SCHOOL BASED

ASSESSMENT ENGLISH
LANGUAGE

CANDIDATE’S NAME:
CANDIDATE NUMBER:
SCHOOL:
TEACHER’S NAME:
SBA TOPIC: ABUSE
YEAR 2020-2021

TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONTENTS PAGES
Acknowledgement
Introduction
Plan of Investigation----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1
Article 1------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2-6
Article2-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7
Article 3------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8-9
Reflection 1---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------10
Reflection 2-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------11-12
Reflection 3 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------13
Written Report-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------14
Plan of Oral Presentation -----------------------------------------------------------------------15
References----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------16
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I want to give a special thanks to my teacher Ms. Scott who gave us this SBA project. It has
helped us to know more about women that are in abusive relationships and the signs to look for
and how to deal with them. She gave us a clear guidelines of what to do and how important it is
to work as a team. I also want to thank the group members for working together as a team to
complete this research. Thanks to the internet, youtube and the gleaner for all the information
that we got to collect. Most importantly I want to thank God for giving us the strength and the
knowledge in completing this SBA.
 INTRODUCTION
In this SBA you will learn about how women have been abused in our society. It will help you
to identify when someone has been in abusive situation. There are three different examples of
artifacts along with a poem written by me to help you to see and know when someone has been
abuse and how they react. There are written reflections on what I have learnt from the artifacts
and the literary devices used. This SBA closes with a written report that tells the process the
group took to do this research.
 PLAN OF INVESTIGATION
The topic that was chosen by my group is Abuse. The sub-topic that I have chosen is’ ‘The
Impact of Domestic Abuse on Women in Our Society’. I’ve chosen this topic because over the
years women have been victims of Domestic Abuse. In my opinion I think that the Government
needs to put in place more laws that will be more effective. As an English Student I will be better
able to do research and write papers on my findings also to express my concerns about certain
issue. To corroborate my opinion on the effectiveness of the laws instituted by the Government
for women in abusive situation. I will be using poems, newspaper articles, video and the internet.

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 ARTICLE 1

The Gleaner: Scarred - Domestic abuse victim trying to rebuild life after traumatic, bloody
ordeal

Published: Sunday | February 16, 2020 | 12:00 AM Corey Robinson - Senior Staff Reporter

Shamarie Williams before the incident Shamarie Williams in hospital after she was
attacked by her partner.

Shamarie Williams after waking up during her Shamarie Williams is now trying to
recovery in hospital. rebuild her life.

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Twenty-four-year-old Shamarie Williams does not know if she will be able to foster an intimate
relationship with a man again.

Not after Mark Riley, the father of her six-year-old son, attacked her with a machete while she
slept before setting their Pleasant Valley home in Clarendon ablaze last year.

The incident has left her disfigured and has shattered her self-confidence. Gone, too, are her
interest in men and their interest in her after the ill-fated night of June 30 last year.

For now, her focus is on securing meaningful employment so she can gather the pieces of her
broken life – and even that has proven difficult as employers are turned off by her scars.

Caught in a fit of rage, Riley, who had been Williams’ lover for six years, stormed into the house
they shared and chopped her repeatedly in the head, neck, arms and pubic area.

The heinous act reportedly occurred after Riley’s friends from the community jeered him openly,
saying Williams was too pretty for him and that their son was not his biological child.

Believing his blood-soaked partner was dead, Riley then locked himself, with her, inside the
house he had built and started the fire. Luckily, their son was with his grandmother and escaped
the doomed home that night, Williams explained.

Riley died in the blaze, but Williams miraculously awoke in critical condition at the Kingston
Public Hospital (KPH) a day later. To this day she claims she has no memory of how she
managed to find help.

“I came home from work and went to sleep and the only thing I know is that I wake up at KPH
the other day,” Williams told The Sunday Gleaner on Friday.

“It is when my neighbour came to visit me at the hospital that she told me that I was the one who
came to her door knocking and asking for help,” said Williams. “She saw the state that I was in
and brought me to the hospital.

“I can’t remember none of it. I just know I woke up on life-support machine with my head
bandaged up and tubes in my throat and in my mouth,” she said, adding that doctors performed
six surgeries in a month so she could be able to eat and breathe.

HAUNTING FACIAL SCARS

Seven months after the incident, she now hauls around haunting facial scars that are growing
more menacing as the keloid tissues stretch across her jaws.

She wears a metal brace inside her head which holds her jaws in place so she can speak. But they
cause pain whenever the weather gets cold, Williams said, hoping she will one day save enough
to try plastic surgery. For now, however, she looks at herself in the mirror less.

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“Sometimes I don’t really like talking about it. Everywhere I go people see me and ask question,
and the first question is ‘somebody cut you across your face’?” she said. “It is not like it is an
accident or anything; it just looks obvious that is domestic violence.”

She added: “Some people say negative things … some of them say ‘why yuh never lef’ him
before, yuh never see seh a madman?’ But I never know that him mad. How me fi know seh him
mad?” she argued, noting that he was aggressive but never before been violent towards her.

And even if he was, Williams said she had nowhere else to go as Riley was her only source of
support at the time.

At least four women have been killed at the hands of lovers or ex-lovers in Jamaica since New
Year’s Eve. Among them are 24-year-old Shantell White, who was murdered by her ex in
Mandeville; and Suzanne Easy, who was chopped and shot by Jamaica Defence Force Corporal
Doran McKenzie, who later killed himself in Portmore, St Catherine.

Each of these incidents has brought Williams a chilling reminder of how lucky she is to be alive
today. What she needs now, she said, is for employers to see past her scars so she can one day
replace the furniture she lost in the fire last year.

“Some persons won’t hire you because the scars tell a bad story about me, especially in the food
industry … in restaurants and so on. Some people just don’t like to see or stomach certain
things,” she explained.

The spate of killings has caused public uproar, prompting an announcement by Prime Minister
Andrew Holness last week that the Government is tabling a domestic violence bill to buttress
existing domestic abuse laws.

It has also placed a spotlight on a string of police initiatives, such as the Domestic Violence
Intervention centres, located in Constant Spring and Matilda’s Corner, and rekindles debate
about a proposed 24-hour ‘cooling-off’ period within which angry spouses can be detained by
cops following domestic disputes.

“We have had for too long a permissive society that allows a man to trespass upon the person of
a woman without any form of rebuke, without the society saying it is wrong,” said Holness as he
addressed supporters at a Jamaica Labour Party Council Meeting at the Portmore HEART
Academy last Sunday.

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 ARTICLE 2

POEM - ABUSE
Published: February 2008
Domestic Violence Poem
From the mouth of a woman being abused by her spouse, "I wonder if this is how my life will be
from now until I die."

He pulls my hair. My heart won't let me leave him,

He slaps my face. And it hurts too much to try.
He kicks me on the floor.
I wonder if this is how my life will be
I love him so much, From now until I die.
So I don't have the strength
To walk right out the door. He says he's sorry.
He takes me in his arms.
There's blood on my face. He even starts to cry.
Everything hurts,
And all I can do is cry. I tell him I forgive him
And that everything is fine.
I made him mad,
So this is what he does. For now at least because I know
I wish I knew his reason why. It will happen again in time.

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 ARTICLE 3
RAP SONG – GREMLIN: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB1_t9667d8
[Verse 1: Gremlin]
I can tell that you don't ever want to trust
again,
cause every time you trusted it just left ya
hurt/
And I can tell that you don't ever want to
love again,
cause when they leave all you do I second
guess ya worth/
now you're choking on your tears and you
can't breathe/
cause all the pain is coming at you like a
stampede/
and even after all of that you feel you cant
leave/
but don't go changing who you are to fit a
mans needs/
it's not fair I know it isn't right/ but you were
meant to shine bright don't you dim ya light,
live ya life/
because you're perfect how you are don't
you change a thing/
and baby you were made a queen but he aint
a king/
so why you trippin when it aint a thing?/
One day you'll
find someone who will make it seem like
every days a dream/
just be honest with yourself that you're truly
done/
and make your ex man jealous of who you
become/
[Hook; Gremlin]
Tell me who it is you are,
you say you got a big ole heart,
but that it's filled with scars,
and that you wanna die cause you're tired of
the pain/
Ill tell you who it is you are,
I know you're a shining star,
and that you been fighting hard,
and that you're gonna rise from the fire and
the flames/
[Verse 2: Gremlin]
See I know who you won't be,
at least not anymore with all that
confidence/
girl I can see the beauty that you don't see,
and you deserve someone who doesn't call it
quits/
not someone who puts you down like you're
incompetent/
see that's why you feel uncomfortable with
compliments/
cause you put up a wall, cause you don't
know who's fake now/
you don't know whos gonna build you up or
make you break down/
and you don't want to risk it you will not
relive it/ and that's
why you built a barrier to make sure that
nobody visits/
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and I realize it hurts and that this time is
worse/
but I know you were meant for more so just
realize your worth/
its not determined by a man or even by the
church/
its determined in yourself so look inside and
search/
you got more power than you think don't let
a man define you/
and I promise I will stand behind you/
see he was busy tryna burn you down with a
couple matches/
but you are like a phoenix rising from the
ashes/
and becoming a better you/ someone
that you never knew, girl it was something
you were meant to do/
all the pain and the flames made you
stronger/
not whenever it gets in your way you will
conquer/
all I speak is truth really hope that you
believe this/
so when you're in the fire just remember
you're a phoenix/

[Hook: Gremlin]
I'll tell you who it is you are,
I know you're a shining star,
and that you been fighting hard,
and that you're gonna rise from the fire and
the flames/

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 RELECTION 1

This reflection focuses on the three articles used in this SBA - a video, a poem and a gleaner
article. While watching this video it made me feel very sad. I learnt that you have to love and
think about yourself first. There is nothing wrong with loving someone but if that person starts
showing signs of abuse, for example shouting insults, hits you and or start isolating you from
friends and family, it is time to leave. Do not think it will happen once or he is going to change.
The rapper digs deep in the emotional turmoil women go through as victims of abuse. Some
suffer irreparable damage to their self-esteem where trusting someone again is impossible. The
beauty of this video is to encourage women that they are beautiful and deserve so much more
than what they receive. It is important to think about yourself, tell someone about it and get help.
This video also shows how empowered women are when they are freed and find themselves.
The Gleaner Article made me realize that signs of abuse are not always visible before it happens.
Therefore when you are in a relationship you need to be cognizant of the little things they matter.
‘Do not take rumors from people’. This can cause serious problems in your relationship
especially if you feel insecure about your partner. Whenever there is a problem or something is
bothering you, you need to talk about it. When things are kept inside it can cause you to hurt
someone or kill them. Seek counselling if you don’t want anyone to know about what is really
bothering you.
Thelast article is a poem. It drags the reader into the mind of a woman in an abusiverelationship
but does not see it as such. It made me realize that some women in society do not know what
love is. Love is not an obsession. When you love someone you cherish that person and take care
of them. You don’t want to see that person cry or look sad. Obsession causes you to hurt, kill and
abuse the people you say you love and you can’teven see that you are hurting them. It is sad that
some women misconstrue what love is from a tender age because of the culture of their
childhood. Hence, they were victims then so they do not acknowledge that the abusive
relationship they are in is unhealthy. In my opinion, after analyzing these three articles, I see the
need for women to understand what it means to love truly. It is not something that causes them to
hurt. Women need to be strong and have confidence in themselves no one is going to do it for
them.

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 REFLECTION 2

POEM– ABUSE
The language used in this poem entitled ‘Abuse’is simple and pronounces in vivid clarity what
victims of domestic abuse endures. The words used helped me to deduce that both the man (the
abuser) and the woman (the victim) shared relatable background as children. I say this because of
the words in the poem, especially the last two stanza. “I tell him I forgive him and that
everything is fine. For now at least, because I know it will happen again in time.” These words
denotes that this is her life, she’s in love with this man and in her mind he’s in love with her as
well. The evidence presented by these words indicates that as a child she may have grown up in a
home where her father was abusive to her mother and in her current relationship she is
reciprocating what her mother did. The man as well was a victim form childhood experience
because ‘he slaps her, kicks her and pulls her hair’ after he finished abusing her ‘he says he’s
sorry and he consoles her’ but they both know it will happen again. The literary device use in
this poem is imagery. It allows readers to see what ishappening example he slaps, kicks and pulls
her hair; readers can actually see this happening, because the words are simple, relatable and are
use everyday by everyone.

GLEANER ARTICLE

The newspaper article dated Sunday February 16, 2020 under the caption ‘Scarred – Domestic
abuse victim trying to rebuild life after traumatic, bloody ordeal’ is very sad. The language
used in this article is very simple, clear and easy to read. It drags readers into the relationship of
a young woman – Samantha. This young lady is a mother, she spent six years of her life in a
relationship with the father of her child, yet she did not know that her nightmare was imminent.
In the article line 32-34 she says the first question people would asked when they see her is
‘someone cut you in your face?’ Further in the passage she said that people say negative things
about her and I quote ‘why yuh never lef him before, yuh never see seh a madman?’ She
argued in frustration “I never know that him mad, how me fi know seh him mad?”“he has
been aggressive but never violent to her.” When she said this statement readers can understand
that just like other relationship differences of opinion were tested. However sadly one night
while in her peaceful slumber she became victim to the brutal laceration from the hands of her
spouse with a machete. She survived, but now a changed woman. She’s now the center of
attention by onlookers, she’s being discriminated because of her scars when she seeks
employment, but the worst is her fear to trust in men and her low self-confidence and self-
esteem. Every reader who reads this article can relate, empathize and be more cognizant. The
journalist ends the article by telling the plans the government intends to reinforce to safe guard
women against domestic abuse: ‘The spate of killings has caused public uproar, prompting an
announcement by Prime Minister Andrew Holness last week that the Government is tabling a
domestic violence bill to buttress existing domestic abuse laws.’

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VIDEO – RAP SONG

The language used in this video is very dark. It contains two different women sharing their
experiences. They talk about what they’ve gone through and where they are in the present.
However the rapper uses literary devices to give listeners a deeper understanding of how
domestic abuse not only affects women physically but also mentally. He starts rapping by saying
‘I can tell that you never wanna trust again, cause everytime you trust it just left you hurt’ and
this is so true. He uses imagery in line five to paint the picture of these women pain – “now
you're choking on your tears and you can't breathe.” When readers read this they are
immediately pulled into the woman sphere and seeing how traumatize and alone she really
is.These women are emotionally impacted and as such they become fearful of letting someone in.
He also uses simile to describe the pain that the women are going through in line six of the first
verse – “cause all the pain is coming at you like a stampede”. This word alone – stampede –
speaks of the depth of pain and turmoil these women endure. The most important thing about this
video is that the rapper uses words to encourage and bolster these women confidence and self-
esteem. He tells women in relationship who are not being respected and treated as the queens
they are,that they should not change themselves to fit a man’s needs. He uses rhyming words to
emphasize this point, “it's not fair I know it isn't right/ but you were meant to shine bright
don't you dim ya light, live ya life.”The rapper closes his first verse by telling women to be
honest when they say they are done and to truly be done. I personally love the language use in
this video – it is educational, empowering and motivational.

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 REFLECTION 3

When I heard about the SBA, I was a bit scared because I am not a writer but when I heard about
the topic abuse. I was elated to choose my sub –topic ‘The Impact of Domestic Abuse on
Women in our Society’. I know that there are several women in our society who have been
victims of abuse and keep silent. I wanted a chance to elaborate on this topic because our women
need to know that someone still cares about them, but if they keep silent there will be no way for
them to get help. I know that I can find more than enough evidence to support my research. This
SBA had helped me develop my writing skill. The evidence found causes me to be more
empathetic to women who are a victims of domestic abuse. I can now confidently use different
source to collate the information needed for any research I will do in the future.

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 WRITTEN REPORT

When Miss Scott our teacher gave us the SBA topic there was no problem to place persons in the
abuse group because it is common in our society. Even though abuse is a broad topic the group
did abuse, child abuse and verbal abuse. It was very challenging to work as a group until our
teacher motivated us and told us about the importance teamwork.
When we began working as a team we assigned not have any problem to choose our sub-topics
and our artifacts. The topics chosen under the abuse heading are: domestic abuse, substance each
person to find the artifacts for the difference topics. After doing this we then met and looked at
the artifacts and chose the best ones to use but because of the Covid 19 pandemic we didn’t get
to meet as often as we should. It was not easy to write the reflection and to talk about the literary
devices that were used but we managed to cross that hurdle. The artifacts that we used were
chosen from the internet, YouTube and the Gleaner. These artifacts brings to light the harsh
reality of what victims of these abuse endures. Some get help and overcome while others are
damage to the point of no return. Just to elaborate a little on child abuse, it is really sad to know
that we should be the ones to protect our children and then we are the same ones that turn around
and hurt them. It is also sad how domestic abuse have caused women to be fearful of going into a
relationship. It causes women to lose their self-esteem and self-worth. We has women need to be
strong and stand up for our right. Yes, it doesn’t mean that because the abuser is the only
financial help you have that person have the right to abuse you. Seek help before it’s too late.
The lesson we learnt as a group after completing this research is knowing when people have been
going through abuse and know how to speak with them, treat them and get help them. In addition
if we apply the knowledge we gain after the research on abuse and get professional help when it
is need can lesson abuse in our society.

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 PLAN OF ORAL PRESENTATION

Topic: Abuse

Genre: Poem

Source: Jennifer Martin

Language: Simile, Repetition, Rhyme

Main Idea: To let women know that they don’t have to stay in an abusive relationship. When
you fall in love with someone you should not feel like you are in prison. It is not a healthy
relationship if you feel that way. No one has the right to ‘ABUSE’ you in anyway even if they
are the only financial support you have. Get help and don’t stay with someone who is hurting
you, love does not hurt people. Everyone deserves to feel love and live a happy life.

PEOM - PAIN OF LOVE

No one notices your pain Tell me why is love so dark

No one sees your tears Why oh why
No one knows I am hurting Why am I so blind?
But they all notice my beautiful smile I know I love him
If only you could see Yes, with all my heart
That my smile has been shattered like a Why oh why can’t he sees
glass Why oh why can’t I find
He beats me The strength to leave
He kicks me Why oh why
He drags me on the floor like a mop My heart is bleeding
Then he hugs and kisses me And no one can see
And says I love you Why oh why is love so dark?
Why oh why are you so heartless? I hope that one day
Why oh why can’t I see I will see, yes see
Why can’t I see no light? The light of love shining again.
Why oh why

Written By: Jennifer Martin

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 REFERENCES

Source: adri(February 2008) Abuse. Retrieved from:

https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/domestic-violence on December 28, 2020.
Source: Corey Robinson (February 16, 2020) Scarred - Domestic abuse victim trying to rebuild life after
traumatic, bloody ordeal. Retrieved
from:http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20200216/scarred-domestic-abuse-victim-
trying-rebuild-life-after-traumatic#gallery_1on December 28, 2020.
Source: Gremlin (October 8, 2017) Domestic Violence Awareness (Deep/Inspiring Rap).
Retrieved fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB1_t9667d8on December 28, 2020.

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