Inspiring Voices, Inspiring Change symposium educates against domestic abuse

Abuse prevention toolkits designed by KPU students presented at event

On the day that Rome university student Sara Di Pietrantonio is burned to death by her ex-boyfriend, Deltassist acting executive director Julie Chadwick reminds the public of the importance of domestic abuse awareness.

“Understand that this is not a single community issue. This is a global issue, and the more that people know what they can do to speak out, the less people have to live in fear,” she says.

It was for this reason that she, and the rest of Deltassist, chose to contribute to the Inspiring Voices, Inspiring Change symposium, held at the North Delta Public Safety Building on June 2. There, a Toolkit for Community Champions on how to spot and prevent domestic abuse was presented.

The symposium marked a massive partnership between DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society, the province of B.C., the Network to Eliminate Violence in Relationships (NEVR), the Provincial Office of Domestic Violence, the Ministry of Justice, Public Safety Canada, and Kwantlen Polytechnic University. The university’s involvement began with Dr. Balbir Gurm, KPU nursing instructor and founding member and facilitator with NEVR, who assigned her students to create a free, online toolkit “on how to recognize, intervene, and provide resources for those who may be abused.”

By doing so, the nurses-in-training also learned how to identify and prevent domestic abuse themselves, skills that will aid them in their future careers.

“The reason I started it in the first place was because violence in relationships is a huge health issue and it’s an epidemic around the world,” says Gurm. “The real impact is going to come through prevention, where we can change the culture of our society where relationship violence is not accepted.”

The students were mentored in making the toolkit by DIVERSEcity counselling services manager Corina Carroll and SFU associate professor Jennifer Marchbank, who are both members of NEVR. Carroll believes that “ending violence is everyone’s responsibility,” and that we should look at domestic abuse the same way we look at illness.

“Diagnose, treat, and then focus on prevention on a larger scale,” she says.

Marchbank’s approach is to “keep a constant conversation open about violence and all the different forms that it takes,” particularly for vulnerable demographics like elders and children.

Marchbank also believes that KPU students were very well-suited for the project, “in the sense that, for front line staff, sometimes the first people to see someone that’s been a victim of violence are nurses, in the various contexts that nurses work in.” She calls the experience “a chance for them to learn while still creating something useful,” and enhancing their research and community consultation abilities.

Chadwick adds to that notion, saying that KPU’s nursing program provides a broader perspective by “looking at social justice and what’s going on in the world with global issues, not just working in a hospital.”

One of the KPU nursing students who worked on the toolkit, Teila Passmore, says that it was a great learning experience and collaboration process that “opened [her] eyes to new aspects of nursing.”

“It really opened up my perspective as well, of what needs to be done in the future to eradicate such a prevalent issue in society,” says Passmore. “Working towards eliminating this altogether is important, and part of this was one step in the right direction, I think.”

The online Toolkit for Community Champions is available on the NEVR website, for anyone who wish to use it.