CONSULTANT obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Michael Abrahams believes that special focus should be placed on children’s socialisation, especially that of young males who fail to understand the idea of consent.

“Our kids need to understand respect, consent and boundaries. So many young men in our society believe that if I like you and I invite you to my house, and you come, it’s consent for sex,” Dr Abrahams said while speaking at the American Chamber of Commerce of Jamaica meeting to address gender-based violence under the theme ‘The new pandemic – a clear and present danger’, last Thursday.

“And if I like you and you know [that] I like you, and I invite you out and I buy you food, it means consent for sex. Some men, literally, do not understand what consent is,” he insisted.

Dr Abrahams explained that the way children are socialised can lead to issues of gender-based violence.

“We have to catch the kids from they are young. We have to look at certain cultural norms and address them. Just because it is a part of our culture doesn’t mean it is good and should be perpetuated,” he insisted.

“We need to look at what they are exposed to that would lead them to be abusive in relationships or make them vulnerable to end up with an abusive partner,” the obstetrician and gynaecologist added.

According to Dr Abrahams, when children have negative encounters it contributes to their poor mental and emotional development.

“It’s going to come out in some way. It’s going to affect them internally or they are going to hit out. That is where a lot of it [gender-based violence] comes from, what kids are exposed to, and that tends to be generational,” he said.

Pointing out that gender-based violence occurs at all levels of society, Dr Abrahams stressed that there is scant regard in relation to addressing the issue.

“The reality is that in our country, we really don’t take gender-based violence seriously. For decades I’ve been hearing that we are going to build more shelters for survivors of abuse in all 14 parishes. It’s a very serious problem that very little seems to be done about,” said Dr Abrahams.

— Brittny Hutchinson