Finding their voices

Violence within intimate family relationships is a phenomenon in all population groups. This truth is borne out by research, clinical experience and the testimony of victims. The current research sought to better understand the interplay between religious beliefs and/or cultural perspectives. Specifically, we were interested in examining how domestic abuse is understood by women from various diverse cultural groups, as well as how it is responded to by individuals and communities responded. This study was conducted in a large Western Canadian city whose population is reflective of the multi-cultural nature of the country's society. It is also a city that has taken collective and innovative action to address the issue of family violence. One of these initiatives has been the FaithLink program, designed to engage religious/ethno-cultural communities in recognizing and responding to domestic violence when it occurs among constituent members by: enhancing their awareness of and capacity to respond to family violence; assisting secularly-based service providers in being sensitive to their clients' spiritual perspectives; and working to develop cooperative relationships between religious/ethno-cultural leaders and service providers. For the purposes of this research study, three religious/ethno-cultural communities were targeted: Christian, Khmer-Canadian, and Jewish. These are communities with which the FaithLink program has established connections. The Jewish community is well-established within the city. Its population, numbering approximately 8000, includes Reform, Conservative and Orthodox congregations. The Khmer-Canadian community is small, numbering approximately 2000, and includes those who came as refugees in the 1980's, more recent immigrants, and Canadian-born children. It is primarily Buddhist in religious tradition, with some Christian influences.