Help and Shelter does counsel men

Guyana Chronicle – April 30, 2007

The Editorial in Guyana Chronicle “We need a Help and Shelter for men” of Saturday 28 April calls for counselling services for abusive men, especially in the light of the reported suicides of two men who were being sought for brutal attacks on women they had been in relationships with.

Help & Shelter is surprised that writer of the editorial did not bother to check with any of the agencies named to see whether they do offer counselling services to men, including abusive men. Help & Shelter’s counselling services are also available to men, and our statistics available from our website at http://www.sdnp.org.gy/hands will indicate that there are male clients.

The first step towards making changes to patterns and types of abuse is recognising and accepting responsibility that the individual involved is an abuser. Without this crucial first step the abuser will continue to shift blame onto the victim, circumstances etc.

Therefore, our interventions with abusive and violent men have to ensure that there is respect for the safety of the women and children involved. Our counselling interventions with abusive men also insist that the support for the change in an abuser’s behaviour is not conditional on his partner remaining in the relationship and exposing herself to further risk of injury and abuse.

Help & Shelter strongly condemns any approach which suggests that ‘provocation’ is an excuse for any kind of violent behaviour and believes that all violent and abusive actions should receive the full consequences according to the law.

There is an urgent need for specialised rehabilitative services for abusers, especially outside of Georgetown. Any person willing to change their abusive behaviour is welcome to come to Help & Shelter.

Members of Help & Shelter
(contact Danuta Radzik and Vidyaratha Kissoon)