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Our Fifteenth Anniversary:
A Moment to Reflect and Be Proud

Jill Hightower and Penny Bain

It’s been just over 15 years since the BC Institute Against Family Violence came into being. Primarily the creation of Dr. Derek Eaves of the BC Forensic Psychiatric Services Commission, the Institute grew out of his vision of an entity that would undertake research and education in the area of family violence. A major goal of the Institute would be tofacilitate interaction between government, universities, and the community at large. He saw the Institute serving as a clearing-house for research and information on family violence. A small grant from the Ministry of Health led to the incorporation of the Society in January 1989.

The Institute opened its doors in Vancouver in May 1989 with a two-day, international conference called Family Violence: National and International Perspectives on Research, Policy and Practice, which was co-sponsored by the Institute, the Forensic Psychiatric Services Commission, and the Simon Fraser University Department of Psychology. Initiating a tradition of inter-institutional cooperation that continues to drive and support the Institute’s work, this event brought together policy makers, practitioners, researchers, and students from across BC and the country with the dual goals of creating a broad overview of child abuse, spousal violence, and elder abuse, and examining current policies and programs addressing family violence. The volume of collected papers from this seminal conference has since been sold across North America and used in university courses.

By the end of the 1990/91 fiscal year, in addition to the copious work involved in establishing a physical presence in the temporary location of the Forensic Psychiatric Services Commission in Burnaby, the Institute conducted research into BC Native suicide that examined coroner files on all Aboriginal suicides occurring in British Columbia between 1984 to 1989, compared with a geographically matched sample of non-Aboriginal suicides. For the Ministry of Health, the Institute coordinated a Native Family Health project to study the effects of sexual abuse within First Nations communities as well as overall mental-health needs. That year, the Institute also conducted a demonstration project on pre/post-warrant expiry sex-offender treatment.

The following fiscal year saw the beginning of a needs assessment for incarcerated female offenders who had survived childhood physical and sexual abuse; the launch of a study of domestic homicides; publication of the first Institute newsletter; receipt of funding for a video on wife-assault prosecutions; the beginning of development of standards for treatment of abusive men; co-sponsorship of a conference on parental bonding; and assistance to community agencies undertaking program evaluation.

In 1992/93, reflecting the Institute’s growing needs, the offices were moved to a large space at Waterfront Station on Cordova Street. During that fiscal year, the Institute continued working on the wife-assault video; developed a literature review on men’s treatment programs; began the federally funded evaluation of two treatment programs for abusive men; began a literature review on the effects on children of witnessing parental violence; conducted a study of spousal abuse in the Fraser Valley; began developing the protocol and literature review for the Spousal Assault Risk Assessment Guide (SARA); and began a study of familicide. In cooperation with the Office for Seniors of the Ministry of Health, the Institute developed Connecting, a curriculum guide on abuse of the elderly, and a resource handbook on elder abuse. The Institute also evaluated family-violence interventions in an Aboriginal community for the Health Branch of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.

Never allowing the pace of this work to abate, in 1993/94 staff and board members completed French and English versions of the wife-assault video; completed the familicide study; finished evaluating two treatment programs for abusive men and prepared a model for monitoring and evaluating men’s treatment programs; completed a literature review on wife-assault risk assessment; and continued developing the SARA. New projects included planning a national conference on family violence; initiating public access to the Resource Centre, expanding the collection to 500 books, and publishing the catalogue; distributing the newsletter to 2000 recipients; preparing a literature review on child custody and access in the context of family violence; conducting a bail-hostel feasibility study; beginning development of a handbook and fact sheets for newcomer parents on child abuse and neglect; beginning evaluation of an abusive men’s treatment program at SHARE Family and Community Service Agency; coordinating development of a training video on sexual abuse for use in a First Nations community and evaluating a family-violence initiative in another First Nations community, both for the Ministry of Attorney General; and working with Dale Trimble of the Association of Counsellors of Abusive Men to develop a training package entitled Themes of Defense, which included a video that was utilized by the Knowledge Network. Bessie Pang, a criminology consultant, worked with the Institute to develop standards and guidelines for the assessment, treatment, and management of sex offenders. Advisors to this project included psychologists and psychia-trists, from Federal and Provincial Corrections and BC Forensic Psychiatric Services. The Institute also undertook a survey of banks and credit unions regarding financial abuse of seniors.

With so many projects on the go, the Institute had its work cut out before the 1994/95 fiscal year began. Although these projects alone would have made for a very productive year, staff and board also hosted a national conference called Stopping the Violence: Changing Families, Changing Futures; co-sponsored a regional conference called Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Family Violence; began developing a video on sexual assault for justice-system personnel; initiated a study to follow 200 adolescents treated by the Youth Court Services Sex Offender Treatment Programs; and shifted the focus on men’s treatment to the development of principles for assaultive men’s programming in correctional centers.

In 1995/96 the Institute published the proceedings of the 1994 conference Stopping the Violence: Changing Families Changing Futures; continued research on the reliability of the SARA; continued research on assaultive men’s treatment and evaluation of treatment programs; continued the study of 200 adolescents; began developing The Person Within project to prevent abuse and neglect of children with disabilities; published previously developed information sheets for newcomer parents in 14 languages; began developing a handbook for workers who provide services to newcomer parents; and launched the BCIFV web site. The Institute also published Communities Betrayed: Multiple Victim Child Sexual Abuse in Rural Communities, a report on an occurrence of multiple-victim child sexual abuse in a small rural community perpetrated by an individual who had been a trusted community leader and teacher.

In May of 1996, under the direction of an inter-ministerial committee representing the Ministries of Attorney General (Corrections Branch) and Health (Forensic Psychiatric Services Commission), the Institute began a three-year plan to evaluate assaultive men’s programs in BC. During this year, the Institute continued evaluating the validity of the SARA and providing training in its use. The development of The Person Within project continued with a series of focus groups held with Sunny Hill Hospital for Children. In addition, the Institute provided workshops on professional boundaries for individuals working with victims and offenders, the purpose of which was to assist service providers in understanding the limits or boundaries of a professional relationship with a client, including such elements as client confidentiality. During this year, the Institute also began planning a conference on mental disorders and the Criminal Code.

The following year, the Institute co-sponsored a cross-cultural workshop on violence against women; and published the proceedings entitled Violence and Women: Meeting the Cross Cultural Challenge. The Institute also started producing The Person Within video; hosted the conference on mental disorders and the Criminal Code; continued ongoing research to validate the SARA and to evaluate men’s treatment programs; provided training for professionals on risk assessment and criminal harassment; and developed a series of brochures on issues of ageing, safety, and health for older persons. At the end of the fiscal year, board, staff, and contractors bid a fond adieu to Jill Hightower as she retired from formal employment, and happily welcomed her back as she joined the board of directors. The board hired Penny Bain, formerly of the Legal Services Society of BC, as the new executive director.

In 1998/99, extensive work came to fruition with the launch of The Person Within video and handbook; completion of the evaluation of men’s treatment programs; and completion of the sexual-assault video. Institute board and staff also began planning a major conference on risk assessment; developed a new research project on criminal harassment; continued training professionals on risk assessment and criminal harassment; and conducted a literature review of sentencing patterns in family-violence cases.
During the last year of the old century, the Institute presented the conference on risk assessment and risk management; conducted The Person Within workshops for caregivers of children with disabilities; continued the research project on criminal harassment; and began developing a screening version of the SARA for use by police and other frontline workers. Work regarding assaultive men went in a new direction as the Institute assisted BC’s Corrections Branch in developing a core curriculum for an abusive men’s education program, and continued researching assaultive men’s typologies for designing appropriate men’s treatment and management strategies. Making the final year of the millennium truly a banner year, other projects included examining the risk of stalking and spousal homicide in a group of federal offenders; researching improvements to the SVR-20 sexual-offender risk-assessment tool; researching police experience with the BC pro-arrest policy relating to violence against women in relationships; developing a literature review of issues relating to child custody and access; researching issues faced by women without landed-immigrant status who are abused by their sponsoring partners; providing assistance in the development of the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services; and assuming management of the Violence Prevention Affiliate of the Canadian Health Network, a web-based health-information resource.

The first year of the new millennium was equally as productive. In 2000/01, the Institute continued: conducting The Person Within workshops; working in support of women without landed status who are abused by their sponsoring partners by developing a booklet for service providers; addressing child custody and access issues by providing workshops for service providers; supporting the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services by organizing a founding conference; researching criminal harassment and developing a screening version of SARA; developing a psycho-educational curriculum for BC Corrections staff to deliver to abusive men; researching abusive men’s typologies; and improving the sexual-offender risk-assessment tool. New directions included participating in law-reform debates relating to corporal punishment, gun control, violence in video games, and reform of the Divorce Act; participating in policy development within the Ministry of Children and Family Development; beginning new research on femicides in BC; completing a review of Children’s Commissioner reports on child-fatality reports in BC; and carrying out a study for the Vancouver Richmond Health Board relating to health services for women who experience violence in relationships.

In 2001/02, the Institute completed the study for the Vancouver Richmond Health Board; continued The Person Within; continued workshops on child custody and family violence; continued researching femicide and criminal harassment; continued participating in law-reform discussions and changes to government policies; and continued assisting BC Corrections to develop a curriculum guide for abusive men’s treatment programs. Taking a couple of older projects in new directions, staff also began conducting workshops on issues facing immigrant women who are abused by their sponsors, and began developing materials for newcomer parents on child abuse versus child discipline. New efforts included launching a research project on safety assessment and planning for women who experience violence in relationships, and conducting a major needs assessment with key stakeholders in order to plan directions for future Institute research and education projects.

In 2002/03, the Institute completed and distributed curriculum material and a video for ESL teachers and newcomer parents on child discipline versus child abuse in Canada; continued research on victim safety assessment and planning; continued research into femicides and the need for fatality reviews; continued research on criminal harassment; continued working on a screening tool for SARA; and initiated a literature review on best practices in serving abused immigrant women. The Institute also began evaluating the Correction Service of Canada’s treatment program for abusive men; began a literature review on best practices in serving children exposed to family violence; participated in policy discussions with Minister of State for Women’s Equality and Ministry of Children and Family Development; and prepared policy papers on the proposed changes to the pro-prosecution policy in cases of family violence and on proposed changes to the Divorce Act. Last but not least, the Institute administered a Women in Action project to take information from survivors of intimate-partner violence to communities throughout BC.

This fiscal year has seen a continuation of projects begun in past years: including new funding from the National Crime Prevention Strategy for a three-year pilot of a safety-assessment and planning tool for victims of intimate-partner violence; continued development of a SARA screening tool called B-SAFER; continued testing of a criminal-harassment risk-assessment tool; further evaluation of Correction Service of Canada’s treatment programs; administrative support for a BC Coalition Against Violence Against Women project to build a community network and develop a research design to assess the impact of service cuts on women who experience violence in relationships; administrative support for a research project examining abused women’s health and decision making; a literature review and formation of a working group to examine best practices in responding to children exposed to violence between their parents; continuation of a study of the need for fatality reviews for victims of familicide; literature reviews on best practices in serving abused immigrant women, use of restorative justice for victims of intimate-partner violence, and the impact of family violence on the health of street youth; administrative support for the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services; management of the Violence Prevention Affiliate of the Canadian Health Network; and responding to policy issues such as gun control, reform of custody and access laws, and corporal punishment.

As we look back to the earliest day’s after the Institute’s creation, it is important to remember the names of our creator Derek Eaves, its first executive directors Reggie Newkirk and Judd Sharer, and founding directors Chloe Lapp, Wendy Harvey, Ron Roesch, John Gray, and Fred Bannon. We thank them for undertaking the vital task of nurturing the Institute through its earliest days of life.

For our part, we feel privileged to have been a part of this unique organization for so many years. It has been and continues to be an honour to work with so many talented and educated people. It is a tribute to the vision of the Institute’s founders and the worthiness of its mandate that, for 15 years, so many outstanding individuals have gladly devoted their knowledge and abilities, energy and time to understanding, educating the public about, and ultimately eliminating family violence. Along with the entire anti-violence community, we are indebted to them all.

This report reflects the experience of the Institute’s two longest-serving executive directors, Jill Hightower and Penny Bain.

Pull Quotes:

What the Institute’s talented staff and board members have accomplished in just 15 years is impressive.

From January 13, 1989 to the present day, the pace of the Institute’s work has never abated.

We are indebted to the vision of the founding directors, and to 15 years of tireless work by staff and board members.