VJN Victims and Survivors of Crime Week 2019 Global Classroom

Topic: Resilience and Victims of Violence Research Findings

Date: Friday, May 31, 2019
​12 – 1:30 PM EST

Classmates:
(Host) Joanne Spicer, Oshawa, Canada
(Researchers) Benjamin Roebuck, Jennifer Barkley, Ottawa, Canada
(Guest) Jacki Tapley, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
Resources: Poster, Research, Book, Bios, Presentation

​Resources: Poster, Research, Book, Bios, Presentation

About this class

​How do people recover from violence? What supports and resources tend to be most meaningful to victims and survivors of violent crime? In partnership with the Victim Justice Network (VJN), researchers at Algonquin College and the University of Ottawa set out to answer these questions. With funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), support from the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime (CRCVC), Victims of Violence, and the Ontario Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), our team was able to learn from victims and survivors of violence in every province and territory. Our mixed methods study included 435 responses to an online survey and 70 in-person or telephone interviews with people from across Canada reflecting on what has been helpful or unhelpful following violence, and how their experiences facilitated personal change. Project participants also provided feedback on the criminal justice system, victim assistance services, and informal supports. From this we learned about the types of interactions that compound trauma or that support the process of resilience and lead to posttraumatic growth and feelings of well-being. Three subgroups in the sample include family survivors of homicide, survivors of intimate partner violence, and men who experience victimization.