This document is a conversation between an older man and a younger man who got angry and broke his wife's arm. [1] The older man encourages the younger man to seek help for his anger issues through an Indigenous Family Violence program to learn better ways of handling anger without hurting others. [2] He shares his own story of hurting his brother in a violent outburst over a cigarette and realizing he had a problem. [3] The older man provides the phone number for the program and encourages the younger man to get help before his actions lead to more serious legal consequences.

1. A Better Way...
How you going young fella?
Not good. Missus problems.
My Missus had to go to the hospital.
She has a broken arm.
Broken arm!
What happened?

2. She made me wild and I flogged her.
I got so angry, I broke her arm.
Will she be alright?
Be a long time to get better.
She don’t want me anymore.
I gotta get away for a while.
Well young fella, how you gonna fix It’s not only her broken arm that
your problem? needs to be fixed.
You know what you‘re doing is wrong
young fella?
I dunno.
So what are you going to do to make
She got me so wild.
it right?
I didn’t know what
I was doing.

3. I don’t know...I got nobody.
You can always talk to me young
fella, like your doing now.
I lost it and got wild
one time, with your old Uncle.
I flogged him.
A weak old man and
I flogged him...
my brother.
I hurt him real bad and
put him in hospital for
a long time.
Yeah...I went there.
You know why I got
I saw him.
wild that time?
No, what for?
I really wanted that smoke.
He wouldn’t give it to me.
That’s why I hit him.
I got wild and put him
in hospital....for
one stinking smoke.

4. Police came. I spent the night
in jail. Then I had to go to
court. They said I got an anger
problem.
I gotta go do a program to
help me think better ways for my
family.
You go do it?
I had to young fella,
or they were gonna put me in jail.
I had to do that
‘Indigenous Family Violent Offending Program’
A lotta men were there.
Had the same problem like me.
What happened?
We all sat down and talked with them mob that
run the program.
One man said he got
jealous for his Missus
cause he thought she was
muckin around.
He got wild and flogged
his Missus too.
Another man
fighting all his
family cause he
lost his money
gambling.
One man belted
his friend cause
he didn’t buy him
a beer.

5. Poor brother, it’s not him.
You know young fella I can’t blame nobody for my
when we were all sitting down, anger. It’s me that’s got the
I had to stop and think. problem. I gotta learn how to
What I was doing was wrong. fix it myself.
I put that old man in hospital
for that one smoke!
I never sat down before
Them mob and think about
that run the program what I was doing
sat down with us
and talked about ....hurting my family.
anger problems. Every time I get angry
I hurt them.
What did they talk about?
About, ‘Family Violence’
and all the people we hurt
and how we hurt them.
We talked about what makes
us angry.
How we can turn it around, to
stop and think better ways.

6. I sit down a long time and
I think.. I don’t get angry with the
what makes me angry and wild? police.
I don’t get wild with
night patrol.
I get angry with my family.
And I give it to that Old Man.
poor fella.
....Just like
me bashing
my Missus.
I think to myself...
WHY do I do them
stupid things.
Don’t matter
how old or what colour
you are.
Black fella, White fella,
We all get angry.
But not every man
gets angry and takes it
out on his family.
In the program I began to learn
how to be true to my family.
To be a good strong man.
True to myself.

7. So young fella that’s me..
No matter what the problem
thats my story.
is YOU gotta face it and learn
Your story sort-a like mine or
how to fix it.
just a little bit different.
Not everyone has the same story.
Some has anger,
some has gambling.
Hmmm.. But I’m not going to court
What’s the name of that program again like you were.
Old Man?
You don’t have to wait
for court. If you think
‘The Indigenous Family Violent Offending Program’. you’ve got an anger problem.
you can go anytime.
...Y..e...a...h...
You reckon you got a
problem?
So what now young fella...
what you gonna do?
....Give me that paper with that phone number...

8. Family violence in your home or your community is not OK. Look after your mob. Help break
the cycle for your family’s sake. By choosing a better way your kids will grow up strong.
It’s easier to take action when you have support.
Go to a support service in your community, call a helpline, talk to a friend or someone in your
family you trust. They can help you make the right choice on where to go for help. It’s completely
confidential. From there you can make a decision on what to do next.
You can ring: You can ring Community Corrections at:
Mensline Australia 1300 789 978 Alice Springs 1800 030 334
Police (Emergency) 000 Katherine 1800 684 873
Kids helpline 1800 551 800 Nhulunbuy 1800 002 887
Relationships Australia NT 1300 364 277 Tennant Creek 1800 688 520
Anglicare NT (Resolve) 1800 898 500 Palmerston 1800 002 255
Casuarina 1800 006 165
To see the video of this comic in English, Arrernte, Yolngu Matha and Kriol,
and more stories in Aboriginal languages go to www.italklibrary.com
www.nt.gov.au/justice/corrservices