I spoke to a friend in his fifties the other day. He was beaten regularly as a child and he and his brother were both sexually abused. His mum kept the family together, then when he was ten his dad committed suicide.

Samuel had a rough life as a young man on the streets of Broken Hill. He got into fights, got the tattoos and rode the motor bikes. But apart from one incident very early on in his first relationship he has never been violent to women.

I asked him why not. ‘I discovered animals’ he said. ‘I love dogs’.

And he does. Sam has two dogs and I tell you what, if I was to ever come back as a dog I know whose house I would choose.

‘Dogs give you unconditional love’ says Sam. ‘No matter what you’ve done wrong. They have taught me a lot, you should get one’.

Maybe I will.

Tags: abuse, family, Men, violence