Research aims to restore equi-table access to resources for victims of domestic violence
Anyone experiencing intimate partner violence should have equitable access to assistance and the appropriate resources from community and criminal justice agencies,” University of Guelph Prof. Myrna Dawson explains.
Whether it be shelters, legal advocacy, counselling, access to justice, or the basic necessities of life, all such resources can contribute to a common goal—violence reduction. Increasing the accessibility and number of resources available to victims and perpetrators is a step in the right direction, said Dawson—who holds the Canada Research Chair in Public Policy in Criminal Justice.
With funding primarily from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), she’s creating a database that documents the distribution of domestic violence resources and criminal justice responses available to victims and offenders across Ontario.
Dawson hopes that, her efforts will ultimately lead to more information for those experiencing violence and those concerned with violence prevention.
She’s planning to compare the number of resources and the types of criminal justice responses to the number of crimes identified as intimate partner violence across [pullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]…to improve their physical and mental health and social well-being.[/pullquote]
jurisdictions. Her theory is that a community with high resources, including access to justice, should have less violence.
“It shouldn’t matter where you live, or who you are, you should get the same access to justice, both in terms of the criminal justice responses and the services you have access to that can help you deal with violent experiences,” said Dawson.
At Guelph, Dawson established the Centre for the Study of Social and Legal Responses to Violence for researchers to collaborate with community organizations, to engage students in this research, and promote the knowledge gained from research studies. These approaches work together to promote violence prevention through outreach activities and educational events.
Dawson will also be identifying the different types of resources available. She says violence prevention resources are varied—they include risk assessment and safety planning, victim crisis assistance, family court services, emergency childcare, language and cultural interpreters, housing services, public education, transportation services, mental health and addiction services, shelters and the police.
In terms of risk assessment and safety planning, Dawson is also co-leading a new $2.2 million national project to curb domestic violence and homicide. As part of this work, during the next five years, she will be involved in developing a national domestic homicide database that will be used to conduct research to improve risk assessment and management. It will also be used for safety planning for vulnerable populations—Aboriginal women, rural residents, immigrants and refugees, as well as children exposed to domestic violence. This project is also funded by SSHRC.
The underlying principal of both projects is that people who’ve experienced violence need a variety of resources to improve their physical and mental health and social well-being. This should occur in a non-judgmental and safe space, Dawson said.
Responding to violence in people’s lives is a complex matter. Dawson asserts that communities should look at what resources they can offer victims and perpetrators. Because intimate partner violence largely stems from gender and social inequalities, such resources need to include housing, education, childcare, and job training. Some people don’t have the basic necessities of life, she argues, so how can they deal with what is often ongoing and chronic violence in their lives. “There needs to be less judgment and stigmatization about people who are experiencing violence in their lives,” says Dawson. “Any one of us could find ourselves in a similar situation if we’ve had to face a lot of challenges and obstacles, and we don’t get the help we need.”
Identifying resources—or the lack of them—in specific jurisdictions to assist those who’ve experienced violence is just the first step. Further research in this area will seek to explain why those resources are not available. Then, Dawson and her team hope to develop solutions that will meet the community’s needs and reduce violence. “My ultimate goal is prevention, but prevention can’t occur until we communicate, cooperate, and collaborate with community agencies and the public,” said Dawson. “It’s about increasing collaboration so prevention can actually move forward.”