By Emmy Buccat
Domestic abuse always hits closest to where the heart is. In Filipino culture, it is a topic we usually don’t talk about. When the hurt is where the home is, what will you do?
Canadian researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) are developing a new website to help women trapped in an abusive relationship.
UBC researcher and Professor Colleen Varcoe of the School of Nursing is hoping that the new online support tool can help start the change.
“Less than 17 per cent of women who are in abusive relationships actually access support services like battered women’s shelters. What we are trying to do is build up a strategy for women to come out to safety,” Varcoe said.
The upcoming website — iCan Plan 4 Safety – a joint study by UBC, the University of New Brunswick and the Western University, is the online services that will help women plan their escape from abusive relationship.
Once the victim visits iCan Plan 4 Safety, a trained researcher will be available online to help start the process of assessing the victim’s risk, knowing the available resources, and forming an action plan.
Varcoe said they are looking to enlist about 450 women to test the effectiveness of the website targeting those who are not willing or cannot use community-based services like hotlines or battered women’s shelters.
“There are women who, because they feel a commitment to the relationship, or because there’s children involved, are not ready or don’t want to leave the abusive relationship,” Varcoe said.
“But whether or not they decide to leave, this service will provide them a personalized strategy based on their unique situation and preferences, plus a list of resources and a clear idea of what they’ll need to do.”
Interested participants can call 1–844–264–4226 (iCan) to be part of the study. They must be 19 years of age and with access to a safe computer and internet.
There will be four confidential online sessions over a year. No face to face meetings are required.
“If women find the tool useful, then we’ll be looking at making it more permanent and following up with the women after the study,” Varcoe concluded.
