Recognizing and responding: Brain Injury and Intimate Partner Violence
Did you know that almost half – 44% – of women in Canada report experiencing violence at the hands of an intimate partner in their lifetime? Sadly, research shows that as many as 92% of those women may suffer one or more brain injuries as a consequence of this abuse.
When you consider most physical abuse involves blows to the head, face, neck, and strangulation, it’s not surprising. But while sports concussion still dominates news headlines, little attention is paid to how common brain injury (BI) is among survivors of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV).
Supporting Survivors of Abuse and Brain Injury through Research (SOAR) is working to change that. This British Columbia-based charity is the only non-profit organization in the country with a singular focus on the intersection of IPV and BI. The Royal LePage® Shelter Foundation™ is proud to support their groundbreaking work with a grant of $75,000. These funds will be used to help launch a training program for women’s shelters from coast to coast, equipping front line staff with the knowledge and skills they need to better support women who’ve experienced a BI from IPV.
The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation first became aware of this invisible public health crisis via a powerful, public service announcement featuring hockey legend Trevor Linden. Highlighted in this video is a chilling reminder that for every one concussion in the NHL, more than 7,000 women, girls and gender diverse people in Canada suffer the same injury due to IPV every year.
“When we first heard the horrifying statistics on how many women were suffering a brain injury from intimate partner violence, and learned how many shelter workers still didn’t know how to recognize or respond to it, we knew this was a project we had to support as part of our commitment to helping women and children find safety and healing from domestic abuse,” said Lisa Gibbs, executive director at the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation.
BI can cause a range of devastating and often long-term psychological and emotional effects, all of which are that much more challenging for women who’ve experienced IPV, and are trying to keep a job, maintain safe and affordable housing, parent their kids, and just manage their lives day to day. Many survivors don’t even realize they’ve suffered a BI, and when service providers also aren’t educated, it can lead to survivors being perceived as forgetful, emotionally unstable, oppositional, and mentally ill.
“This project has the potential to form the basis for new, standardized best practices in identifying and supporting survivors at what is often their first point of contact after leaving an abusive relationship – a shelter – leading to better outcomes overall,” points out Karen Mason, co-founder and executive director of SOAR. “We’re so grateful to the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation for supporting such impactful work, and can’t wait to get started.”
Visit rlp.ca/donate to make a donation in support of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation.
To learn more about SOAR, visit soarproject.ca.
