Debate contribution: Ending Violence Against Women and Girls Strategic Framework: Update
Debate contribution by Mrs Naomi Long on .
- MLA
- Mrs Naomi Long
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 9 September 2024
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Ending Violence Against Women and Girls Strategic Framework: Update
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4511495
Read the official Assembly record
Text
That is a really important point, because many of the men who are engaged in those behaviours have also been victims of abuse, often as children, and have been exposed to domestic violence in the home. Many of them view that as a normal part of an adult relationship. Therefore, the earlier that we can do the education piece and talk about what a healthy relationship and respect look like, the better it will be for changing those attitudes. We all wish that every child grew up in a home where perfect behaviour between parents in an adult relationship is properly modelled, but, unfortunately, that is not the case. Therefore, if people model their behaviour on their parents', very often they will perpetuate the tragedies of the past. We work with perpetrators. For example, when we do rehabilitation work, whether in prisons or in the community, with those who have already been found guilty, we will focus on the nature of their offending and the reasons for their offending, and we will take a trauma-informed approach to the work. That already happens. Also, before people have been convicted of an offence but where complaints have been made, we offer them the opportunity to voluntarily engage with perpetrator and education programmes in order to try to improve things. Performance is much better when someone voluntarily engages with such programmes, but the most important part is catching those people early enough in the system to prevent serious harm. Where it works, it is to everyone's advantage, because it may mean that the perpetrator can go on to have happy healthy relationships in the future, which is to the benefit of everyone in society, not just their current partner.
286 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.04 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.83).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.05 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.03 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.83 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.04 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.70 |
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.29 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.01 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 10:58 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
Disagree with this assessment?
Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.