Violence against Women with Disabilities

Violence against women is acknowledged as a serious problem in today's society. Violence in this context, refers to physical, psychological or sexual maltreatment, abuse or neglect of a woman with disabilities by a relative or caregiver. It is a violation of trust and an abuse of power in a relationship where a woman should have the right to absolute safety. In many cases, it is also a crime. Probably the single biggest factor affecting the incidence of violence against women with disabilities is the extent of these women's families. Women with disabilities must often depend on a variety of people to provide them with assistance in carrying out their everyday lives. Their family may include parents, partners, relatives, friend's neighbours, healthcare professionals, and caregivers. This large number of people and the physical and emotional contact involved in the care they provide, greatly increases the risk of abuse to women with disabilities. It is estimated that women with disabilities are 1.5 to 10 times as likely to be abused as non-disabled women, depending on whether they live in the community or in institutions.

While a disability can make it more difficult for a woman to escape or report abuse, social attitudes towards persons with disabilities are probably a bigger factor in their increased vulnerability to violence. The ways in which society views persons with disabilities handicaps these women in many ways. They may tend to be viewed and treated as children, as lacking intelligence; they may be considered incompetent witnesses by our legal system, particularly if they have difficulty in communicating, and may not be believed.

It is extremely difficult for any abused woman to leave a situation of abuse. It is estimated that a woman is hit by a husband or partner an average of 35 times before she calls the police. For a woman with a disability, this situation is even more difficult. She may be dependent on her abuser for affection, communication, financial, physical and medical support. If she reports the abuse she may risk poverty and loss of housing. She may fear that she will not be believed or heard if she speaks out, and may face further abuse, if she seeks help.

How can we work toward eliminating abuse? By learning to appreciate each other's differences, and to value other people as equals, we can become responsible partners in our community. What can you do to help? Listen, and take seriously any person who says they are being abused. Pay attention to any situation that might be abusive and be available to act if your help is required.

Offer whatever support is needed, whether it be listening, helping with childcare providing transportation, don't be afraid to ask for help by calling Bernadette McCann House for Women 24 hour helpline at 1-800-267-3940, or 613-732-3131.

By Gwen Rutland 

All calls are confidential, and we do not subscribe to call display.

"It's Time to Talk"!

We Must Continue to Advocate

I recently had a conversation with my brother who informed me he had watched a program that interviewed women who were disclosing their experiences in a shelter for abused women. I listened with keen interest. Only a few months ago, I'm sure he would have turned the channel to something of a 'lighter' mode. Certainly hearing about women being abused by their partners and having to leave their home is not a topic he would have wanted to hear in great length. Not because he isn't a caring person, he is. Not because he wouldn't extend a helping hand, he would. I recognize that it is a difficult subject for people to embrace. I was most impressed that the information I was able to express in our little talks, initiated a genuine concern. It also made him aware that woman abuse is real. That statistics like admitting 119 women and 87 children to the Bernadette McCann House shelter in the past year, are real. My brother was particularly struck by the words of one of the women who chose to leave an abusive relationship ' If I didn't want to die there, why would I want to live there?'

At Women's Shelter & Support Services it is our role to provide safety and support to women being abused and to children witnessing violence. Also, it is our role to work for change that will end abuse of women. Change can only come by way of presenting the information, the facts, and the statistics that woman abuse occurs. Change can only come by the efforts of a caring community.

In Canada, shelters are available in all provinces. More than one half of the residents in these shelters are children, most of whom are under the age of ten. According to a Stats Canada national survey on Violence Against Women 46.2% of Canadian women aged 18 years or older have experienced at least one incident of physical violence in their adult life time. Each year in Ontario alone, there are over forty women and children killed by their partners.

Working for change is not an easy task and sadly it is not always welcomed. However, we must continue to speak out on the issue of abuse against women, we must continue to advocate for children who witness violence, and we must never stop believing that we can make a difference.

by Rosalie Wilcox 

If you or someone you know needs our help, please call Bernadette McCann House for Women 24 hr. crisis line at 1-800-267-4930 or 613-732-3131.

You Are Not Alone!

Recognizing the Connection between Animal Cruelty and Family Violence

Many of us would not think about the family pet when we are talking to a woman trying to make the decision to leave an abusive partner. We would certainly advise her to speak with a lawyer, to begin custody and access proceedings and to make a safety plan to ensure her ongoing protection from the abuser. We might advise her on how to get herself and her children out of the house safely, what personal items she should consider taking with her.

But would we think to ask her about any pets in the house?

Increasingly, this question is being asked by those in both the violence against women and child protection fields, as well as those who work with animals.

And for good reason. Women will sometimes stay with an abusive partner because they fear what will happen to their pet if they leave. For children, leaving a beloved pet behind, even temporarily, can make moving on from an abusive home very difficult. Perpetrators of violence against women are well aware of their ability to control their victim's actions by making threats about a family pet.

Furthermore, the connection between animal cruelty and human violence is becoming well documented. What follows are stories we have been told in the past several months, all taking place in Ontario (identifying details have been omitted).

• an elderly woman living in an abusive environment, repeatedly calls the local woman's shelter to talk about her fears for her safety. However, she has a dog that is the centre of her life. She will not leave her partner, because there is nowhere for the dog to go, where it will be safe and where she can visit it.
• a woman and her children come to a women's shelter because of abuse in the home, leaving behind the children's pet guinea pig. The children are difficult to manage, angry, and blame their mother for leaving their pet behind, at risk of being harmed.
• a child protection worker makes a home visit to investigate an allegation of child abuse and notices the children treating the family cat in a violent and abusive manner.

It is not news that serial killers often were abusive to animals before moving on to torture, rape, and killing humans. This has been well documented for decades. What is news is the developing interest in understanding more about the connection between animal cruelty and ongoing, lower-level violence within families and the increased awareness of how many women may place themselves at risk in order to protect a pet.

The Ontario SPCA has long understood the connection between animal cruelty and human violence. In 2000 they conducted a survey of twenty-one Ontario Women's Shelter's to explore this connection. The results were startling: 49% of respondents had pets harmed and/or killed by an abusive partner. As well 48% of women surveyed confirmed that they had delayed leaving an abusive situation for fear of leaving helpless pets behind.

As a result, the Society launched the Family Violence Assistance Program. The SPCA work with participating woman's shelter's in their communities, to provide assistance to women with pets, who want to leave an abusive partner.

What Can You Do?

Be aware of the signs of cruelty to animals, and report it.

Consider fostering a pet and ask the local humane society how you would go about doing this. The Ontario SPCA in Renfrew County, can be reached at 613-687-5511 ext.5770.

Women's Shelter & Support Services of Renfrew County will ensure that women and children can leave an abusive situation and know that their pet is safe. Abuse takes many forms, if you or someone you know needs our help, call Women's Shelter & Support Services - Bernadette McCann House for Women at 613-732-3131 or 1-800-267-4930.

By Gwen Rutland 

You Are Not Alone!

Homophobia Is Child Abuse Too

Homophobia is like any other prejudice. It requires ignorance to fuel fear and hatred. As individuals, and as a society, we are all diminished whenever anyone degrades another.

A young woman leaves her home in Halifax. In a Vancouver shelter, a 14 year old girl from Kamloops sits scared, nervous and alone. A 15 year old boy lines up at the food bank, hoping to get a little extra to help carry him through the month.

These young people are all products of one of Canada's leading social disease - homophobia.

They left their homes in search of a safe place, a haven from the never-ending violence they face because of who they are. Lesbian, gay and bisexual young people suffer every day at the hands of ignorance, fear and a society that is taught to hate those who are different.

A fourteen year old boy gets enough courage to tell his parents he is gay,...people who are supposed to respect and love him unconditionally. His father threatens violence if the boy ever talks about it again. His mother calls him names. In trying to identify with who he is , the boy pierces his ear, dyes his hair and changes his style of clothing. His father confronts him and assaults him physically. His mother supports the abuse with slurs. This is what you deserve, she yells at him while he lies on the floor in tears.

Unfortunately, the story does not end here. His parents kick him out, and the boy , at fourteen, joins thousands of street kids in Canada; of whom an estimated 50% have sexual orientation issues. But the boy has learned just how dangerous it is to tell people who he is. So he lives in silence. Alone on the street, there are few avenues he can take. He has lost his school year and his job, and is now sleeping in a shelter. He tries to move back home, but dinner is still served with a side order of abuse. He starts experimenting with drugs and alcohol to try to get the support he was not getting at home. Stories like this are common.

We need to educate teachers, counselors, health care workers and , most importantly, our families. Homophobia has spread throughout our culture, and has forced our gay youth to remain invisible. Bobby committed suicide at the age of 20. This is an excerpt from Bobby's diary written when he was 16. Simple education about homosexuality could have prevented this tragedy. 'I can't ever let anyone find out that I'm not straight. It would be so humiliating. My friends would hate me, I just know it. They might even want to beat me up. And my family? I've overheard them lots of times talking about gay people. They've said they hate gays, and even God hates gays, too. Gays are bad, and God sends bad people to hell. It's really hell. It really scares me now, when I hear my family talk that way, because now, they are talking about me. I guess I'm no good to anyone...not even God. Life is so cruel, and unfair. Sometimes I feel like disappearing from the face of this earth...'

No one chooses their sexual identity. If you are teaching your children to hate homosexual people, you might be teaching them to hate themselves. That is a form of emotional child abuse. From verbal abuse to physical violence, the impact of homophobia in our lives is substantial. For most of us, a willingness to examine our fears is enough to alleviate them. Only then the value of all human life will be respected, and we will be better for it.

By Gwen Rutland

Abuse takes many forms, call Women's Shelter & Support Services - Bernadette McCann House for Women, at 1-800-267-4930 or 613-732-3131.

You Are Not Alone!

Always a Woman's Choice

Bernadette McCann House is a shelter that provides safety and support for abused women and their children.

The shelter reflects the needs of women and children and offers a comfortable atmosphere. The primary reason women seek shelter is to secure safety for themselves and their children. Despite the risks involved in staying in a violent home, the decision to leave is a difficult one. Women and children may be forced to sever relationships with their families and friends, and in many cases 'start over'. Some families arrive with nothing but the clothing they are wearing. Entering the front door of our shelter is for many, a new beginning.

At Bernadette McCann House, women receive help in a number of ways. They often contact our agency through our crisis lines at 613-732-3131 or 1-800-267-4930.We answer over 2000 calls each year. Trained caseworkers and volunteers answer the phone, and offer crisis intervention and referrals to other services. Safety and security are of primary concern at the shelter. We are staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and we are equipped with additional security measures. The shelter respects the confidentiality of all our clients.

The agency has a zero tolerance to violence of any kind, including racial comments and derogatory remarks. The shelter respects a woman's choice to access our services however; direct contact with the woman is a requirement before admission. The shelter does not promote a mandated or supervised admission due to conditions placed on the woman by her family, the legal system, or by any other agency. Our service is voluntary based on a woman's choice to leave her abusive relationship.

Women leaving the shelter may choose to return to their relationship. They leave with information, resources and a better understanding of the issues of abuse, and also with the knowledge that they are welcome to come back. Other women are focused on moving into permanent housing, and obtaining financial independence. To make this transition easier, our Outreach and Transitional workers assist these women as well.

Our shelter and its services are enhanced by the commitment of our valuable volunteers. For these dedicated women and men, choosing to volunteer at McCann House is about making a difference, and together we all share a common desire to see that abuse of women and children is reduced and someday eliminated.

By Gwen Rutland 

If you or someone you know needs our help, please call Bernadette McCann House for Women at 613-732-3131 or 1-800-267-4930.

"It's Time To Talk!"