Band-Aid Solutions for Family Violence

Susan Sammons

In 1982, a sub-committee of the Baffin Women's Association was formed to deal with the issues of family violence and spousal assault. Composed of local women, this sub-committee became the Baffin Regional Agvvik Society in 1985. The need for a home for battered women in the Baffin Region was identified early in the society's history, but much work and lobbying was needed for the shelter to become a reality.

In March 1987, after receiving an operating budget from the Department of Social Services and the Government of the Northwest Territories, Nutaraq's Place first opened its doors, in a building owned by the GNWT Housing Corporation. The house is named after Leah Nutaraq, an Iqaluit woman who spent much of her life involved in issues concerning the family. To date, it is the only transition house in the eastern Arctic.

Soon after the house became operational, it was apparent that, beyond providing a safe and secure home for women and their children, many more resources would be needed to help remedy family violence problems in Baffin communities. It also became evident that the house was understaffed and under-funded, thus eliminating all but minimal services. Some of the gaps in services which were identified included: the absence of a children's program for residents at the house; lack of an advocacy worker available to explain court and legal procedures; the need for counselling for batterers; and public education.

It was soon noted that many of the children of house residents had either been witness to, or victims of, family violence themselves, and that much work was required to break the cycle of violence. Observations of many situations in which the children, as well as the mother, had been battered showed that parent-child bonding had been damaged when the mother had been unable to prevent the abuse.

From discussions with batterers, there is substantial evidence to suggest that batterers grow up in homes where violence is present, whether they encounter it as victims of violence themselves, or as witnesses to their fathers beating their mothers. In this atmosphere, children learn that violence is an acceptable and effective way to win arguments. They learn that physical power can be misused against weaker people with impunity. Without programs geared specifically to children from violent homes, the probability of the cycle repeating itself through subsequent generations is substantially increased.

For victims of violence to make use of the courts and the legal system itself, it is imperative that they be aware of these structures and how they operate. The majority of residents at Nutaraq's Place have little knowledge of court procedures, or the justice system in general. Owing to the small population of northern communities, there is competition for available legal services; as a result, lawyers and court workers are placed in a conflict situation, as they represent the batterers who have peace bonds against them and also represent them in court when necessary.

Due to this conflict situation, it is difficult for victims to find legal support if called upon as witnesses. Many female first- and second-time offenders are themselves victims of family violence and spousal assault. If women are to avail themselves of the legal options available to them, and if future conflicts with the law are to be prevented, this gap in services must be addressed.

Many of the women resident at our house eventually decide to return home. This decision is governed by several circumstances. For some, family pressures by parents and in-laws are too much to bear, since the batterer may be the sole hunter in the family; the woman is perceived as selfish and the source of others' suffering if he is incarcerated.

An acute housing shortage in northern communities adds more pressure to this situation. There are very few options available to women who do not want to return home. In Iqaluit, the largest Baffin community, the waiting list for public housing is two years long. It is often impossible for victims to move in with relatives, who may be under-housed themselves; placing an additional woman and her children in a two-bedroom house already occupied by 10 people can lead to the development of another potentially violent situation. Although government employment provides housing, this usually applies only to positions requiring education or skills at a level far above that commonly possessed by transition house residents. It is a lack of employment and the reliance on welfare which compels most women to return home.

More often than not, the women return to exactly the same situation from which they departed. In the meantime, the batterer has not received counselling for his violent behaviour since his wife and children left, a fact which poses the risk of more violence in the future.

At present, a volunteer group of concerned professionals, victims, and clergy are in the process of setting up a program for batterers, which will be run on a volunteer basis (due to the lack of funding).

Public awareness concerning family violence is low, and substantial amounts of money need to be spent on bilingual public education programs. It is imperative that materials and media presentations be produced in Inoktitut as well as English. This has frequently been overlooked in the past, and the message has not been understood by the community at large.

The family violence problem in northern communities is a difficult and complex issue. We all know it happens, but solving it will be a long-term undertaking. Unless adequate funding and services are allocated to address gaps in services, the probability of the cycle continuing into the next generation is almost a certainty.

Susan Sammons is an instructor at Arctic College in Iqaluit.