[Swprograms] BBCWS Wed Programme Previews, from week of Nov 9

[Glenn Hauser <wghauser@xxxxxxxxx>]

VIOLENCE BEGINS AT HOME

According to the World Health Organisation 40% to 70% of women murdered are
killed by a partner or other family member. Children are extremely vulnerable
and youngsters who witness parental abuse and violence face an increased risk
of becoming violent.

Sheena McDonald goes behind closed doors to investigate the violence that takes
place within the family and examines why it remains a largely hidden problem,
often left to the families themselves to restore.

Victims of domestic violence describe how abuse causes them to lose their
self-esteem and affects their ability to take control of their lives on
Wednesday 9 November. Florence Musibika was seriously injured when her husband
tried to kill her to gain ownership of a piece of land they had bought together
in Uganda. 

Londoner, Lesley, who liked to think of herself as a liberated woman, suffered
eight years of abuse at the hands of her partner before she left the
relationship, and Javinder, an Asian woman who now works for the woman`s
charity Refuge, was disowned by her family when she refused to marry the man
they had chosen for her.

Sheena investigates the mentality of the abuser on Wednesday 16 November and
asks if it is possible for them to change their behaviour. Carson, who abused
his wife for many years, has just completed a course with Emerge, a Boston,
Massachusetts based organisation that works with abusers. She also talks to
members of the Association of Men against Violence (AMAV) in Nicaragua, where
after years of civil war its people have become accustomed to violence who work
with abusers to teach them trust and respect.

On Wednesday 23 November Sheena investigates the Latin America concept of
machismo, an emphasis on masculinity and the associated belief that maleness
confers privilege. She asks if the clear separation of gender roles here, with
men regarded as the money earners and women expected to run the home, has an
effect on domestic violence. She also looks at the role key institutions play
in enforcing these stereotypes, such as the church and educational system.

Sheena finds out what is being done to tackle the problem of domestic violence
around the world on Wednesday 30 November. International conventions have meant
that legislation is being brought into force in some countries, but the
existence of legislation doesn`t guarantee the criminal justice system takes
the problem of violence and abuse seriously. In Nicaragua, the ?Messenger
Witch` broadcasts each morning on the village community radio station,
denouncing men who are mistreating their families and shaming them into
improving their behaviour.

Other grass roots initiatives like the Mifumi project in rural Uganda have
proved successful in bringing together the most important elements needed to
tackle violence in the family: the encouragement and education to bring about
change in attitude in men and women, backed up by effective law enforcement and
support for the victims.
 
Presenter/Sheena McDonald, Producer / Emma Thomas

Violence Begins At Home: 4 programmes x 25 minutes, Wednesdays from 9 November,

[European stream, webcast]: 0906, 1306, 1906, GMT Thu 0106
[American stream, webcast]: 1406, 2006, GMT Thu 0106, 0606 

DISCOVERY - SCIENCE OF AGGRESSION

In a new four part series as part of the Violence Begins at Homes Season,
psychiatrist Dr Raj Persaud takes boxing lessons, has his testosterone measured
and is subjected to aggression training to discover what makes us violent and
how hostile tendencies can be controlled in Discovery ? The Science of
Aggression from Wednesday 9 November.

Dr Raj examines what evolution tells us about aggression on Wednesday 9
November. He says ``Violence exists for a reason in nature, it is part of an
animals defence system, but until recently scientists didn`t think that animals
actually committed murder.``

However, at Harvard University, Professor Richard Wrangham has shown that
chimps strategically commit infanticide and some troops of animals will pick on
a weaker member of the same group. A baby chimp is five times more likely to be
killed by a member of its own tribe than a stranger. Dr Raj asks if this
information can be translated to humans and if violence gives us an
evolutionary advantage.

Men aged 15 to 24 are the most violent in any population. On Wednesday 16
November Dr Raj asks if their hormones are to blame and examines how
testosterone surges affect the biochemical pathways in the brain. Animal
studies indicate that even if castrated, males continue to fight - but there
has to be a reason, such as food. In humans, men with low testosterone are
likely to be more anxious and frightened, and therefore perhaps, less
aggressive. But violence is also a growing problem in women. Dr Raj
investigates how women express violence differently and how men and women use
aggressive tactics to get what they want 

There is evidence from prisoners on death row that they have had a brain
injury, so their brain is structurally altered. Several researchers have begun
using the latest imaging techniques in an attempt to find out what is different
about the brains of psychopaths. These studies are thought to hopefully lead to
a fundamental biological understanding of psychopathy, and perhaps even to drug
treatments for the condition. On Wednesday 23 November Dr Raj examines this
research and discovers that other scientists fear that the conclusions drawn
from this research will not be valid and the stakes for society could be high.

Otto Dang, Dutch psychologist, attends football matches, but not for the sport
on the pitch. His field of study is crowd behaviour, and the dynamics of
football hooligans gives him a prime insight into the triggers for violence,
and what can be done to reduce the tension. On Wednesday 30 November Dr Raj
finds out how humans respond to certain situations with uncharacteristic
violence and asks what turns a crowd into a mob.

Presenter / Dr Raj Persaud, Producer / Geraldine Fitzgerald

Discovery - Science of Aggresion: 4 x 25 minutes programmes Wednesdays from 9
November
[European stream, webcast]: 1006, 1506, 2006, GMT Thu 0206
[American stream, webcast]: 1506, 2206, GMT Thu 0206

SPORTS INTERNATIONAL - SPORT AND VIOLENCE

>From the Gladiators of ancient Rome and the bare knuckle fighters of the 19th
Century, to modern-day sports such as rugby and ice-hockey, Chris Mitchell
examines the fascinating story of violent sports around the world in a new
three part series, Sports International ? Sport and Violence from Wednesday 9
November. 

Chris traces the development of sport and discovers how most have violent
roots. He talks to sports historians and visits the sites of ancient games,
discovering how sports developed, often as a replacement to combat, into their
modern-day equivalents. 

In the early days of football - tripping, kicking, and punching were
commonplace; cricket used to be played without pads or gloves; and boxing bouts
often ended in severe injury or even death. Chris examines whether La Soule
(the once-popular and now long-forgotten violent ball game) was the inspiration
behind modern-day rugby.

He talks to the players and officials involved in basketball and ask why a
non-contact sport has become ever more physical, focusing on one of the game`s
ugliest scenes. In November 2004 a fight on court between the Pistons and the
Pacers in the US led to an ugly brawl that turned so nasty a police
investigation was necessary.

Sports academics and the players themselves discuss why football matches often
descend into violence but rugby games don`t. Chris investigates some of
football`s most violent incidents like the Arsenal/Manchester United on-pitch
brawl and the fight involving players, fans and police at the Brazilian league
match between Atletico Mineiro and Cruzeiro. He also asks why the audience love
a good fight.

Presenter / Chris Mitchell, Producer / Andrea Cartwright

Sports International: 3 x 30 minute programmes 
Wednesdays from 9 November, 
[European stream, webcast]: 1032, 1532, 2032, GMT Thu 0232
[American stream, webcast]: 1532, 2232, GMT Thu 0232

Listen online: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/index.shtml
(BBCWS Press Office via Richard Cuff via Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)



		
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