is my rod and fortress’41 and the rod/staff of Moses was used to perform miracles of profound spirituality. Throughout the Bible the rod is depicted as a symbol of strength, power and spiritual transformation. This interpretation of the rod makes far more sense when considering other guidance on raising children found in the Bible and what the Inquiry has found about the nature of family violence. Proverbs 22:6 directs parents to ‘train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it’. The Inquiry has found that by using physical and harsh verbal discipline/ violence and witnessing violence in the family home a child is more likely to either become a perpetrator or victim when they are older. The Bible also contains wisdom relating to the temperament of children when it instructs: ‘do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord’.42 The Inquiry has found how physical and verbal abuse of children, combined with a lack of communication with parents, fosters anger and other negative emotions within children which can lead to suicide or perpetration of violence, and to a range of other consequences. Whilst the Inquiry evidence supports the alternative interpretation of disciplining children it should not require a technical analysis of the Bible to come to this conclusion. ‘Children are a heritage from the LORD’43 and should be treated with the love, kindness and tenderness that underpins all Faith, and the Fa’asamoa. They are born without knowledge of violence and should not be taught violence by parents or anyone else. Parents today may believe that the Bible encourages punishing children with a physical rod. This fallacy has been passed on down generations and derives from a lack of awareness of alternative parenting methods and a subsequent instinctive resort to violence to try to control one’s child. Sometimes children are just being adventurous, exploring their new unfamiliar surroundings and will not understand if they are smacked or shouted at to stop. The violence does not change their behaviour and it starts them off on a possible path to violence themselves. Because alternative parenting methods are not commonplace in Samoa, it is understandable how this situation has arisen and why the Bible is used to justify parenting methods. However, inadvertently it contributes to the prevalence of violence in Samoa Part V will look at ways in which this can be addressed using Faith as a foundation. INQUIRY FINDING 20: The Bible is wrongly used to justify violence against women and children and perpetuates the patriarchal society within which violence breeds. 7.5 Participation in decision making Empowerment and participation in decision making of groups particularly vulnerable to family violence is critical because it ensures that their interests will be taken into consideration. Absence from the decision making process means that those groups cannot provide their insight into the true nature of violence, nor 41 Psalm 18:2 and 31:3. Ephesians 6:4. 43 Psalms 127:3. 42