“So I went through that period from 1970 – 1982 witnessing only the lower socio-economic side of the story, and it wasn’t until I sat on the Bench that I became aware that domestic violence was not restricted by income. There I heard educated women, wealthy women, worldly women, women like Issie’s mother, give me the same excuses why they had to remain in an intolerable situation … ”
” … the records and statistics show that the majority of street kids return home eventually. Like [abused] women, so many damaged and sad children return home to the environment that drove them out because the alternatives are just too hard.”
” … Unfortunately, the public has very little insight into the plight of these children who are forced to live away from home. Children don’t have a choice. Circumstances are such that it is often unsafe for them to live at home, unsafe emotionally, physically and for their well-being. For some reason, the general public has little patience for such children, and the remarks that are made about them and the tags placed on them are very similar to the [disrespectful and inappropriate] remarks and tags worn by Aborigines.”
HOLBOROW, Barbara. Those Tracks on My Face. Milsons Point NSW: Random House Australia. 1997
Bourgeois Book Club 