277Anglicare NT (Resolve) 1800 898 500

You can ring Community Corrections at:

Alice Springs 1800 030 334 Katherine 1800 684 873Nhulunbuy 1800 002 887Tennant Creek 1800 688 520Palmerston 1800 002 255Casuarina 1800 006 165