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Lehrmann’s Return to the Lion’s Den for His Hat
The Bruce Lehrmann case has stirred widespread outrage and condemnation, shedding light on the dark corridors of power and the abuse of privilege. Lehrmann, a former political staffer, stands accused of a heinous crime – the rape of Brittany Higgins on a minister’s couch in Parliament House in 2019. However, what has exacerbated the gravity…
Misogynistic Terrorism on Rise
The recent murders of six people in Sydney’s Bondi Junction over the weekend has sent shockwaves through communities, reigniting discussions on misogyny, violence, and the dangerous echo chambers of online extremism. As details emerge, it becomes increasingly evident that the perpetrator’s actions were not merely isolated acts of violence but indicative of a broader societal…
#HerNameIs Sarah McNally
In a bustling New York bar, amidst a crowd of people on a Saturday night, one would assume safety is a given. Yet, the recent stabbing of Sarah McNally, an Irishwoman living in New York, shattered that illusion. In a horrific act of violence, Sarah was attacked by her boyfriend, right in the presence…
Remembering Professor Evan Stark: A Pioneer in Understanding Coercive Control
Remembering Professor Evan Stark, sociologist, forensic social worker, widely published author and an award-winning researcher with an international reputation for his innovative work on the legal, policy and health dimensions of interpersonal violence, including its effects on children. A towering figure whose groundbreaking work on coercive control has revolutionised our understanding and approach to…
Too Little, Too Late. Another victim of workplace bullying dies by suicide
Toxic workplaces, the not so silent epidemic that claims lives and leaves countless others shattered. This tragic death was preventable, the loss of Dr Vaish Kumar’s life, and the loss her family and friends will feel is lasting. This headline will move down the website into oblivion, their pain is forever. BBC covered the story…
Change begins with us
In the pursuit of societal change, the adage “if you want to see change, be the change” rings true, serving as a shining example of inspiration for those advocating for progress. I had the privilege of participating in a transformative training day with the Limerick branch of Women’s Collective Ireland, an experience that not only…
Nicola’s Brave Documentary – Taking Back Control
Last night RTE aired “Taking Back Control” a documentary that sheds light on the impact of coercive control and the experience of one very brave lady, Nicola Hanney. Nicola, the former partner of the jailed garda who carried out this campaign of psychological abuse and control, has spoken publicly for the first time about…
Are we in danger of how society responds to men’s violence against women
Over the weekend, another woman fell victim to the scourge of domestic violence, leaving behind two devastated daughters and a grandchild she will never see growing up. The ripple effect of such tragedies leaves families traumatised for generations to come. These incidents demand the same level of societal outrage as the high-profile cases, such…
#HerNameIs Claire Collins
Claire Collins, was just 51 years old when she was murdered. Her story serves as another pervasive and devastating impact of domestic violence on families. Claire, not only lost her own life but left behind two shattered daughters and a grandchild who will never have the opportunity to know their grandmother. The ripple effect of…
Celebrities bare all on Male Fertility
Following the success of their recent hit Channel 4 documentary Celebrity Save Our Sperm, produced by Crackit Productions, the Society for Reproduction and Fertility (SRF) is delighted to host the stars of the programme for a deeper dive into the battle to improve male reproductive health during their live ‘One Night Stand’ event . Ollie…
Legislation to combat workplace abuse
Sharing your unique experiences of trauma can indeed be a difficult and painful process. When faced with someone who responds dismissively, it’s important to remember that no one else can truly understand the depth of your trauma except for you. People who make statements like, “I wouldn’t have got that from them,” lack the insight…
#TheBulliedBrain Episode 8
In this episode, Dr Jen Fraser and I focus on the interplay between science and the profound social challenges that plague our world and the societal issues we face today. Rather than viewing them solely as moral quandaries, we are encouraged to examine them through the lens of science as we witness a concerning surge…
#TheBulliedBrain Episode 7
This episode opens by highlighting a pressing issue: the recent femicides that have occurred, all of which could have been prevented (this episode was recorded in January 2023). Dr Jen Fraser and I talk about the violence leading to these tragic incidents, how they were entirely avoidable, as was the impending intergenerational grief. We…
#TheBulliedBrain Episode 6
TRIGGER WARNING – we talk about violence and suicide In this episode of the bullied brain we discuss the issue of abuse in relationships, particularly focusing on the abuse experienced by women. We highlight the alarming statistic that 1-in-4 women have been abused by a current or former partner. Dr Jen Fraser talks about…
#TheBulliedBrain Episode 5
On this episode of The Bullied Brain we talk about statistics and studies around bullying in schools and the need for an upstream approach to address the issue. We highlight the impact of bullying on children. We talk about the need for a different approach to tackle bullying, focusing on early intervention. The concept of…
#TheBulliedBrain Episode 4
In this episode of the Bullied Brain we talk about narcissists, psychopaths, and Machiavellians, collectively referred to as the “dark triad.” Jen explains how narcissists have a destructive impact on the lives of those around them. How they are fixated on themselves and constantly seek validation and admiration from others. Jen talks about the harmful…
#TheBulliedBrain Episode 3
TRIGGER WARNING In this episode of #TheBulliedBrain we discuss domestic abuse, domestic violence and gender based violence with a focus on how these forms of abuse impact the brain. Jen talks about allegations of sexual violence within a national sport organisation in Canada and she talks about individuals who exhibit such abusive behaviour have…
#HerNameIs Kirsty Ward
Kirsty Ward’s life came to a tragic end when her body was discovered by hotel staff at the Hotel Magnolia in Salou. Local police were alerted to a disturbance, leading to the shocking revelation. The incident occurred earlier this month, causing deep sorrow and distress for Kirsty’s loved ones. Following the discovery, Kirsty’s body…
#HerNameIs Deepa Dinamani
#HerNameIs Deepa Dinamani, she moved to Ireland a few months ago with her five-year-old son, and husband. Deepa was stabbed in the neck on Friday night last, 14th July 2023, left to die without any medical assistance. Gardai believe Deepa was dead for several hours in the house and the alarm was only raised when…
What are you prepared to tolerate?
I spoke to a friend of mine about my podcast and what we are prepared to tolerate and accept in some workplaces. It is truly unbelievable, even when we are told it will cause brain injury? The reply was “I don’t have personal experience of bullying so the concept of tolerating physical harm or experiencing…
#TheBulliedBrain Episode 2
In this episode we talk about the impact of bullying on the brain and the need to raise awareness about brain science. Jen emphasises the importance of understanding how bullying affects the brain and how it can lead to mental and physical health problems. We discuss the need to educate parents, teachers and individuals, in…
#TheBulliedBrain Episode 1
You’re very welcome to the podcast, my name is Anita Moran and I’m the founder of The FEMCAST … a podcast and website, driven by a passion for empowering women and promoting gender equality. Through The FEMCAST, we are making it our mission to educate, empower, and encourage women to harness the power of…
Rewarding Adults Who Bully
If a coach is successful and wins championships, does it excuse bullying conduct? The best way to answer this question is to ask it first about kids: if reports come in from multiple sources that a child is bullying and hurting others, should a school principal factor in whether or not the child won a…
The Neuroscience of Bullying and Abuse
In 2019, I was asked by students at Langara College in Vancouver BC to do a TEDx Talk on the work I was doing and this is what led to my presentation on the “Neuroscience of Bullying.” I was reading neuroscientific, neurobiological, medical, and psychological research about bullying and abuse in order to write my next book.…
Whistleblower. From bystander to advocate.
I Transformed from a Bystander into an Advocate Whistleblower Series #1 I transformed from an unwilling bystander to someone who is a vocal advocate, researcher, consultant and writer about child abuse and the system that enables it. This is my former life that I had to give up when I spoke up. From the…
Whistleblowers Have To Stay The Course – Whistleblower Series #8
Hopefully you’ve seen the film Spotlight about relentless journalists exposing rampant child abuse in the Catholic Churches of Boston. My key take-away from the film is that being a whistleblower requires a lot of grit and commitment. If you want to make actual change, whistleblowers have to stay the course. People say “it takes a village to…
Self-Sacrifice is Self-Determination – Whistleblower Series #7
Kyle Beach is a brilliant example of how being a whistleblower is not self-sacrifice, but self-determination. If you haven’t been following the story, this is a picture of Kyle Beach who yesterday moved from abuse victim into the whistleblower role as covered on TSN. I told you at the start, I decided to write this blog…
Love actually
It’s all around Falling in love is the most wonderful feeling in the world. So can we hang onto that special magic? Love flickers, fades and falls into routine, even for the most in-love couples. Science explains why. Brain chemicals sparking romance are different to the long-term blend. Espresso turns to Nescafé. It’s hard to…
Squeeze me, please – embryo check!
Give it a squeeze! What’s the best way to choose a perfect peach? Give it a squeeze! Now scientists say it’s the same for IVF embryos. Engineers are a practical bunch. Teamed with doctors at Stanford University, bioengineers realised the feel of newly formed IVF embryos offers a super quick indicator of viability. Normally it takes 5-6 days…
STOP … and go!
Why do you think they call it Dope…amine Enjoying a break – but still can’t stop a sneak peek at your email or fb feed? It’s really addictive … and gets even worse back at work. Let’s look at email. How many do you clock up in a day? It’s a mainstay of contact for…
Sex and Seaweed
Sex and seaweed doesn’t exactly trip off the tongue. I discovered a vital link which surprised me. Sex hormones make us sexy. The thyroid gland is the iodine-seeking device which brews up those vampish hormones we love.They need iodine and seaweed is full of it. No, it’s not just for the ladies. Iodine turbo-charges sperm.…
Whistleblowers are Afraid – Whistleblower Series #6
Whistleblowers are afraid because those you expose attack what you care about. While whistleblowers are often praised after the fact for being courageous, few talk about how frightening it is to take this role. Dorothy Suskind writes that “whistleblowers place themselves in the path of an oncoming train in an effort to force a reckoning.”…
Exposing Injustice – Whistleblower Series #5
Research shows that whistleblowers don’t leap onto the path guns blazing. No. Whistleblowers try everything they can to solve the problem internally so as not to rock the boat, expose wrongdoers, cause trouble. That said, for whistleblowers, exposing injustice is an obligation, not a choice. I tried to address the crisis at the school in…
Infertility makes you blue
Guess what? Infertility makes you blue. It’s official. Baby-making is fun for maybe three months. Six at a pinch. Sex gets a tad less spontaneous. Excitement fades pretty damn fast. Niggling doubts, worry and plain old icy fear. Once the ‘f’ word leaps out of the bedroom and onto the doctor’s couch there’s no stopping it. Next thing…
6 Ways to Calm Down Quickly!
Dry mouth, shaky voice, pounding heart and crampy gut are sure signs of anxiety. When you need to feel better in a hurry use these 6 ways to calm down quickly! The Vagus (wandering) nerve is where the magic unfolds. Starting in the brain it wanders down the neck to the voice box and on to…
Only Child Abuse Could Make Me Speak Up – Whistleblower Series #4
Only Child Abuse Could Make Me Speak Up I am an unlikely whistleblower, but where I find courage is when I hear directly from children they’re being abused. Only child abuse could make me speak up. I know what it’s like to be an unwilling bystander and a self-protective sheeple, but the only thing that…
Frontload your fertility
If little girls are made of sugar and spice, and little boys puppy dogs’ tails, how do you frontload your fertility to get your family started? The real nitty gritty of having babies comes down to how well our bodies are working and often what’s going on in our heads too. So, where do we begin with…
Miscarriage – healing after pregnancy loss
Miscarriage hurts, and is often misunderstood. Síle Seoige’s groundbreaking TG4 documentary ‘Deireadh Tochta’ follows her journey, shares stories, explores research, finds help. I’m delighted to have been part of her healing to a rainbow pregnancy. I was a ‘rainbow’ baby, born after my mother’s fourth miscarriage. She felt each of her pregnancy losses all her…
Collision of Consciousness and Circumstance – Whistleblower Series #3
Collision of Consciousness and Circumstance I had always been a believer in education, justice, and government in my country. Cut to the collision between consciousness and circumstance: five years I watched how school administrators handled abuse reports about the one teacher, who was ultimately fired, showed me a coverup-culture at work, but belief-systems constructed through childhood…
Why do Your Eggs Age Before the Rest of Your Fertility Does?
Why do Your Eggs Age Before the Rest of Your Fertility Does? Hitting forty, trying to conceive and fearful of your fertility? Cue furrowed brows and quizzical head tilts. Sure, you look and feel about 25 – but just try telling that to your eggs or your doctor. Aging eggs with a fail-grade AMH put the…
School Culture that Looked the Other Way – Whistleblower Series #2
School Culture that Looked the Other Way I was an “unwilling bystander” in a school culture that looked the other way when abuse was occurring. This was before I stepped into the whistleblower role. I knew about an abusive teacher, but my attempts to stop his harmful treatment got me nowhere. Instead, I encountered all…
I Transformed from a Bystander into an Advocate – Whistleblower Series #1
I transformed from an unwilling bystander to someone who is a vocal advocate, researcher, consultant and writer about child abuse and the system that enables it. In the picture above, you can see that I am calm and surrounded by copies of my wine thriller Crush that was a lot of fun to write. There I am, signing…
Love your ovaries
Love your ovaries Incinerated and al dente spell doom for decent chips so I parted with my old deep-fat fryer last week. Could it apply to ovaries – a built-in obsolescence? Eggs get blamed for aging – is it a deserved bad rap? Ovaries are one of my favourite body parts, vying closely with wombs,…
Mindfulness Challenge
Turn on, Tune in, Drop out Take my daily Mindfulness Challenge to see how easy it is to feel better, no matter what the week flings at you. Is your life on a frantic auto-pilot? Up out of bed, shower, coffee and hit the road in a blur of activity? A morning of phones. emails…
Is anxiety sabotaging your efforts to conceive?
Anxiety about trying to conceive may actually be sabotaging your efforts to conceive. A new Swedish study finds anxiety and depression reduce the chances of getting pregnant and having a baby. It’s a vicious cycle, all too familiar for many women trying to conceive. How do you know if anxiety is sabotaging your efforts to conceive?…
Real Life Mindfulness
Real Life Mindfulness Let me break it to you gently. Like it or loathe it, you can’t escape real life mindfulness! Taking a shower, baking a cake, making love, composing an email? There’s nothing new about present moment focus. And yes, we thrive on it. It’s credited with boosting creative thinking, reducing depression and improving physical…
The Self Lost to Abuse
When you are abused, you often lose yourself, your authentic self. You become disconnected from your essential self. You are the self lost to abuse. My mission is to recover her and honour her. This is why you see her on my website. That confident, glowing, young, vibrant woman. I am dedicated to returning her…
7 Things You Really Need to Know About Miscarriage
I help clients heal after pregnancy loss so I figure it’s better to answer your questions here, with accurate info in a post. After all I’m a qualified gynae nurse and midwife as well as a therapist. You wish you’d understood what miscarriage is before it happened, not blamed yourself. You wish took time…
Safeguard Children’s Brains as They Return to School
What we need to teach kids about the psychology of bullying. Schools are mostly fire-proof, but many aren’t bully-proof. Encourage children to question some of the bullying beliefs that give power to bullies and remove it from victims. Spark children’s empathy and compassion for those who are bullying, since it indicates they may be suffering.…