One Punch Homicide

Is it possible the best way to reduce domestic violence worldwide is to teach teens not to become batterers? We don't know because it's never been tried. Getting people out of harm's way is noble and necessary, but in the long run might it make more sense to try to reduce the number of batterers so fewer people experience domestic violence and the need of shelter to escape it?

The email below was sent to the 50 American governors and Canada's 10 provincial premiers:

I've made a documentary to reduce violence and it's getting great reviews, which you can read at www.onepunchhomicide.com, where you can also watch the 87 minute film free.

Some domestic violence (DV) shelters are about 50 years old. Many are younger. They need to be reformed, as they've become institutions that are perpetuating violence and that may pass it on from one generation to the next.

If you visit the nation's DV shelter websites they'll tell you they're putting an end to domestic violence, when they aren't. They may be putting an end to instances of DV they discover in their vicinity, but they're not putting an end to DV. It will continue to creep up.

If you further explore DV shelter websites (and schools'), you probably won't find one where one of their goals is to do something that could really reduce DV, and that is to reduce the number of people who will go on to become batterers. If you can reduce the number of people who become batterers by 50%, might that reduce DV by 50%? Why is it DV shelters (and schools) are so uninterested in reducing the number of batterers before they become batterers?

Also, try to find a website where the shelter claims they're working so hard to reduce future batterers that they're hoping the size of their DV shelter may shrink someday, or that they may even go out of business.

While exploring DV shelter websites, note how many people are employed by each shelter. Is it possible some of them might not be too eager to try to work themselves out of jobs by trying to reduce the number of people becoming batterers?

A significant number of people experience physical violence as children. These people are likely to become less happy, healthy, and wealthy adults. There might be fewer of them if we figure out how to reduce the number of people who go on to become batterers. But are DV shelters really the best organizations to do that?

The first 50 years of DV shelters focused on getting DV victims away from that violence and in to safe settings. Shouldn't the next 50 years try to figure out how to reduce the number of batterers so fewer people will experience DV, while maintaining what's already been achieved?

If Missouri is giving money to DV shelters, then it too is involved in perpetuating domestic violence.

I'm amazed I was treated as poorly as I was by Missouri's schools and domestic violence shelters when trying to market my documentary to them. When I should have been treated with open arms, I was treated like a skunk at a picnic. It shows they have a lack of interest in trying to reduce the number of batterers.

I hope you'll address this issue. I may eventually be contacting media in Missouri to try to get them to publicize this issue, and I'd let them know I've contacted you about this.

After sending this to the governors and premiers I thought of something else you won't see on DV shelter websites, and that's editorializing that more research should be done to reduce the number of people who become batterers.

If you watch One Punch Homicide free, like it, and want others to see it, contact your local public library and ask them to show it. One Punch Homicide has been made available to every public library in the world for a free digital screening, and your local library might show it if you ask them to do so.

I hope you're here to watch One Punch Homicide, which you can do for free, and/or read about ideas to reduce violence, including what miserable jobs hospitals and schools are doing to reduce violence. I'd like to think One Punch Homicide might reduce violence more than anything in our time, and I challenge you to find a film that will reduce violence more. If you need persuading to view it, you can read its reviews below. Steven Pinker, a Harvard psychology professor and author of numerous best sellers, including one on violence, gave it a great review, and has twice tweeted his 175,000 followers and told them to watch it online.

In marketing it, I've come to the conclusion two organizations - hospitals and schools, which most people would like to think would be leaders in trying to reduce violence, are both, for different reasons, doing shameful jobs that may actually increase violence. I've written two short diatribes that follow - the first about hospitals, and the other about schools. With the hospital essay I make a new suggestion that could easily improve everyone's health.

If you want to read One Punch Homicide's reviews and skip the brief essays about hospitals and schools, Click here. If you wish to skip the two essays and reviews and watch the 87 minute One Punch Homicide for free, Click here.

Some easy technological changes in hospitals could improve health immensely. They should have been done long ago.

Hospitals don't really love us as much as they say they do in the millions of dollars they spend each year on TV commercials and other ads. They just want our money. If they really cared about us as much as they say, hospitals would have been run differently for years. For decades hospitals have totally ignored a fantastic learning medium at their fingertips to improve peoples' health because they've been far more interested in exploiting this medium to make a buck - the television sets in their hospital rooms. Hospitals have over 900,000 beds in the U.S., and many come with a television. Yet for decades, hospitals have done nothing to turn these televisions in to a tool that could improve peoples' health. One Punch Homicide would be a great film for hospitals to make available to 15 to 35 year old patients to watch. They could make hundreds of other health related films available too. There are a couple problems with this scenario though. What if showing health films were to cut in to hospitals' profits and the television fare they currently expose patients to? Also, what if hospitals showing health films improved peoples' health to the extent that fewer hospital beds were being used throughout the nation? Hospitals, including non-profits, are out to make a profit, and want their beds to be as full as possible. (In 2016, seven of the 10 most profitable hospitals in the U.S. were non-profits.)

Wouldn't one way to improve peoples' health, perhaps the best way, be to improve the quality of health information circulating amongst them? Is there a better way to do this than to have hospitals making hundreds of health films available for their patients to watch? Even those who've never been in a hospital or haven't been in one for years would benefit from information disseminated by those who've seen health films while hospitalized. Ignorance about health affects us all, not only our health as individuals, but the health of those we care about too.

How many in hospitals might be extremely receptive to watching health flicks to improve their health? And how many might watch some health films to learn more about the health problems of a friend or loved one? Information they may share with that friend or loved one that that person was not aware of.

Hospitals offering health programs could become for many their best and only source for health information, not including word of mouth. One source said 5-15% of the U.S. public has dyslexia, and another source claimed up to 10% have reading disorders. And there are many people who can read, but don't have access to health care information whether in print or online. The U.S. Department of Education claims only 12% of English speaking adults have proficient health literacy skills. Hospital films may be the best way to educate these people about health and raise the public's awareness, while lowering health costs too.

Such an effort to expose hospital patients to health films might be even more successful if it were to get a reputation for offering great films. Hopefully the day will come when some people see going in to the hospital as a chance to learn about how to improve their health.

Have you any suggestions concerning health films that hospitals might show their patients? If so, please send them to me at signit2@hotmail.com, and encourage hospitals to offer their patients hundreds of health flicks too.

For more information read: Health Illiteracy is Nothing New in America. But the Pandemic Magnifies how Troubling it is. The Washington Post

Years ago a study was done that compared the health of thousands of U.S. men in their 50s with the health of thousands of British men in their 50s. It found the health of both groups was the same, but in the U.S. the average spent on health care for each man was twice as much as it was in the U.K. Is this because American men are somehow physically inferior to British men?

The essay above was inspired by an incident with UW Health.

A benefit of having 50 states is that each can experiment with passing new laws that could work so well that other states imitate them. Each state has probably been the first to pass new laws that have inspired other states to copy them. Yet not one state has passed legislation that attempts to reduce domestic violence by what is taught in schools. Why? It may be the best way to reduce domestic violence.

Are high school principals more responsible for perpetuating violence in the U.S. than any other profession? Are schools more responsible for perpetuating violence in the nation than any other organization? After years of banging my head against a wall marketing One Punch Homicide, I feel I've a right to ask these questions. When it comes to violence, principals and school districts traditionally exert far more energy trying to cover-up violence in schools than they do in trying to reduce violence in schools and in society after students have graduated. Why? Parents don't want to send their kids to schools with violence, so as much as possible of it gets swept under the rug. In trying to get schools to use One Punch Homicide, I can't help but think it may not be shown in schools because if it was, and parents found out about it, it might be perceived by some parents that it was shown at school because it has a violence problem, and that encourages principals and school districts to do little or nothing about reducing violence in schools or outside schools, such as domestic violence. How much would it reduce domestic violence if people were taught in schools that it could be disastrous to hit other people? And when gun violence becomes common in schools, most schools go for the quick fix, police in schools, because they may not have faith in their own product - education. Are you aware of any public schools doing anything that might reduce violence in schools and society after students have graduated? Please let me know about them at signit2@hotmail.com.

I hope your film gets wide distribution.
Dr. Steven Pinker, Harvard Professor and Author, Massachusetts
Pinker has also twice tweeted his 175,000 followers and told them to check One Punch Homicide out online.

I encourage you to show it to your kids.
ShelterMe Nebraska, a domestic violence shelter, on its Facebook page.

"I thought it was valuable....those in jail for one punch homicide tended to say the old Karate maxims. This is mainly seen in the idea of walking away from the fight, how killing someone destroys many lives, and that violence is not the solution....This documentary is important for all ages to watch....As a martial artist, someone who works with children, and someone trained in the medical profession, I believe that if you teach or work with children that might get in a fight you have an obligation to watch this...and...once a child is 14 they should watch it as well, especially if they have been in fights or are training in martial arts."
Rafael Gutierrez, MD and martial arts instructor, California

The men who attended...felt that your documentary had great content and a great message.
Eva Zhou, Sigma Psi Zeta sorority, Drexel University, Pennsylvania (Sigma Psi Zeta showed One Punch Homicide to raise money for their local domestic violence shelter.)

Racine Public Library, Racine, Wisconsin, hosted a showing of "One Punch Homicide" and a discussion with the director afterwards. The audience members were amazed at the number of people jailed for murder, because of a single punch. There was a good discussion of how this information should be shared, with schools in particular because many of the inmates were very young. The director, Steve Kokette, focused on letting the young men talk about their situations. I recommend this program."Jessica MacPhail, Director, Racine Public Library

Hollywood has convinced us it is ok to hit a person in the head....People need to watch your film....New and very young recruits at basic training...need this information.
Major Van Harl, USAF Ret. and writer, Oklahoma

...the film successfully makes the point that a simple punch thrown in a dispute...can have disastrous results. Those who counsel youth on choosing non-violent solutions to disputes will find this film useful.
LIBRARY JOURNAL

"This meaningful project depicts how these incidents ruin the lives of not only the victim's family, but in many cases those of the perpetrator. These senseless types of incidents result in the destruction of many lives of those individuals and families who were never even close to the scene of the incident.
If you could get this documentary before the eyes of our youth, it could certainly and hopefully make someone think about throwing that punch in the heat of the moment that can change so many lives."
Arthur S. Lawson, Jr.
Chief of Police Gretna, Louisiana

"The interviews were absolutely riveting. And it's clear how prevalent this problem is...far more than anyone would imagine. I would think One Punch Homicide would have a significant impact on young people when they first start drinking. High school and college age people should see one Punch Homicide, especially if it is followed by a well-facilitated discussion. The discussion would keep kids who most need to take its message to heart from blowing it off after watching it." Jack Mitchell, retired teacher, Texas

"I really do think you hit a raw nerve and families and society should watch it." Ross Thompson, Homicide Victims' Support Network, Queensland, Australia
I found the video vignettes very powerful and compelling both in the sincerity of the perpetrators' remorse and in the tragic impact verbalized by victims loved ones. I think the ideal target audience would be high school freshmen who are on the cusp of self-discovery and developing awareness of how their choices and behaviors have direct and immediate consequences, often positive, but sometimes tragic and irreversible. Another group for potential impact would be those offered a community-based early intervention program following interpersonal trauma, either as a victim or assailant. Dana Underdahl, RN, BSN - Coordinator, Clinical Risk Management - Level One Trauma Center, Oregon

It was VERY informative.
Cecil Washington, martial arts instructor and software tester, Maryland
We owe a debt of gratitude to Steve Kokette...for producing One Punch Homicide.
Dean Weingarten, writer and reporter, Arizona
...sobering...
On Wisconsin Magazine

Here's a new way to reduce gun violence, including in schools, and other types of violence. It's an idea that might be easy to implement because it appeals to both NRA types and anti-gun violence advocates. The United Nations' World Health Organization says every year billions of dollars are spent worldwide on injuries related to punching incidents. Punching incidents often escalate in to using more deadly weapons - guns, knives, etc. So if you can reduce punching incidents, it should reduce gun violence and other types of violence, including domestic violence.

One Punch Homicide may reduce gun violence and other types of violence in a second way. If it reduces domestic violence that should reduce gun violence too, because so many of those who commit gun atrocities grew up in households where they experienced domestic violence. So if fewer people were to grow up experiencing domestic violence, there should be fewer people committing gun atrocities.

In making and promoting One Punch Homicide I've developed a new theory to reduce violence against women. I'm reluctant to call it a new theory because it's so simple I can't help but think someone or some people must have thought of the idea before me. However, in doing internet searches I've been unable to find anyone espousing the idea, which is that the best way to reduce violence against women is to reduce violence against men. Why? Men commit more acts of violence against people than women. Also, those who have been victims of violence are more likely to commit acts of violence against others. Therefore, if men were victims of violence less often, then they would commit acts of violence against others less often, and women would be victims of violence less often.

Half of One Punch Homicide is interviews with five inmates in five U.S. states who killed someone with one punch. It also has interviews with loved ones of seven who died from one punch, and about 30 gravestones of those who died from a single punch in the U.S., Canada, and Australia, with brief comments on each incident. (It looks briefly at 37 one punch homicide incidents. I found over 300 such incidents while doing research for the film, and you can see a list of most of them below.) It also shows the Garden of Angels, a hillside near Fort Worth dedicated to murdered children.

One Punch Homicide is a documentary that will reduce violence, crime, murders, and bullying, possibly more than anything in our time. It's about people who killed and were killed with one punch, and only one punch, and their loved ones. It will reduce violence against everyone - the elderly, disabled, lgbt, children, women, and men.

In 1998 the American Psychiatric Association stated that by the time Americans reached the age of 18 they had seen, on average, 200,000 acts of violence on screen. Aren't we cheating today's young by allowing them to watch so much violence without educating them that one punch can kill?

Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg of King County, which includes Seattle, Washington, says King County has four to six one punch homicides every year. If King County's one punch homicide rate is average for the U.S., which is impossible to tell because no one in the U.S., including the FBI, keeps statistics on the subject, then the U.S. has between 500 and 1,000 one punch homicides every year. Although this isn't a huge number, it has other implications. Most single punches don't result in a death, but for every death by one punch, how many other people experience serious injuries, including brain damage, because of one punch - 10, 20, 50, 100, or more?

I didn't make One Punch Homicide because I knew someone who had died from one punch. I was inspired to make it because I read of two one punch homicides within days of one another - One was the actual event, which happened in Madison, Wisconsin, in December of 2008, and the other was the sentencing hearing for an assailant. However, while working on the film, I learned of three friends or acquaintances whose lives were changed by one punch, and only one punch. One lost his peripheral vision in one eye. Another had six surgeries on an eye socket that was destroyed. He said if he didn't have the operations his eye ball might literally fall out. And the third spent a month in the hospital convalescing from his injuries. So in trying to prevent punches from being thrown, there's far more involved than trying to prevent one punch homicides.

I enjoy showing the film publicly and answering audience questions afterwards. I wish I could afford to do this for free, but I have to be paid. If you might be interested in having me do a "talkback" after a public showing of the film in your community, please contact me at signit2@hotmail.com. (You can see from a review above the Racine Public Library Director not only liked the film, but my talkback afterwards.)

An NBC news report called Why Domestic Violence Prevention Programs Don't Work claims there aren't any successful programs for getting men to stop being batterers after they've started. The new focus is on trying to change the behavior of males at a young age before they become domestic abusers. One Punch Homicide was made for showing primarily to those in their teens and 20s so they won't throw punches against anyone.

ONE PUNCH HOMICIDE TRAILER

WHO SHOULD SEE ONE PUNCH HOMICIDE?

Although One Punch Homicide was made primarily to convince teens, particularly boys, to never throw a first punch, it was made so adults would find it interesting too. While making the film I was surprised at how many adults have a fascination with death, especially people killing people. At any given time, there is always at least one top ten selling book about death, and at least one movie about death in the top ten selling movies. The first audience to see One Punch Homicide had eight adults. Five of them said it was riveting. (The other three left before the impromptu poll was taken.) One of those polled was an ex-U.S. marine in his 50s who admitted to starting some fights by throwing the first punch. He also said in the 1980s he'd worked awhile as a bouncer, where he once knocked someone out with one punch. He said One Punch Homicide made him feel incredibly grateful he'd never killed anyone, and he vowed to never throw another first punch. I hadn't foreseen anyone having this type of reaction to the film, and it made me wonder how many millions of people there might be like him who would have a similar reaction to seeing it.

With the five interviews One Punch Homicide has with inmates talking about the bleakness of prison life, it should also discourage teens and others from committing crimes in general.

So if you're thinking of watching One Punch Homicide and wondering who you might want to watch it with, here are three suggestions:

1) Any teen - female or male. Girls should watch it because if they get stuck in an abusive relationship it could inspire them to get out of such relationships earlier. Too many women die each year because they think their partner loves them and will change, but never does.
2) Anyone who has a history of throwing a first punch to start a fight.
3) Because it would be appropriate to show to students in college or high school assemblies or classes, anyone involved in their education - teachers, school board members, principals, headmasters, etc.

If you're a parent with a history of throwing first punches and don't want your kids to follow in your footsteps, and/or were physically abused as a child, please consider showing your own kids One Punch Homicide.

Putting an end to human physical abuse - of the elderly, disabled, lgbt, children, women, and men - has always involved ending it one abuser at a time. One of the problems to putting an end to abuse by one abuser at a time is that new cases pop up and often go undetected for years, and perhaps forever. And although this is a very important way to end abuse, one abuser at a time, perhaps we should be giving more thought to somehow discouraging those who might become abusers from ever physically abusing anyone. With that said, One Punch Homicide was made primarily with the hope that it will discourage some from ever becoming physical abusers.

One Punch Homicide

(87 Minute version.)

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This One Punch Homicide version has English subtitles for the deaf and those learning English as a second language.

If you're organization - hospital, school, whatever - is using One Punch Homicide multiple times for free, please buy it. It is being offered for one free viewing, not multiple free viewings by the same organization.

Please, if you can afford it, consider buying your viewing of One Punch Homicide after you've seen it. If you like its message and feel it will reduce violence and crime, please consider buying it so I can keep the message available to others on this website, put food on my plate, a roof over head, and possibly help me to make more films. (For those paying to see One Punch Homicide in the U.S., because you are making a purchase and not a donation, the transaction cannot be written off on your taxes.)

If you wish to use One Punch Homicide as a fund raiser, please contact Steve Kokette.

To hear a 12 and 1/2 minute interview with Steve Kokette, the maker of One Punch Homicide, on Crime and Punishment, a nationally syndicated Canadian radio program produced by CJOB in Winnipeg, click here.

To hear an interview with Steve Kokette on the Dean and Don on KMA 960 and KMA FM 99.1 show, click here.

To see the credits for One Punch Homicide, click here.

To see a list of over 200 one punch homicides, click here.

Other work by Steve Kokette, the maker of One Punch Homicide, click here.

In thinking of violence so much in making and promoting this film, I want to throw this idea out there, hoping it might help reduce wars. I've come to the conclusion that perhaps the people who are doing the most to reduce wars are those who are working to reduce domestic violence. In every nation of the world there are people who have grown up or are growing up in households where they are victims of domestic violence. Too many of them probably feel that violence is a normal part of life, inevitable. So when world leaders try to create war hysteria by telling their citizens we have to go to war against those schmucks in Schmuckland for whatever reason, those who feel violence is inevitable aren't going to question their leaders, and war is more likely to happen. But if fewer people grew up in households with domestic violence, fewer people would think violence is normal and might question if their nation should be going to war.

Contact:

Steve Kokette
PO Box 2302
Madison, WI 53701

(608) 441-5277

signit2@hotmail.com

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