Background on Abuse

The following information was written by;
The National Clearinghouse on Family Violence. 

The term woman abuse refers to various forms of violence, abuse, mistreatment, and neglect that women experience in their intimate, kin, or dependent relationships. These include current, dissolving, or past relationships with husbands, common-law partners, lovers, dating partners, family members, and caregivers.
 
Many terms have been used to describe the abuse of women within relationships, including wife abuse, wife assault, wife battering, spouse abuse, and partner abuse. Recently, activists within the shelter movement have begun to use the more inclusive term woman abuse or woman battering. Some authors use the term 'woman abuse'  to refer to various forms of violence against women, which includes wife abuse, premarital woman abuse, rape, and sexual assault. The term intimate partner violence has also been used. Some terms do not specify whether the abuser is a man or a woman, though it is generally accepted by front-line workers that a woman is most likely to be abused by a man.
 
Any woman may experience abuse, regardless of her age, race, ethnicity, education, cultural identity, socioeconomic status, occupation, religion, sexual orientation, physical or mental abilities, and personality. A woman may be at risk of abuse at virtually any point in her life, from childhood to old age. Young girls who are abused or who witness abuse against their mothers may be particularly vulnerable to being abused as they grow into young women. Women who are in their childbearing years may experience abuse that  may be of negative consequence to their reproductive health.  As women grow older, they may continue to be abused, either in their homes or in other residential settings.
 
Women who are abused may experience more than one type of aggression. Typically, abusive partners attempt to dominate and control by threatening or harming a woman’s physical and emotional well-being, sexuality, social life, parenting ability, financial situation, possessions, or spiritual life. A woman may experience a single episode of abuse or a pattern of abuse that endures over many years.

Physical Abuse,
may include assaults involving beating, burning, slapping, choking, kicking, pushing, biting, or using a weapon. It may also be characterized by physical neglect through denial of food or medication; inappropriate personal or medical care; rough handling; or confinement.  Physical abuse and neglect can result in serious injuries and death. Assault is against the law in Canada.
 
Emotional or psychological abuse,
may include constant yelling; screaming; name-calling; insults; threats; humiliation or criticism; excessive jealousy or suspiciousness; threatening or harassing a woman or her children, family members, friends, or pets; isolation from neighbors, friends, or family; or depriving a woman of love and affection. For some women, the effects of emotional abuse are worse than the consequences of physical violence. Women who are emotionally abused are at high risk for experiencing physical violence. Stalking or threatening another person (criminal harassment) and willfully destroying or damaging another person’s property are against the law in Canada.
 
Sexual abuse,
may include rape (sexual assault); unwanted sexual touching; sexual harassment; sexual exploitation; or forcing a woman to participate in any unwanted, unsafe, degrading, or offensive sexual activity. Sexual abuse may also include denying or ridiculing a woman’s sexuality, or controlling her reproductive choices. The practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) has serious consequences for young women, especially during their childbearing years. Sexual assault and sexual exploitation are against the law in Canada.
 
Economic or financial abuse,
may include preventing a woman from working; controlling her occupational choices; preventing her from achieving or maintaining financial independence; denying or controlling her access to financial resources; or exploiting her financially. Failing to provide the necessities of life to a spouse or dependent is against the law in Canada.
 
Spiritual abuse,
may include preventing a woman from participating in spiritual or religious practices, ridiculing her beliefs, or using spiritual beliefs to justify controlling her.

Every year, hundreds of women in Canada are seriously injured or killed as a result of physical violence inflicted on them by their partners. According to police reports for 1999, 523 women suffered major physical injuries or died at the hands of their husbands or common-law partners. This figure is five times higher than the number of men (100) who experienced major physical injuries or death at the hands of their spouses in the same time period.  Research indicates that many cases of abuse are not reported to police.

Victim surveys directly ask people about their experiences of abuse. These surveys provide a fuller, albeit incomplete, picture of the extent and nature of woman abuse. The 1993 Violence Against Women Survey (VAWS) was the first survey to provide national information on women’s experience of violence in Canada. Since then, the 1999 General Social Survey (GSS) on Victimization has asked almost 26,000 women and men in Canada about their experiences of violence at the hands of their current or previous spouses or common-law partners. According to the 1999 GSS survey, 8% of women and 7% of men experienced some type of violence, ranging from threats to sexual assault, in their intimate relationships during the five years covered by the survey. The survey also found that violence experienced by women tends to be more severe and more frequently repeated than the violence directed at men.

There are many theories and differences of opinion about what causes woman abuse, but there is no single, definitive explanation. However, many experts believe that the long-standing power imbalance between men and women in society is a central cause of the issue. These experts link the mistreatment and abuse of women to the social and economic reality of women’s lives, and to the web of discriminatory attitudes, values, behaviours, structures, and institutions that undermine, isolate, and marginalize women.

There is growing understanding of how the effects of dislocation, colonization, racism, homophobia, poverty, and isolation further increase women’s vulnerability to abuse.

The use of violence is unacceptable in any circumstance. Everyone has a responsibility to help end violence and learn how to develop healthy relationships.

Any woman, regardless of her life circumstances, may experience abuse. Statistics have identified factors that increase a woman’s vulnerability to being abused in her relationship. These risk factors are not necessarily direct causes of abuse, but they are associated with violence, and increase the likelihood of violence. Combining  factors create an even higher risk. 

Some of the factors that increase a woman’s vulnerability to abuse include being young (18 to 24 years of age), elderly (65 years or older), disabled, Aboriginal, or pregnant. The risk increases when a woman was victimized in her childhood or was exposed to violence against her mother. 

Women younger than 25 years of age are at a higher risk of experiencing violence in their relationships than other women. These women are also at a higher risk than others of being killed by their current or ex-husbands or common-law partners. 

Women with disabilities are estimated to be 1.5 to ten times more likely to be abused than are women without disabilities, depending on whether or not the women with disabilities live in a community or institutional setting. Abuse against women with disabilities includes a wide range of behaviours that women without disabilities will likely not experience. For example, women with disabilities must often rely on others to help them with mobility, toileting, eating, bathing, and other daily tasks. This dependence requires intimate relationships with a wide range of people, including partners, caregivers, health professionals, transportation providers, and other family members. Dependence on a large network of relationships increases the chances that women with disabilities will experience abuse.

Research has shown that First Nations and Inuit women experience very high rates of violence. In one Ontario study, eight out of ten Aboriginal women had experienced violence in their relationships. Of these, 87 percent were physically injured and 57 percent were sexually abused. In some northern Aboriginal communities, an estimated 75 to 90 percent of women have been physically abused. 

Relationship factors may additionally increase a woman’s vulnerability to abuse. For example, she is more likely to experience abuse if her partner is young (18 to 24 years of age), is unemployed (long-term), has little formal education, is a heavy drinker, or was exposed to violence against his mother. Women in common-law relationships are at a higher risk of abuse than women who are married. The presence of weapons in the home is associated with lethal violence. When a woman either threatens to leave or leaves her partner, she faces an increased risk of being further victimized or killed. Her desire to leave the relationship may pose a serious challenge to her partner’s desire for control, and the partner may respond by intensifying the violence or murdering her.

For Abused Women
Being abused may undermine virtually every aspect of a woman’s life: her physical and mental health (see Health Consequences of Woman Abuse, below); her ability to work; her relationships with her children, family members, and friends; her self-efficacy; and her fundamental sense of self-worth. Sometimes women attempt to cope with abuse by using drugs or alcohol, which creates additional problems. In some cases, women are eventually killed by their abusive partners.

a) Health Consequences of Woman Abuse
Physical health effects of abuse include broken bones, bruises, burns, cuts, stabs, firearm wounds, abrasions, bites, lacerations, sprains, concussions, skull fractures, scarring, perforated eardrums, detached retinas, injuries to the voice box, chipped or lost teeth, hair loss, chronic gastro-intestinal pain, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic neck, back or other musculoskeletal pain, chronic headache, hypertension, palpitations, hyperventilation, and substance abuse problems. Pregnant women who are abused may experience serious complications for herself,  the fetus and, later, the infant.

b) Sexual Health Effects of Woman Abuse
Sexual health effects of abuse include sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV; chronic pelvic, genital, or uterine pain; chronic vaginal or urinary infection; bruising or tearing of the vagina or anus; frequent pregnancy, when unwanted or contraindicated; infertility or early hysterectomy; and sexually addictive behaviour. The practice of Female Genital Mutilation has additional physical and psychological consequences.

c) Psychological Effects of Woman Abuse
Psychological effects of abuse include low self-esteem; self-degradation; self-abuse; difficulty with relationships; acute anxiety; frequent crying; unusual or pronounced fear responses; uncontrolled or rapid anger responses; insomnia; sleep disturbances; nightmares; lack of appropriate boundaries; arrested development; passivity; memory loss; loss of concentration; and decreased productivity.

d) Psychiatric effects of Woman Abuse
Psychiatric effects of abuse include depression, suicidal thoughts, dissociation, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, eating disorders, adjustment disorder with depressed mood, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Although abuse can have devastating effects on women, the impacts are not often seen or identified. Many professionals and service providers who work with women now recognize that they have the responsibility of educating themselves on the indicators of abuse, and of routinely asking women about their experiences of abuse in case they are willing to offer more information. 

The impacts of abuse extend from women to other individuals, and to the larger community.

For Children Exposed to Violence
The 1999 General Social Survey, which measured a five year period, found that children heard or witnessed a parent being assaulted in approximately 37 percent (461,000) of spousal violence cases. The survey also noted that children are more likely to be exposed to violence against their mothers than against their fathers, and are most likely to witness or hear serious assaults on their mothers. Children who are exposed to violence against their mothers – even infants and very young children – may be seriously affected. Exposure to violence against their mothers can undermine children’s emotional development and cause serious behavioural problems in school. The emotional and behavioural effects can be similar to those experienced by children who are, themselves, being physically abused.

For Abusers
Professionals note that men who abuse their partners may be experiencing anger, denial, emotional problems, rejection, and isolation. Factors such as experiencing or witnessing abuse during childhood, the use of drugs or alcohol, involvement in the criminal justice system, and other negative experiences compound the abuse. Abusers are responsible for their behaviour, for the devastating effects it has on their partners and children, and for the harm they do to themselves. Some abusers eventually kill their partners, their children, and themselves.

Costs to Society
Research has shown that woman abuse costs billions of dollars in Canada annually. The first-ever estimate of the costs associated with woman abuse, along with other forms of violence against women, came to over $4.2 billion per year in social services, education, criminal justice, labour, employment, health, and medical costs.

Woman abuse, and all other forms of gender-based violence, have wide ranging consequences for women’s health and for the health system. The health-related costs of woman abuse, alone, have been estimated at more than $1.5 billion per year. This includes the costs of immediate medical attention and dental treatment; lost time at work, paid and unpaid; long-term medical treatment; psychiatric hospital stays of all types; use of transition homes and crisis centres; and other prevention and treatment initiatives.

The study “Selected Estimates of the Costs of Violence Against Women” indicates that these estimates provide important information, but they are only part of the picture. There are many costs related to woman abuse that have not yet been calculated.

Children Who Witness Abuse

Between forty and eighty percent of abused women's children witness the violence. Professionals assert that children see, overhear, or are aware of the majority of violent incidents. Estimates indicate that three to five children in every Canadian school classroom have witnessed their mothers being assaulted.  In many cases children witness severe violence. In the 1993 Statistics Canada study, children were reported to have witnessed violence in more than half of the cases in which women feared for their lives. Children who witness physical violence toward their mothers almost invariably witness psychological abuse as well, which includes verbal abuse, belittling, and threats.

A child is being emotionally abused if he witnesses the violent behaviour towards his mother from his father or his mother's partner.

30 to 40% of children who witness wife assault also experience direct physical abuse themselves.

Women are often abused during pregnancy, sometimes resulting in miscarriages.

Abuse, the resulting trauma, and stress on the mother lessen the coping resources that she has available for parenting. This can result in less effective parenting by the mother, neglect, or child abuse in some cases.

In families where children are being abused by their fathers or their mother's male partners, the mothers are likely being abused as well.

Children who witness their mother being abused by their father or mother's partner frequently experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The symptoms of PTSD include re-experiencing the trauma (nightmares, intrusive thoughts or images, flashbacks); fear, anxiety, tension and hyper-vigilance; irritability and outbursts of anger and aggression; and efforts to avoid being reminded of the abuse.

If the mother takes her children and leaves, the children suffer disruption of their home, routine, relationships with their friends, and often their schooling. These children may be pre-occupied with the fear that violence will re-occur, and are often aware of threats and attempts at renewed contact or stalking by their fathers. At the same time the children may be relieved to be in a safer place.

Children who have witnessed their mothers being assaulted display significantly elevated rates of depression, withdrawal, low self-esteem, and other emotional problems.

Children who witness wife assault have a much greater risk of behavioural problems, such as aggression with peers, non-compliance with adults, destructive behaviour, and conflict with the law.

Children whose parents separated due to wife assault may have ambivalent feelings toward their father. They may miss him and worry about his wellbeing, but be afraid of him simultaneously. 

As children enter adolescence, they may have mixed feelings about their mother. They may feel sympathy and support for her, but also be resentful and disrespectful because of their opinions of her choices.

The emotional and behavioural problems of children who have witnessed abuse are of similar magnitude to that of children who have, themselves, been physically abused.

Children who witness their mother being abused by their father or their mother's male partner, tend to have lowered school achievement. They may have increased school absences because they are needed at home to look after siblings when the mother is incapacitated, or they may refuse to go to school because they do not want to be separated from their mother. They are more frequently truant. In class, they may not pay attention at times because they are preoccupied and anxious. When at school, they may be withdrawn or aggressive.

Children from violent homes tend to have lowered social skills.

Abusive homes are often socially isolated and children may be taught to be secretive about the abuse.

Very young children, even infants, are seriously affected by abuse and may suffer with sleeping problems, weight gain, and excessive crying.

Preschool aged children display effects such as anxiety, clinginess, and aggressive behaviour.

Children beyond the infant or pre-school age often feel that it is their responsibility to intervene in abusive situations.

Children aged six to ten tend to have school problems and struggle with peer relationships.

Teenage children tend to be truant for, run away from, or drop out of school, and they tend to become involved in violent dating relationships.  Teens may, in some cases, use denial as a copying method.

Some, but not all, studies find that girls who witness violence have a greater tendency than boys to become withdrawn and depressed, while boys have a greater tendency than girls to act aggressively. However, both problems are present in both sexes.

Boys, especially at age 11 or older, who identify strongly with their fathers may imitate his actions by being aggressive towards their mother and towards other women.

Children whose mothers cope especially well and have strong social support, fare better. Children who have areas of strength in school, good social relationships, and involvement in sports activities are also better off.

Children who both witness abuse are abused themselves tend to fear the most.

Children from violent homes are being taught that violence is an effective way to gain power and control over others.

Children from violent homes are more prone to accept excuses for violent behaviour and have increased risk of acting aggressively towards both peers and adults.

Witnessing violence greatly increases the chances that a boy will grow up to act violently with dating and marital partners. For girls, it increases the chances that she will accept any violence that occurs in her dating and marital relationships.

1.  Legal and Policing Issues:

When the legal system and police effectively protect women and their children, the trauma for children is lessened. Current issues include effective and easily accessed protection orders; quick access to the home with the batterer removed; and the enforcement of probation conditions and anti-stalking laws. Appropriate penalties for wife assault directly affect children's safety, sense of security, and ability to adjust after abuse.

2.  Child Protection

Recognizing that witnessing wife assault constitutes emotional and psychological abuse is an important first step in protecting children. At the same time, supporting the mother without blaming her is essential. Six of ten provinces in Canada stipulate in legislation that children who witness woman abuse are in need of protection. However, child protection agencies are overwhelmed with existing caseloads and may not have adequate resources for all cases.

3.  Child Custody and Access

After separation, many batterers use the issue of legal child custody as means to threaten and control their former spouses. The period immediately after separation is a high-risk period for the abuse and murdering of mothers. In a recent study, it was found that of 1,157 wife assault cases tracked through the Nova Scotia justice system, 24 percent of victims suffered abuse while their male partners were exercising court-ordered child visitation. Wife assault should be considered a major factor in child custody cases, since its effects on mothers and children are so serious.

4.  Children's Mental Health and other groups

The high incidence and serious effects of witnessing wife abuse make it a prime issue for children's mental health. Groups for children who have witnessed violence are important services. In group situations, children can learn safety skills for abusive situations. They can learn that no one has the right to abuse another and that they are not responsible for the abuse. They can also learn alternative ways to handle conflict that do not involve violence. Depending on the child's ability to adjust, individual treatment may be needed, as well as treatment for depression, fear, aggression, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

1.  Shelters and Advocacy for Battered Women
Support services for battered women - through shelters, legal, housing, and financial supports - all have major positive impacts in the lives of children who have witnessed abuse. Without such services, many more children would continue to witness abuse.

2.  Schools
Schools are in contact with hundreds of thousands of child witnesses of woman abuse in Canada annually. Professional development for teachers and development of school protocols are important in order to properly handle children who have witnessed abuse.

3.  Prevention
The cooperation of school and community resources in awareness programs constitute the best hope of educating community members about the effects of witnessing the abuse of families and children. Effective programs are available and can be implemented at low costs.

Responding to Violence

A woman who is being abused must make many, often very difficult, decisions about how best to protect herself, her children, and others who are important in her life. She must determine when and where it is safe to tell someone she is being abused, and when and where to seek support. She must also decide how best to use whatever services and supports are available to her to increase her safety and improve her situation.

Meanwhile, her options for obtaining support and ending the abuse are often limited by her personal and social circumstances. Barriers are created for some groups of women in Canada – such as First Nations and Inuit women, immigrant and refugee women, women with disabilities, women in rural and remote communities, lesbian women – who experience discrimination, racism, poverty, and social geographic isolation.  These women must often deal not only with the consequences of being abused, but also with the effects of their marginalized position in society, and the reality of limited services.

Some of the barriers that a woman may encounter include the following:

1.  Emotional attachment to the abuser.  The woman may love the abuser and hope that the relationship will improve. She may minimize the abuse or deny that it is happening. She may believe that she is at fault and that she is the one who should change. She may believe abuse is normal because she grew up watching her mother being abused or was abused, herself, during childhood. She may have strong beliefs about the importance of keeping her relationship and family together. She may not want to take her children away from their other parent or their home.  She may be pressured by family, friends, or others in the community to stay with the abuser. She may feel ashamed of her abuser and of herself.

2.  Fear.  The abuser may have threatened to kill the woman, her children, or members of her family, or to commit suicide if she tells anyone about the abuse or tries to leave. The abuser may have threatened to take away her children, or harm her in other ways. She may fear that she will not be understood, believed, or respected by people in authority. She may fear that her family members, friends, and community will blame her, judge her, or cast her out. She may fear that no one else will want her. When she is dependent on her abuser for care, she may fear that she will be denied access to food, water, medication, medical treatment, health care, clothing, or visitors. She may be afraid of being mishandled or restrained. She may fear that her belongings or property will be misused or taken from her. If she is an immigrant or refugee, she may fear that she will be deported. If she is a lesbian, she may fear being “outed” to her family and co-workers.

3.  Feelings of powerlessness.  The woman may feel powerless and lacking in control over her life as a result of the abuse. Her self-esteem may be damaged. She may experience fatigue or depression from the stress of being abused. She may feel unable to escape her abuser’s control. She may not know that she has rights.

4.  Economic dependence.  Economic dependence, poverty, or fear of poverty can keep a woman trapped in a violent relationship. She may not have any financial resources, educational qualifications, employment skills, or employment experience. If she worked on the family farm, she and her children may lose this asset when she leaves. She may have been forced, tricked, or manipulated into giving her abuser control over her finances and property.

5.  Isolation and lack of social support.  The woman may be isolated from family and friends by her abuser. She may live in a remote setting, far from any neighbours. She may be surrounded by people who deny that the abuse is happening or minimize it. 

6.  Lack of access to adequate or affordable shelter and housing.  A woman may not have anywhere to go with her children. There may not be a shelter in her community, or the shelter may not have adequate space. She may not be able to find alternative accommodation that is safe.  When she lives in an Inuit community, for example, the lack of housing in her community may force her to remain in a dangerous or life-threatening situation.

7.  Language or other communication barriers.  Women who do not speak either English or French may lack information about services and supports available in their communities.  Existing services may not provide linguistic or cultural interpreters or advocates. Where interpreters are available, they may be community members whom the woman knows, and this may threaten her sense of comfort, confidentiality, or safety. Older women who suffer from conditions such as Alzheimer’s may not be physically able to tell anyone that they have been abused. There may not be anyone who understands sign language.

8.  Lack of accessible, appropriate services and supports.  A woman living in a rural or remote community may live at a great distance from the nearest services and supports. She may not have access to a telephone – or may not be able to use a telephone – to call for help. Her abuser may notice long-distance calls on the telephone bill. Her access to teletype or other devices may be restricted.

It may take police or emergency personnel a long time to respond in a rural or remote setting. When the woman decides to leave, she may not have any transportation, or any money to pay for transportation. When local services are available in small communities, they may be delivered by people she knows, making it difficult to ensure confidentiality.

A woman with a disability may not have access to the transportation required to seek refuge. Shelters and other services in her community may not be accessible. 

First Nations women, Inuit women, or women who are immigrants or refugees, may not have access to services and support that are familiar with or appropriately sensitive to their cultures. They may suspect racist or discriminatory attitudes on the part of service providers.

Lesbian women may find that support services are designed for heterosexual women only. Service providers may not recognize that abuse also occurs in lesbian relationships.

The best way to prevent and respond to abuse is by collaborating with other people in your community. Hundreds of communities, volunteers, and professional organizations, in communities all across Canada, are working together to prevent and respond to woman abuse. Find out who is involved in addressing woman abuse in your community, and learn about what is being done in your community and elsewhere. Become a volunteer, or make a contribution to support these efforts.

As primary caregivers, health care providers are well positioned to prevent and respond to woman abuse. They play a critical role in an integrated, multidisciplinary and inter-sectoral responses to this issue. There is a growing recognition of the health consequences of woman abuse and, as a result, many initiatives are under way to inform health care providers about how to identify, screen, assess, and support women who have been abused. Some examples of these initiatives include the development of protocols, guidelines, screening tools, risk assessment tools, education and training resources, and coordination mechanisms, among others. As efforts to strengthen the health care system result in new models of care, it is important that health care providers continue to be supported in their efforts to prevent and respond to woman abuse.

A woman who is being abused may not feel safe telling anyone about what is happening to her. When you learn to recognize the signs of abuse, you can let her know that she is not alone, and that you are willing to listen to her and believe her. Although there is no single definitive indicator that a woman is being abused, you can learn about the physical, emotional, and behavioural indicators. For example, she may have unexplained injuries or chronic health problems. She may show signs of fear, anxiety, or depression. She may use substances to cope. Her partner’s behaviour can also be a sign:  her partner may prevent or limit her contact with others, or try to control her in other ways.

If you decide to raise the issue, make sure you ask her about abuse in private. Never ask her in front of anyone else, including her partner or children. All efforts must attempt to ensure her safety.

Keep in mind that your ability to provide support will depend on your own experiences, values, and attitudes. If you don’t feel comfortable dealing with the issue of abuse, try to understand why. You may need more knowledge about the issue and the services and supports available in your community, or you may need support for your own experiences of abuse. If you need more information about abuse, consult the recommended resources (identified in the following pages). Find out about the services and supports that are available in your community by looking in the front section of your local telephone directory or by contacting the nearest women’s shelter.

If you do not feel as though you are in a position to provide support, you should be ready to refer a woman to someone else who can help her.

If you are a services provider working in the health, community, social service, education, or justice sphere, you should familiarize yourself with the many tools that are available to you. There are growing numbers of professional training programs, protocols, and other resources that address screening, risk assessment, documentation, referrals, follow-up support, and other areas of professional responsibility.

When a woman tells you that she is being abused, you should let her know that you believe her. Make it clear that no one deserves to be abused.

Her immediate safety is the most important concern. Ask her what she needs to be safe. If she feels she is in immediate danger, offer to call the police or the nearest women’s shelter. If she prefers, give her the shelter’s telephone number so she can call (anonymously if she wishes to) for support.

A woman who is being abused has to make many, often extremely difficult, decisions. You can help her explore her options by providing information about services and supports, and by helping her develop a safety plan for herself and her children.

As a professional, you should be prepared to document the abuse and your concerns thoroughly.

No matter what the woman decides to do - or not do - about the abuse, it is important to continue to be supportive. It is essential to recognize and respect the complexity of her situation. For most people, the process of change involves many stages, and may be difficult and lengthy.  Knowing that someone believes in her strengths and is willing to help her can make an important difference in the long term.

If you are being abused or were abused in the past, you are not alone. You can call and ask for support from the following places in your community (the telephone numbers should be listed in the front of your local telephone book):

• Shelter or transition home;

• Police department;

• Police or court victim services;

• Crisis centre or crisis line;

• Women’s centre;

• Sexual assault centre;

• Social service agency;

• Health care centre, clinic, or hospital;

• Counselor or psychologist; or

• Community centre or family centre.

www.brokenspirits.com
We are an online community and support group that focuses on aiding both current and past victims of child abuse, sexual abuse, and domestic violence. The Broken Spirits Network provides a comprehensive International Directory of shelters, hotlines and organizations that can provide help for potential victims. In addition to the national abuse resource listing is a comprehensive discussion forum where users can create their own virtual identity within complete confidentiality. This allows people to discuss the happenings of their life without letting others know who they really are. Another point of interest is the information section of the site where you can find a reference of common symptoms of abuse and also find methods to prevent becoming a victim. With the help of the media, abuse related organizations, and the friends & families of victims, the Broken Spirits Network hopes to provide essential attention to victims in need.

If you are abusing your partner, you need to take responsibility for your behaviour and ask for help to make changes. Please contact one of the organizations listed in the section above and ask for assistance or see below for helpful resources.

Where to Get More Information About Woman Abuse

Alliance of Five Research Centres on Violence.  Violence Prevention and The Girl Child:  Final Report.  Research funded by Status of Women Canada.  1999.

Family Violence Prevention Unit.  A Handbook Dealing with Woman Abuse and the Canadian Criminal Justice System:  Guidelines for Physicians.  Ottawa:  Health Canada.

Gurr, Jane et al.  Breaking the Links Between Poverty and Violence Against Women.  Ottawa:  Ministry of Supply and Services Canada, 1996.

Hotch, D. et al.  Domestic Violence Intervention by Emergency Department Staff.  Vancouver: Domestic Violence Program, Department of Emergency Medicine, Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre and the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, 1995.

Jamieson, Beals, Lalonde & Associates, Inc.  A Handbook for Health and Social Service Professionals Responding to Abuse During Pregnancy.  Ottawa:  Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada, 1999.

Johnson, Holly.  Dangerous Domains:  Violence Against Women in Canada.  Toronto: Nelson, 1996.

Johnson, Sara L. and Brian A Grant.  Review of Issues Associated with Serious Spouse Abuse Among Federally Sentenced Male Offenders (Ottawa:  Correctional Service of Canada, 1999)

Leventhal, Beth and Sandra E. Lundy, eds.  Same-Sex Domestic Violence:  Strategies for Change.  Thousand Oaks, CA:  Sage Publications, 1999.

National Crime Prevention Centre.  Personal Security Issues Concerning Women and Girls.  Ottawa:  National Crime Prevention Centre, n.d. [Online].  Available on Internet: http://www.crime-prevention.org/english/publications/fact_sheet/personE.pdf.

Sudermann, Marlies and Peter Jaffe.  A Handbook for Health and Social Service Providers and Educators on Children Exposed to Woman Abuse/Family Violence.  Ottawa:  Minister of Public works and Government Services Canada, 1999.

The Task Force on the Health Effects of Woman Abuse.  Task Force on the Health Effects of Woman Abuse:  Final Report.  London:  Middlesex-London Health Unit, 2000.

Warshaw, Carole and Anne Ganley.  Improving the Health Care Response to Domestic Violence:  A Resource Manual for Health Care Providers.  San Francisco:  Family Violence Prevention Fund, 1995.

A.S.A.P. provides a comprehensive and evaluated plan to implement violence prevention programs in schools, with a special emphasis on violence in relationships.  It is designed for teachers, students, and parents. Community involvement is an important component. Wife assault, dating violence, bullying, racism, sexism, and other forms of violence are addressed. The manual includes information about handling disclosures from children.  Many reproducible materials are also included. A curricular resource document  of 65 friendly lessons on violence prevention, accompanies the manual.  Available from:  The London Family Court clinic, 254 Pall Mall St., London, ON N6A 5P6.  Tel: (519) 679-7250.

Thumbs Down - A Classroom Response to Violence Towards Women.  Canadian Teachers' Federation, Ottawa, 1990.

Thumbs Down is a violence prevention program for Kindergarten to Grade 12 which encourages classroom discussion and age-appropriate activities. This is a valuable resource with suitable in-class exercises, individual exercises, handouts, read-aloud books, and videos. The manual is available in English and French.

Ending the Cycle of Violence:  Community Responses to Children of Battered Women.  E. Peled, P. Jaffe, J.Edleson, Eds.  Safe Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA, 1995.

This is an excellent resource book for community workers and professionals working in social service, legal, policing, and advocacy fields. Issues addressed range from assessment, child custody, and advocacy to prevention.

A Handbook for the Prevention of Family Violence:  Child Abuse, Wife Assault and Elder Abuse.  S. Mulligan, S. Barrs, D. Mitchell, R. Pickering, J. Pritchard, J. Quinn, Eds.  Family Violence Prevention Project, The Community Child Abuse council of Hamilton-Wentworth, 1991.

This handbook has good information about both wife assault and its effects on children, among other topics. It also deals with child physical and sexual abuse, as well as elder abuse.

Children of Battered Women. P. Jaffe, D. Wolfe, S. Wilson.  Safe Publications, Newbury, Park, 1990.

This is a good source book on the effects of wife assault on the children who witness it. It also contains a description of a group treatment program for children.

Preventing Family Violence: 

A Catalogue of Canadian Videos on Family Violence. List of videos which can be borrowed for a small administration fee through the offices of the National Film Board of Canada. The Catalogue is available through the National Clearinghouse on Family Violence.  Tel: 1-800-267-1291.

Make a Difference:  How to Respond to Child Witnesses of Woman Abuse (1995).  The London Coordinating Committee to End Woman Abuse, c/o C.A.S. of London & Middlesex.  Tel: (519) 455-9000.
A 20-minute video produced for educators and children's services providers. Topics include the effects on children of witnessing wife assault, identifying child witnesses, and how to respond to disclosures.

The Crown Prince (1989).  National Film Board of Canada (also available in French).
A 37-minute video that depicts the feelings and problems of two children (Billy, 15, and his younger brother) who live in a home where their mother is a victim of wife assault.

Break the Cycle (1991).  Esprit Films Ltd., Tel: (905) 685-8336.
This 25-minute video addresses issues related to wife battering. The film includes interviews with a battered woman, a violent husband, and several teenagers who witnessed violence against their mother.

Tulip Doesn't Feel Safe (1993).  Kinetic, Inc.  Tel (416) 963-5979.
An animated 15-minute video which teaches children aged 6 to 8 how to deal with various unsafe situations, most specifically wife abuse.

Kid Stuff (1990).  National Film Board of Canada (also available in French)
A non-verbal 6-minute video which combines drawings and puppet animation to convey the impact on a young boy of his parents' quarrel.

Seen but Not Heard? (1993).  Friday Street Productions and the BC Interval and Transitions Houses.  Available through the National Film Board of Canada.
A 29-minute video on the effects on children of witnessing woman abuse at home.

Hear My Roar: A Story of Family Violence, by Ty Hochban & Vladyana Krykorka, Annick Press Ltd., Toronto, 1994. Hear My Roar is to be read to children aged 5 and up who live in a family where there is wife abuse. It provides a framework for discussion with a child who witnesses woman abuse at home. 

Mommy and Daddy are Fighting, S. Paris, Seal Press, Seattle, 1986.

Never, No Matter What, by M. Oho & C. Clarke, Women's Press, Toronto, 1988.

Something is Wrong at My House:  A Book about Parents' Fighting, by Diane Davis, Parenting Press, Inc., Seattle, 1984. This is a good book about feelings and ways to cope when living in a violent household.

Au Grand Jour par Madeleine Lacombe, Regroupement provincial des maisons d'hebergement et de transition pour femmes victimes de violence conjugale, Montreal, 1990.

Derriere les chiffres, Regroupement provincial des maisons d'hebergement et de transition pour femmes victimes de violence conjugale, Montreal, 1990.

Enfantillage (1990).  Office National du Film du Canada (aussi offert en anglais).

Interventions aupres des enfants exposes a la violence conjugale, par Yvette Garceau Durant, Centre local de services communautaires de Sept-Iles, 1990.