RESEARCH
Victim Safety Planning
In partnership with the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor
General Victim Service Division, and with the assistance
of three year funding from the National Crime Prevention
Centre, this research has resulted in the drafting of a
manual providing structured guidelines for victim safety
planning in spousal-violence situations. In the second year
of the project we pilot tested the manual with 17 experienced
victim services, transition house and justice system workers.
The goal is to support front line workers to improve safety
assessment and planning with women who experience violence
in relationships.
We have also developed a draft companion manual of protective
measures available to assist abused women seeking safety.
We plan to test the manual with policy analysts and then
service providers in 2005/06.
As well, we have developed a draft of a manual for health
care providers. In 2005/06 we plan to complete and test
the manual with policy analysts and service providers.
Children Exposed to Violence
In partnership with the BC/Yukon Society of Transition
Houses, the Institute prepared a literature review and facilitated
a working group to develop best-practices guidelines to
assist psychiatrists, psychologists, community health workers
and counsellors of children who witness violence to work
more effectively together to support children who have experienced
exposure to violence in their families. The goal is to facilitate
a co-ordinated model of best practices. A one day workshop/discussion
on the topic is planned for 2005/06.
Women’s Health and Decision Making in Abusive
Heterosexual Relationships
The Institute administered a research project for Dr. Tonia
Nicholls with the goal of identifying factors that assist
or impede women in seeking help and/or leaving abusive relationships.
With funding from the Lions Gate Healthcare Foundation for
Healthcare Research, SSHRC and the Michael Smith Foundation
for Health Research, Dr. Tonia Nicholls, Dr. William Koch
and Dr. Randy Kropp conducted a study to: (1) Examine the
impact of serious mental health problems (depression and
PTSD) on safety planning; (2) Contrast the accuracy of women’s
perceptions of their partners’ risk for future abuse
with the SARA; (3) Empirically demonstrate what keeps women
in abusive relationships and use that data to develop a
risk needs measure for spouse abuse victims.
Building Safer Ground
The Institute provided administrative support to and participated
in the BC Coalition Against Violence Against Women and Children
study funded by the Status of Women Canada to build the
network and design a research project regarding the impact
of recent service cuts on women who experience violence.
The Coalition completed a final report to Status of Women
Canada in March 2005.
Improving Health Care Response to Intimate Partner
Violence in BC: A Literature Review
The Institute is currently undertaking a literature review
aimed at making recommendations to help improve health care
responses to intimate partner violence and promote health
through violence prevention.
Restorative Justice: A Literature Review
The Institute distributed a literature review on restorative
justice principles and practices as they relate to cases
of family violence.
Abused Immigrant and Ethnocultural Women Best Practices:
A Literature Review
A review of literature related to best practices in serving
the needs of immigrant and ethnocultural women who experience
family violence is being completed.
Street Youth, Violence and Health Literature Review
This literature review summarizes the research related
to the healthimpact of family violence on street involved
youth.
EDUCATION
Regional Health Authority Presentations
At the request of the Provincial Health Authority Mental
Health Services, the Institute prepared a presentation on
family violence and health for key policy analysts, to assist
regional health authorities to incorporate findings of family
violence research into their planning and service delivery.
Presentations were made to the Vancouver Coastal Health
Authority, the Northern Regional Health Authority, and the
Interior Regional Health Authority.
Newsletter Aware for Health Care Providers
The Institute’s Summer 2005 issue of Aware closely
examines the health impacts of family violence on its primary
victims: women and children. The issue features articles
by Dr. Liz Whynot, President of BC Women’s Hospital
& Health Centre, and Dr. Collen Varcoe, Associate Professor
at UBC School of Nursing and research team member of the
Women’s Health Effects Study (a national, longitudinal
study of the long-term impact of violence on women’s
health), as well as other experts in the women’s health
and anti-violence fields.
Forum for Health Care Providers
The Institute, in partnership with BC Women’s Hospital
Woman Abuse Response Program, will be convening a forum
in early 2006 for health care providers, to explore best
practices in addressing the needs of patients who experience
intimate partner violence.
Information Bulletins for Health Care Providers
on Intimate Partner Violence
The Institute is currently developing four information bulletins
for health care providers to assist in improving their response
to patients who have experienced or are at high risk of
experiencing intimate partner violence.
Youth Taking Action
The Institute, in partnership with Society for Children
and Youth of BC, has received a Vancouver Foundation grant
to develop a resource for youth aged 12 to 16 who are victims
of family violence. SCY and the Canadian Red Cross’
RespectED program have agreed to provide support for the
project. We are currently seeking additional funding.
Woman to Woman
The Institute provides assistance for "Woman to Woman",
an innovative project of Helping Spirit Lodge Society and
the Aboriginal Women's Collective, designed to provide Information,
Tools and Skills to Aboriginal women leaving abusive relationships.
This interactive program of workshops is designed and delivered
by women who have experienced Domestic/Sexual abuse and
who have overcome obstacles with Family, Police, Courts,
Addictions and Ministry of Family and Children.
The Person Within
Although funding for this project has ended, requests for
the video and handbook continue to come in, and workshops
are delivered on a volunteer basis. The BCIFV staff and
Board extend heartfelt thanks to Dr. Sally Rogow for her
ongoing work to end abuse of children and youth with disabilities.
Her passion and dedication are deeply appreciated.
Child-Protection Guidelines
The Institute participated with the BC Association of Victim
Assistance and Counselling Programs, BC Women’s Hospital
Sexual Assault Service, BC Women’s Hospital Violence
Against Women in Relationships Program, and the BC/Yukon
Society of Transition Houses in the development of policy
and protocols with the Ministry for Children and Families
on child-protection issues in cases involving violence against
women in their intimate relationships.
old projects
- Civil Legal Rights
of Abused Women : A Transformative Public
Legal Education Projec
