On the Road to Recovery

In their study of the recovery process of abused women and the various ways the impact of abuse can be lessened in respect to what they identify as "vulnerable" girls, Angela D. Henderson and Margaret Jackson claim that as professionals they have an obligation to consider the various social determinatives of less fortunate sectors of the population and attempt to take action to help with the issues they face on a daily basis. One of these issues is abuse and the drastic effect it can have on the futures of young girls. There is a "link between health and injustice", and many of these victims of abuse experience poverty and other percieved social barriers: "Participants were living on the street, in extreme poverty, or both. Traumatic early childhood events continued to affect their ability to function healthily" (Henderson&Jackson, 2004, p.794). Restorative health, according to Henderson and Jackson, is the "idea that those who, particularly as young children, have had their rights of access to the social determinants of
health systematically denied to them have the right to restoration" (2004, p.795), and this is a problem that must be rectified in our society. Women have to be shown that they have the ability to transgress these social boundaries and to overcome their experiences.
The point that Henderson and Jackson hightlight most extensively is that "when violence, abuse, or neglect occurs at home when they are children, they are set on a path that can result
in them being lost to us. This is unacceptable morally and because it is a waste of a valuable resource" (2004, p.796). Their first study is entitled The Intersectionality of Race and Gender in Social Cohesion: An Examination of Factors Influencing Identity Formation, Experiences of Violence, and Integration of Marginalized Girls in Canadian Society, which was funded by the SSHRC. The results of the study show us that" although the girls continued to live with the consequences, the negative experiences that many of the most disadvantaged had lived through seemed to have happened years earlier" (Henderson&Jackson, 2004, p.796), and thus there is a correlation between abuse at a young age, and the feeling of alienation from society later on in life.
In regards to physical health, women who experience abuse at a young age have been shown to be less healthy as adults than is expected. Henderson and Jackson refer to a study conducted in British Columbia in 2002 entitled the McCreary Centre Society report that looks at the relationshop between women who were involved in the sex trade and their health consequences later: "those who had been involved in the sex trade were at greater risk for negative
health outcomes compared with those who had never engaged in the trade. It becomes a more pronounced link for youth in custody. Sexually abused female youth (97% of sample) compared with nonabused female youth (72% of sample) in custody reported weekly emotional
health problems and physical health problems (83% to 44%) (2004, p798-799). Albeit, for many women the example of those working in the sex trade may be an extreme example, however, the results of the study are fascinating in that they point to a realtionship between violence towards women and the physical and emotional consequences they endure.
It is essential to point out that the need to adress such issues is not just an obligation of those in a professional field. By taking a stance against violence towards women we can all help to make the issue more recognized in our society and to reach out to those who have had such troubling experiences. It is important to recognize the consequences of abuse that women face in our society, because in doing so, we can attempt to rectify their sense of dispair which Henderson and Jackson have pointed out, may lead to a feeling of alienation, poverty, and deterioration of health.

Sherry Moran

RESTORATIVE HEALTH: LESSENING THE IMPACT OF PREVIOUS ABUSE AND VIOLENCE IN THE LIVES OF VULNERABLE GIRLS. Health Care for Women International, Oct2004, Vol. 25 Issue 9, p794 Retrieved from EBSCO Host

To Raise Awareness

Dr. Chris Doran, who is involved with the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Foundation, will be holding a presentation at the University of New Brunswick Saint John campus on Thursday, November 24th @ 7pm to speak about the Montreal Massacre. We hope to see you all there. We will be providing an information booth pertaining to violence against women where we will be distributing flyers and pamphlets for organizations such as STEPS Saint John that help victims deal with such issues in their lives. We hope to gain more support by advertising this weblog, and would like to thank those individuals who have left comments and helped us to make this issue more well known not only on campus, but in our society on a larger scale via the Internet. Thanks,

If you would like to learn more about the Montreal Massacre, there are many resources available on the Web. Click on the link below for a short summary of the horrific event:
http://www.gendercide.org/case_montreal.html

Girlswithavoice

Slut-Bashing

When one considers the concept of violence against women, one often assumes this violence to be done by men towards women. This is not always the case. Women are often the target of emotional violence by other women. In her article, "Slut! Growing up Female with a Bad Reputation", Leora Tanenbaum visits the concept of "slut-bashing" and the sexual double standard that plagues our society.

In her article, Tanenbaum describes how society still defines women by their sexuality, despite advancements on behalf of women such as legalized abortion. The sexual double standard that Tanenbaum refers to is the concept of good girls and slutty girls. Women continue to downplay their sexual experiences for fear of being called "slut". Many women are being prematurely judged based on their sexual history. Men admittedly don't take women who have had many sexual partners seriously for potential relationships. Tanenbaum highlights how girls today are caught between maintaining a "good reputation" and the pressures to have sex.

Tanenbaum describes how insulting it is to be called a slut. She feels calling a girl a slut is analogous to using racial and ethnic slurs. Being called a slut can be damaging to a woman's self-image throughout her life. This damage can lead to her downplaying her sexuality, or the opposite, sexual promiscuity. All women feel the impact of the word "slut". Even if they themselves are not directly called a slut, they still observe the implications and all women could understand that sex is bad, that they might be called a slut.

In her article, Tanenbaum responds to comments that some girls or women deserve to be called sluts based on the way they dress or their sexual promiscuity. She maintains that noone deserves to be called a slut. She suggests that their dress and sexual activity is the only thing girls may feel they have power over. It is also important to note that dress is simply not consistently reflective of sexual activity. Any girl can be sexually promiscuous or not, regardless of the way she is dressed. Tanenbaum also maintains that there should be no distinction between those who deserve and don't deserve to be called a slut, especially considering the way that male sexual activity is celebrated. She claims that grouping women into innocent and guilty sluts merely reinforces the double standard we are faced with.

How can we stop slut-bashing? Tanenbaum believes the key is with the education system. She feels that teachers dismiss slut-bashing as part of normal adolescent activity. Not only does she feel teachers should intervene when slut-bashing takes place, but also that the education system has a responsibility to create awareness among students and act on slut-bashing prophylactically. She recommends that parents also play a key role. Through discussing sexuality with their children openly, they can emphasize that both boys and girls have sexual feelings which are completely normal. Tanenbaum feels the most important way we can deter slut-bashing is by individually making a commitment to ourselves to stop thinking of some women as sluts. We must become aware of our behaviour and control it.

Jenn Briggs

Source

Tanenbaum, L. "Slut! Growing up Female with a Bad Reputation". The Kaleidoscope of Gender. Prisms, Patterns and Possibilities, pp 213-219. Thomson Wadsworth.

What is Spousal Abuse?
- It is the violence or mistreament that a woman may face due to their marital, common-law or same-sex partner. It can happen at any given time during the relationship or after the relationship has ended.

The many different forms of spousal abuse are:
Physical abuse- Includes physical force that is intended to harm someone.

Sexual abuse & Exploitation- Includes all forms of sexual assault or harrassement as well as forcing someone to do unwanted sexual activity.

Emotional abuse- includes verbal attacks toward someone.

Economic or financial abuse- Includes stealing from or defrauding a partner.

Spiritual abuse- When someone uses another person's religious beliefs to manipulate or control them in some way.

What causes domestic violence?
- Studies have shown that domestic violence may begin when one partner feels the need to control and dominate the other. The reason they feel this way is because they may have low self-esteem or are very jealous and have trouble keeping their anger under control. It may also be that they feel inferior to their partner due to educational or financial reasons. There are also some men who simply hold strong traditional beliefs that they have the authority to control women because they are not equal to men.

Factors that increase your risk of being subjected to abuse are:
- If you are a young person
- If you are involved in a common-law relationship
- If you are involved with a partner who frequently drinks heavily
- During marital seperation

Although these factors do not directly cause abuse, statistics have shown that a number of these factors whether alone or combined can increase the risk.

It has also been noted that emotional abuse is an important predictor of physical violence and that a women's risk of being killed increases after seperation.

What are the consequences of spousal abuse?
- It can harm your physical and mental health
- Your ability to work
- It may affect your relationship with your children or other loved one's
- Destroy's your self-worth and self confidence
- substance abuse (used as a coping method)

Julie Proctor

links:
http://canada.justice.gc.ca/en/ps/fm/spouseafs.html

http://psychcentral.com/library/domestic_causes.htm

http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/050714/d050714a.htm

The Muriel McQueen Fergusson center for Family Violence Research (FVRC) is an Atlantic regional center that conducts action-oriented research and public education on family violence and violence against women. The ultimate goal of the FVRC is to identify underlying root causes of family violence, to promote evidence-based changes in practice, and foster action to end violence and support the victims and survivors of family violence
http:www.mmff.ca/mmff/en/index.aspx

The Muriel McQueen Fergusson center launched a program called the silent witness project in November 2002. It was designed to help victims of domestic abuse and their families begin to heal. It started with 9 silhouettes. Each silhouette represents a specific women who was killed as a result of domestic abuse and has a shield containing information on those women. The silent witness program is only in New Brunswick. The FVRC would eventually like to have a silhouette for each women lost to abuse. The silhouettes travel throughout New Brunswick telling the stories of these women.

http://www.canada.justice.gc/en/pc/voc/publications/nvc/midi.html#silent

Christine Steeves

Transition House

If you are experiencing domestic abuse the transition house is a great resource. It is a place where women can go with their children. It is completely safe, there are cameras on all he doors and also a panic button to notify police. If this does not make women feel safe then they could be placed in a transition house in a different city. Women usually use the transition house as a last resort when they have no family or friends to stay with. They can stay in the transition house for up to 30 days. The house in Sussex has a capacity to hold 9 women and children. If there is room then they can get an extension on the 30 days, and stay a little longer. During their stay they are able to talk with professionals and get the counseling they need. If a women chooses not to stay at the transition house she is still able to come in for visits and talk to the counselors. Or she can get informal counseling over the telephone. There is also counseling for children who have witnessed or who have been victims of domestic abuse. The transition house is obligated to notify social services of any case involving children. The transition house supplies women with toiletries, food, and clothes at no charge. The goal of the transition house is to get women and their children out of a bad situation and help them on their way to a better life. However it is only a start there are other organizations set up to help with long term problems like second stage.
Christine Steeves

Second Stage Safe Haven

Second stage is where victims have the option of going once they leave either Hestia House or a Transition house. They provide ongoing support, couseling and they also offer programs along with temporary or long-term safe and affordable housing. Second Stage Safe Haven gives abused women and children a chance to define their options, enhance their skills and to achieve financial and emotional self-sufficiency. They also enable them to create healtht families that are free from violence and abuse. The Second Stage community provides a transition from a crisis shelter to independent living. Their services include case management, life skills, affordable housing, individual counseling, goal setting, advocacy and most importantly safety.

(Refer to pamphlet)

Julie Proctor

Hestia House

Hestia House is a place of shelter and support for women or women with children who are in crisis who needs to leave their home due to physical, verbal, emotional or sexual abuse. Women are also welcome if they simply need a safe place to go or need support to help them plan for their future. Hestia House provides food and shelter free of charge and is in convenient locations such as near schools, parks and public transit. It accomodates up to twenty four women and children at a time with a shared kitchen, dining room and bath facilities with residents sharing the household chores. It also has a playroom and a secure backyard for children to play. The staff at hestia House have experience with women in crisis and are on duty 24hrs-a-day 7 days-a-week. Their program offers complete confidentiality with assistance in planning for the future as well as support and couseling. They also have the option of house meetings or individual meetings. Hestia House provides a distress line which can be reached at 506-634-7570 as well as an information line which can be reached at 506-634-7571 for people who are being abused in any way or if someone is concerned about a friend or family member who is being abused. You may also call this number if you want to learn more about Hestia House.

(Refer to pamphlet)

Julie Proctor

Many women are being abused in our society and may not realize that the treatment they are are enduring may be worthy of the title "abuse". If any readers are interested, we would like to provide a link to an online domestic violence screening quiz that will determine whether or not you may be in a risky situation. This quiz is aonymous; the results will not be saved or used for research purposes. The quiz is intended for personal gain only.

http://psychcentral.com/dvquiz.htm

If any of our readers are disturbed by the results of this quiz, we hope that they will refer to the institutions we have provided as references in the sidebar who specialize in the field of violence against women and can provide help for victims.

Shout it Out!

The month of November is Family Violence Prevention Month. Help us adress this problem of domestic violence by reaching out to your community and lending a helping hand in the efforts to raise awareness. Family Violence Month has inspired many events around Saint John, and we hope that UNB students, and any interested blog viewers, will attend and show their support.

"There are still more areas to be conquered and battles to be won"
-Muriel McQueen Fergusson






If each one of us makes an effort to share an experience with someone, to lend a listening ear, to attend an information session, or even just reflect upon the issue of violence towards women during this month, think of the effects it could have on our community! Together, we can make family violence better understood and subsequently help to adress the problem.

So Many People, Yet I Feel so Alone

"Invisible Bruises" Lauri Burgdorff and Jean Libman-Block

In this article, Burgdorff provides an analysis of her own personal relationship with her former husband, Robert. A victim of emotional abuse, Burgdorff strongly felt that it was her duty to do whatever she could to keep her marriage alive. However, as Robert became increasingly controling, Burgdorff decided she needed to step back and reevaluate her situation. She tells her readers, "He began to twist things around so that everything was my fault. I never knew what would set him off. And the constant criticisms and disparaging remarks were wearing me down. I began to doubt myself. I even started to monitor my own behavior just to prove to myself that I wasn't doing anything wrong" (84), showing us that often, women begin to believe what their abusers are telling them, and often think that the abuser's insecurities have resulted from their own actions. Burgdorff claims that this is a process of abuse that evolves, and doesn't usually happen quickly. One of her biggest dreams was to have children, and her relationship came to the point where Robert issued an ultimatum: "No children until you change" (85).
Robert's accusations and negative comments were wearing her down until finally, "out of frustration, I went to see a therapist on my own. After listening to everything, he said it sounded as though my husband needed more counseling with an experienced therapist. But Robert flatly refused to get it. I realized then that if I couldn't help him, I had to take steps to save myself. I had to end the marriage" (85). With the encouragement of friends and family, Lauri Burgdorff has begun a new life for herself. This does not mean in any way that she didn't love Robert, or that their relationship has been forgotten, but that she needed the love and support that she wasn't able to get from him. She ends her article with a message to all the women out there who have been in similar situations: "I want victims of emotional abuse to know that a new start is possible. I didn't realize just how miserable I was until I got out of my abusive situation. Shortly after the divorce, Robert moved away. My friends tell me that I rarely smiled in the later years of my marriage, but now I smile all the time. I've also begun dating. But I no longer tolerate certain behaviors. I don't put up with anyone who orders me around, makes jokes at my expense, criticizes me, or trivializes what I say or do" (86). There is hope, and Burgdorff's story helps us all to realize that there are people who want to help in our lives, and even though we may not feel our pains are significant enough to warrant attention our gut instinct is usually correct. We just have to reach out our hands and let the people we love catch us if we fall.



Burgdorff, Lauri & Jean Libman-Block. Invisible bruises. (May, 1996). Good housekeeping. 222 (5) p. 84-86.

Sherry Moran

THE MANY FACES OF ABUSE
We must first attempt to adress the question: What IS abuse?
In their article, "More than Meets the Eye: Recognizing and Responding to Spousal Abuse", Fern Martin and Catherine Younger-Lewis define abuse as "an imbalance of power in the relationship, whereby the abuser attempts to degrade, intimidate and thereby exert control over his partner" (1555). There are eight types of abuse identified by Martin and Younger-Lewis: Emotional, envionmental, social, financial, religious, physical, sexual and ritual. They explain that abuse can take many forms, some that are not as obvious as physical bruises. Emotional abuse, for example, is described by Martin and Younger-Lewis as being one of the most psychologically profound types of abuse: "Many women say that they would rather be hit than endure emotional abuse: when they are assaulted physically they know they are being abused. Emotional abuse is more subtle" (1556). Martin and Younger-Lewis indicate that emotional abuse occurs most often during pregnancy, when the male figure of the household begins to view "the fetus as a threat" (1556). Many individuals in society do not take into consideration the effects of emotional abuse and it is less recognized in relationships. The fact that women "often worry that the abuse they have experienced isn't serious enough to warrant a plea for help" (1555) shows us that this issue needs to be adressed.

Martin, Fern & Catherine Younger-Lewis. More than meets the eye: recognizing and responding to spousal abuse. (December 1, 1997) Canadian Medical Association Journal. 157 (11) p. 1555-1559.

Sherry Moran

Welcome to our online journal! This blog has been devoted to all women so that we can share experiences and learn from one another. As a project for Gender Studies 2001 at the University of New Brunswick Saint John, this blog is intended to make violence towards women more recognized not only by members of our campus community, but to society on a wider scale. We invite all viewers to take into consideration our posts, some of which will reveal statistics regarding violence towards women in North American societies, and others will analyze academic works by various authors who specialize in this field. We hope that viewers will take our online domestic violence quiz and if necessary, contact the institutions that we have provided links to so that women may find help and solace. Violence against women is an issue that must be examined so that we may encourage inidviduals to recognize the serverity of this problem, and through understanding, help put a stop to it.