Fine line between banter and abuse

By Maureen Matthews
Updated December 24 2014 - 10:08am, first published December 7 2014 - 12:15am

I was disturbed by your response to a question about afriend's wife's verbal abuse (November 16). It's a tricky situation, but I cannot agree with your advice to ignore it. These "jokes" are a form of bullying. We're supposed to speak up about bullying and domestic violence, and this is where it begins. Taking sides isn't a good idea, but, even if their visitors don't know a better way of dealing with what is happening, surely they do have a right to say they're uncomfortable with what they are witnessing, or to direct them towards a relevant book or website?

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