CF Family Violence Prevention General Awareness and Awareness Campaign

Course Outline  Definition of violence  Myths and realities  Types of violence  Escalation and cycle of violence  Profile of alleged perpetrators and survivors of abuse  Impact  Resources  Base/Wing community action

 Emotional abuse  Psychological abuse  Neglect  Financial exploitation  Destruction of property  Injury to pets  Physical abuse  Sexual abuse  Homicide  Criminal harassment (stalking) FV is an abuse of power within a relationship of family, trust or dependency. It includes many forms of abusive behavior such as: Definition

Violence Is… An abuse of power that is:  Constant  Frequent  Intense And used :  To control  To keep in a position of inferiority  To impose certain behaviours

Myths: True or False

One in four people will be a survivor of abuse or domestic violence in their life

A violent person has a mental illness

Family violence is usually caused by alcohol misuse.

Certain attitudes cause perpetrators to behave violently

Survivor of abuse like to be abused

There is no excuse for violence. The only person responsible for it is the one who inflicts it!

Types Of Violence  Emotional abuse  Psychological abuse  Neglect  Financial exploitation  Destruction of property  Injury to pets  Physical abuse  Sexual abuse  Homicide  Criminal harassment (stalking )

Physical Abuse  Pushing or hitting someone  Throwing or breaking objects  Punching the wall  Kicking the door down  Mistreating an animal  Abuse that involves actions…

Verbal Abuse  Yelling, insulting, reprimanding for little things  Making threats  Criticizing  Giving orders  Humiliating  Abuse you can hear…

Economic Abuse  Not letting the person have money  Controlling the person’s access to money  Preventing the person from working  Not letting the person know about household income or how it is spent  Abuse that makes a person dependent…

Sexual Abuse  Conjugal rape  Denying any physical contact or sign of affection out of revenge  Sexually degrading the person  Harassing the person  Abuse that affects intimacy…

Where Does It Come From?  Many of the risk factors are not easily modifiable.  Marital distress, history of pre-deployment IPV, social and cultural beliefs that seeking services is detrimental to career, alcohol consumption, service delivery models.

Escalation Of Violence  Psychological to verbal  Verbal to economic  Economic to sexual  Sexual to physical  Homicide/suicide

The Cycle of Violence  Tension building  Acute violent incident  Justifying and blaming  Honeymoon

Cycle of Violence  The more the cycle repeats itself, the more frequent and severe the violent incidents become.

: The Perpetrator Underlying reasons  Emotional dependence  Low self-esteem  A need to feel safe, to control A portrait  Child survivor of abuse or witness  Believes in traditional gender roles  Rigid and impulsive  Blames others  Socially isolated

The Survivor of Abuse A portrait  Child survivor of abuse or witness  Believes in traditional gender roles  Tendency to excuse, downplay  Socially isolated  Low self-esteem Underlying reasons:  Love and hope  Guilt and shame  Family and social pressures  Dependence and fear

Impact on the Survivor of Abuse Physical impact : Visible physical injuries, scars, loss of appetite, sleep disorders, headaches, stomach problems, respiratory problems, fatigue, various health problems

Impact on the Survivor of Abuse Psychological impact : Fear, sadness, shame, guilt, powerlessness, loss of self-esteem and self-confidence, stress, anxiety, loss of personal identity, dependence, broken relationships with loved ones, isolation, depression, and suicide

Impact on the Children Physical impact : Neurological trauma, weight problems, sleep disorders, stomach aches, migraines, respiratory problems, skin problems, poor health.

Impact on the Children Behavioural impact : Developmental delays, shyness, fear of strangers, problems socializing with friends, maladjustment at school (learning difficulties, truancy, poor grades), aggressive and/or antisocial behaviour, withdrawn attitude, delinquency, drug use, suicide, depression, and difficulty trusting others

Impact on the children Psychological impact: Low self-esteem, anxiety, stress, nervousness, fear, sadness, distrust, attention and concentration problems, confusion, guilt, and identity problems

Impact on the Perpetrator  Depression  Loss of self-esteem  Legal problems  Problems at work  Possibility of retaliation by the survivor of abuse  Continuity of the violence

Factors That Affect the Impact  The duration of the mistreatment  The severity of the violence  The survivor of abuse’s relationship with the perpetrator

 Take a Stand Against Family Violence  Provide support  Refer  Other ways to become involved? How Can You Help?

When a Survivor of Abuse Decides to Leave  Respect their decision  Make sure they understand the risks  Be supportive  Make sure they will be safe  Put them in touch with available resources

When a Survivor of Abuse Decides to Stay  Respect their decision  Tell them you are there for them  Find out how you can stay in touch with them  Develop a safety plan with them  Tell them about available resources

Remember  Respect what they’re going through  Respect what they say  Respect their pace  Establish trust  Ensure confidentiality  Empower the survivor

Why Report It?  To create a climate that fosters early identification and intervention  CF members in professional or clinical positions, have a duty to inform  CF members and DND civilians have a moral obligation

National Prevention & Awareness Strategy  National campaign, “Take a Stand,” against family violence  DAOD  CDS Guidance Family Violence  Annual Family Crisis Team training  Strengthening the Forces programs  Network of MFRCs

Intervention Resources Within the CF  Family crisis teams  Psycho-social services  MP  Chaplains  Medical Officers

Intervention Resources: Outside the CF  Military Family Resource Centres  CFMAP  Shelters, rape crisis centres  Legal aid  Centres for sexual assault  Social workers  Psychologists  Members of the clergy

Community Action At (Insert Your Base Wing)  National Campaign on Family Violence Prevention and Awareness  Family Crisis Team  Standing orders  Strengthening the Forces Programs  Local MFRC

Conclusion Violence in the CF can be found:  In all places  In all classes of society  In all age groups  In all cultures  Across all ranks

Take a Stand! Make the Call!

Alcohol & Other Drugs Prevention & Awareness Program  Goal is to increase awareness and prevent the misuse of alcohol and other drugs.

Managing Angry Moments  Prevention  Not intended for those with charges pending  Not intended for those already involved in violent situations  8 modules, 3 hours  Large-group, small- group, pair, and individual exercises  Practising coping strategies

Basic Relationship Training  Prevention and relationship enhancement program  Designed to prevent relationship breakdown  Fourteen modules  Twelve hours  Flexible delivery model