whereby children or adults may witness or experience violence but feel unable to speak out because of this principle. “Maintaining the vā tapuia and vāfeāloa’i can sometimes have consequences. For instance, when children witness violence the vāfeāloa’i can act as a barrier for intervention or reporting because of the unspoken belief that it would be disrespectful or inappropriate.” ‘Primary prevention of violence against women and girls’, Inquiry document 91 Whether intentionally or not, the Fa’asamoa has become a barrier to speaking out and a justification for reinforcing the patriarchal system, the very opposite of what it should actually achieve when properly implemented. Part V will consider how that is possible once again. INQUIRY FINDING 19: Communication in Samoa has broken down and is no longer a two-way process, increasing the risk and prevalence of family violence. 7.4 Faith “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:7-8 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Ephesians 5:25 “Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him.” Psalm 127:3 The Inquiry sought to understand the position Faith takes on family violence, the impact on its prevalence and how it may play a role in the solution. Faith is fundamentally built on love – towards one’s partner, towards one’s children and towards one another, as the quotes above demonstrate. This was reflected in the overall consensus put to the Inquiry that Faith rejects the use of violence towards one another, especially within the family context. However, what is less agreed upon is whether there is a total prohibition of all forms of physicality towards one another and the Inquiry heard from a variety of witnesses who believed physical discipline to be sanctioned by the Bible and other religious texts, both within a marriage and towards children.