Media Portfolio Collection and Analysis of an Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Issue

This media portfolio analyzes the issue of Indigenous Health and Wellbeing, focusing on the root causes of domestic violence, alcohol abuse, and trauma among Aboriginal communities in Australia and beyond. The analysis draws on various media items to explore the issue and link it to model approaches and current affairs. The article also includes personal reflections on the issue.

Running Head: MEDIA PORTFOLIO ON INDIGENOUS HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Media Portfolio Collection and Analysis of an Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Issue
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MEDIA PORTFOLIO ON INDIGENOUS HEALTH AND WELLBEING 2
Introduction
Indigenous health as an issue is an existing phenomenon that has attracted a lot of
attention from all aspects of life. In this regard, domestic violence as an issue has been focused
as a sensitive topic of discussion. As a factual thing, violence has been the order of the day in
most nations all over the world. When we direct our eyes to Australia, we get to analyze matters
concerning the same. The topic above has raised concern from a number of organizations in the
world therefore making it a topic of discussion. Domestic violence in most regions of Australia is
clearly evident in the aspects of gender, age and color (Atkinson,2013). For instance, research
shows that women are faced by violence regularly. Children on the other hand who are
indigenous desperately lack an adequate home care and system of Education.
This paper therefore seeks to come up with information from the various media items that
enable us connect the incidences of violence with real life situations and other sources, hence
analyzing the major causes occurrences and remedies to domestic violence in Australia and rest
of the world. The target here is to end such inhuman issues like murder cases and racism.
Media item 1-Disadvantage, trauma causing high rates of indigenous family violence.
Thorpe, N. (2018). Disadvantage and intergenerational trauma play a major role in the high rates
of family violence in Indigenous communities. NITV. Retrieved from:
https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/nitv-news/article/2018/02/28/disadvantage-trauma-causing-
high-rates-indigenous-family-violence
Summary and key points outlined
Thorpe (2018) revealed that aboriginal community are predisposed to risk factors
associated with violence such as social stressors, poor housing, financial difficulties and

MEDIA PORTFOLIO ON INDIGENOUS HEALTH AND WELLBEING 3
unemployment. Citing the sources such as Australian Bureau of Statistics data, the report
revealed that Aboriginal women are 32 times likely to be hospitalized because of family violence
as compared to non-aboriginal women. Aboriginal men, on the other hand, are 23 times likely to
be hospitalized compared to non-aboriginal men.
Citing the work of Antoinette Braybrook, Thorpe (2018) revealed that the underlying
causes of such violence include removal of land and cultural dispossession, which resulted in
social, economic, physical and psychological problems for Aboriginals. The article also cited the
need to understand intergenerational trauma.
Links to model approaches, debatable issues and current issues
There is a vast amount of literature that can help us link the violence among the
aboriginal, cultural dispossession and intergenerational trauma. Polish sociologist Peter
Shtompka defined cultural trauma as the consequence of clashes of cultural values of society
with the" alien "and hostile environment that caused dysfunctional changes in social life.In other
words, a cultural trauma can be understood as the pathological transformation of the historical
memory of a group of people caught in the vortex stream of an event with a destructive potential.
Just as space is born out of chaos, world history is constructed from a permanent stream of social
trauma, and this gives reason to believe that, one way or another, their destructive power is not
finite, but, in accordance with the laws of nature, initiates a new round of events , the
consequences of which form the historical consciousness of the descendants of those who were
involved in them. In this regard, can we consider the Kantian concept of antagonism - the
unwholesome sociability of people, as a universal trigger of all benign disasters that fall to the
share of humanity?

MEDIA PORTFOLIO ON INDIGENOUS HEALTH AND WELLBEING 4
The source of intolerance between people is primarily their natural desire to expand the
boundaries of personal freedom, the collision of the borders of freedom provokes conflict, but on
a state scale such a clash provokes a global conflict that neutralizes internal strife according to
the classical scheme of collective solidarity and consolidation against a common enemy
(Calabria, Doran, Vos et al. 2010). Thus, we see that in any historical event, how horrifying and
how deeply traumatic its consequences are, there is also the shadow side - the labyrinth of the
subconscious, from where in the most difficult moments the divine essence of man finds its way
- his desire for creation. (Austin, van den Heuvel & Byard 2011). The way to address such
trauma is not easy. Australian government has attempted but has not succeeded to date because
the government fails to address the root causes. In order to combat the multiple inequalities and
to "close the gap" between the natives and the rest of the population, the former Labor Prime
Minister, Kevin Rudd, had defined in 2008 seven objectives to be achieved in the fields of
education, health and employment. He had set a deadline of 2018 for the majority of them. On
February 12, 2018, Conservative Leader Malcolm Turnbull presented the annual report to assess
progress. Ten years after the implementation of this "Closing the Gap" strategy, none of the goals
has been met and only three are "on track". This clearly suggest that there is problem with the
aboriginal and that the problems has deeper roots that cannot be solved easily unless holistic
measures to address not only current needs but also historical injustices are addressed.
Personal reflection on the issue.
I believe that what the above article presents and the existing models captures the reality
of situations facing the Aboriginal people. I agree that the reason why it is difficult to address the
issue is because government fails to address the root cause of problem (Cutcliffe, 2006).

MEDIA PORTFOLIO ON INDIGENOUS HEALTH AND WELLBEING 5
Government cannot understand how cultural trauma is affecting aboriginal and perhaps they
should adjust their policies and use participatory approaches (Sveticic, Milner & De Leo 2012).
Media item 2-NT police attended domestic violence incidents.
Heaney, C. (2018). NT Police have attended 27,352 alcohol related incidents and 12,192
domestic violence incidents in this year alone. Retrieved from:
https://www.news.com.au/national/northern-territory/nt-police-have-attended-27352-
alcohol-related-incidents-and-12192-domestic-violence-incidents-in-this-year-alone/
news-story/9c50bdda240041955699cf72f343ab14
Key points and summary
The article reports high cases of drug abuse among the aboriginal. Different speakers
included in the article admitted that they are worried about the high rate of alcohol abuse despite
the fact that sale of alcohol is restricted in most days of the week. It can be inferred from the
information from different speakers who contributed to the article that high alcohol intake can
result in displacement effects and this may worsen the situation because most of the teenagers
involved may not have a chance to go to school.
Connection to model approaches and current affairs
Alcohol abuse among Aboriginal is not a new issue (Morgan & Freeman 2009). Several
studies have been conducted on this issue and there are a number of literature to shed light on the
issue of alcohol abuse. Most of the studies agree on the fact that alcohol abuse is just a symptom
of deeply ingrained traumas (Elias, Mignone, Hall et al. 2012). Alcohol abuse is a reflection of
incomplete health. This is clearly evidenced in the study conducted by Whitbeck, Walls, Johnson
et al. (2009). The survey was conducted in four villages located in the west of the northern part

MEDIA PORTFOLIO ON INDIGENOUS HEALTH AND WELLBEING 6
of the United States and in central Canada. Three villages were located in isolation, one village
had a more developed infrastructure (Martin & Brady, 2004). After the analysis, it turned out that
in a number of cases, adolescents even more often than adults thought about the consequences of
a historical trauma (Qi, Tong & Hu 2009). So, daily thought about the loss of land 20, 5% of
adolescents and 12.4% of adults. In general, more than 20% of the adolescents surveyed daily
thought about the loss of land, native language, traditional culture and spirituality, loss of respect
for elders, as well as human losses from alcoholism and premature death. In their content, these
thoughts were very similar to those of adolescents, and their mothers / guardians (Adams,
Halacas, Cincotta et al. 2014).
Personal Reflection
I believe that alcohol abuse is just but a symptom of underlying trauma causes by
historical injustices such as stolen generation. First People have gone through numerous
challenges, which has completely destroyed their identity, cultures and sense of belonging and
hence youth and teenagers opt for alcohol abuse as a way of easing stress associated with lack of
identity. First People had strong culture. Before the disaster of stolen generation, Aboriginals
parents could guide their children and show them how to live. The stolen generation destabilized
everything making it hard for young generation to have good bearing about life and hence they
engage in alcohol as a way of hiding their pains (Pridmore & Fujiyama 2009).
Media item 3-Domestic violence prevention brings together indigenous men and women in
outback community.

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Tomevska, S. (2018). Domestic violence prevention brings together Indigenous men and women
in outback community. ABC News. Retrieved from: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-
07-15/wilcannia-men-and-women-work-together-to-stop-domestic-violence/9985388
Key issues and Summary
The article revealed one of the most interesting idea related to the violence among the
Aboriginal people in Australia. According to Tomevska (2018), issues such as gambling or drug
and alcohol abuse are just coping strategies developed by men as a way of filling their
inadequacies. Tomevska (2018) reveals that men who feel that they cannot provide for their
families often opt for other short cuts such as alcohol and drug abuse and violence. The article
reveals that cases of violence is higher in regional and remote centres.
Links to model approaches and current issues
Two things clearly emerge from the article above. Firstly, it is clear that the issue of
violence is just a coping strategy for men to cover up their inadequacies. Many literature support
this point (Pridmore & Fujiyama 2009). Farrelly & Francis (2009) revealed that the cultural and
historical traumas themselves do not possess an irreversibly crippling property, the natural
striving for a happy healthy life is the best medicine, and the real threat lies in human inability
or, worse, the unwillingness to disregard the terrible facts past, which autonomously could not
affect the present and the future, but, penetrating into the historical consciousness of people, they
worsen the quality of their life. Only freedom of choice, oriented to the future without the
invisible presence of mistakes of the past, can help to overcome the consequences of injuries,
while historical hypochondria nullifies life itself (De Leo, Milner, Sveticic, 2012). Many inmates
of boarding schools making up the stolen generation carried the traumatic experience gained in
childhood, for decades. They never discussed the issues of past humiliation and kept their pain

MEDIA PORTFOLIO ON INDIGENOUS HEALTH AND WELLBEING 8
inside. Many of them have not been able to receive the necessary help in a timely manner, and
many will never be able to recover. Most of the inmates turned to alcohol as a means of salvation
(Sveticic, Milner & De Leo 2012). Soole R. et al. the cases of completed suicides among
adolescents 10-14 years old, which occurred in the state of Queensland for the period 2000-2010,
were analyzed. For a given period of time, 45 cases of suicide were registered, of which 21
suicides were committed by indigenous adolescents, 24 - non-indigenous. After the
standardization of indicators, the level of suicide among indigenous adolescents was 12.6 times
higher than among non-indigenous (10.15 and 0.8 per 100 thousand, respectively). Most of the
indigenous adolescents lived apart from the family, in remote areas and more often consumed
alcohol (Soole, Kolves & De Leo, 2014). This clearly reflects what the article identified for this
study talks about (Soole, Kolves & De Leo 2014).
Personal Reflection
I agree with the fact that aboriginal men feel inadequate and opt for violence and drug
abuse as a way of “solving” their problems. The current generation of aboriginal do not have
firm foundations. Most of them are part of the children who had been separated from their
parents. I can imagine how it is not to be with your parent who can teach you the cultures and
ways of life. Such people have very unstable background and that is why they are engaging in
violence and drug abuse (Hernández, Ruano, Marchal, San Sebastián, & Flores, 2017). This loss
has disrupted the transfer of traditional experience and knowledge to succeeding generations.
Stolen generation significantly hinder the ability of the First People to assimilate and learn more
about the health care services. It causes a cultural trauma, which is the underlying causes of
violence and drug abuse (Derek Cheung, Spittal, Williamson et al. 2014).

MEDIA PORTFOLIO ON INDIGENOUS HEALTH AND WELLBEING 9
Media item 4-NACCHO Aboriginal Woman's Health. Silence over aboriginal violence
condones it.
NACCHO (2018). NACCHO Aboriginal Woman’s Health: Silence over Aboriginal violence
condones it. Retrieved from: https://nacchocommunique.com/2016/10/03/naccho-
aboriginal-womans-health-silence-over-aboriginal-violence-condones-it/
Key points and summary
The article reveals how aboriginal women are facing a lot of violence. To make the
matter worst, the article reveals that women who are assaulted do not report the matter to the
police. It also reveals how the children are neglected and that the attempt to address issue is
hindered by poor leadership. That is why the article asserts that indigenous people, progressives,
feminists and the media don’t want to talk about indigenous abuse. Commenting on the issue,
Bess Nungarrayi revealed that when communities protect abusers they are complicit in abuse.
Generally, the article focusses on structural obstacles towards the rights of the aboriginal women.
Links to model approaches and debatable issues
The case highlighted in the article is one of the current issues being debated not only in
Australia but also in the international platforms. For example, recent, the United Nations
criticized the Australian authorities, accusing them of not being able to protect the indigenous
population, especially women, from violence by the white majority of the country, which is
getting worse due to economic inequality. Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders are at the
bottom of the economic and social scale in Australia. "Indigenous women are 34 percent more
likely to be hospitalized as a result of domestic violence, and they are up to 3.7 times more likely
to be victims of sexual violence," Dubravka Simonovic, special rapporteur for the UN on

MEDIA PORTFOLIO ON INDIGENOUS HEALTH AND WELLBEING 10
violence against women. The UN criticizes Australia for not protecting Aboriginal women from
violence and discrimination (Soole, Kolves & De Leo 2014). Simonovic has explained that in
most cases, Aboriginal women are caught in a cycle of violence, which begins in childhood.
Indigenous children in Australia are seven times more likely to be victims of abuse or lack of
care by their guardians than white children. On the other hand, they are up to 10 times more
likely to spend for some time for social services.
Due to the harshness of their childhood, a disproportionate number of indigenous women
are imprisoned during their adult life, a figure that increases dramatically due to government
policies. The controversy over discrimination suffered by indigenous women in Australia was
placed in the crosshairs of the country in 2014 after the death of a woman, known only by her
last name, Dhu, while she was in police custody
Personal reflection on the media item
In my view, indigenous women should break the silence and raise their issues. Media
should be fair enough in addressing issues that face different women. Women in prison should
also be fairly treated. I believe that aboriginal women carry a lot of burden because they are the
victims of the circumstances and hence they need to be assisted. The responsible parties such as
the feminists should walk their talk.
Conclusion
In conclusion, domestic violence as an indigenous health issue affecting aboriginal
people is one of the deeply entrenched problem that requires concerted efforts of different
players including the aboriginal representative. There is need to adopt holistic and participatory
approach so as to identify and solve the root causes of the problem. The media items discussed

MEDIA PORTFOLIO ON INDIGENOUS HEALTH AND WELLBEING 11
have shown the various causes of domestic violence and impacts. The remedies and prevention
measures are also there for implementation. Community based organizations and governments
should come together to advocate for human rights to ensure equality in service provision.
Hence, eradicating domestic violence as a great enemy to development.

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MEDIA PORTFOLIO ON INDIGENOUS HEALTH AND WELLBEING 13
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MEDIA PORTFOLIO ON INDIGENOUS HEALTH AND WELLBEING 14
Heaney, C. (2018). NT Police have attended 27,352 alcohol related incidents and 12,192
domestic violence incidents in this year alone. Retrieved from:
https://www.news.com.au/national/northern-territory/nt-police-have-attended-27352-
alcohol-related-incidents-and-12192-domestic-violence-incidents-in-this-year-alone/
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MEDIA PORTFOLIO ON INDIGENOUS HEALTH AND WELLBEING 15
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of family violence in Indigenous communities. NITV. Retrieved from:
https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/nitv-news/article/2018/02/28/disadvantage-trauma-causing-
high-rates-indigenous-family-violence
Tomevska, S. (2018). Domestic violence prevention brings together Indigenous men and women
in outback community. ABC News. Retrieved from: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-
07-15/wilcannia-men-and-women-work-together-to-stop-domestic-violence/9985388

MEDIA PORTFOLIO ON INDIGENOUS HEALTH AND WELLBEING 16