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Domestic abuse affects one in three Canadians, possibly even someone close to you. But they’re not alone, and you can make a difference.
Domestic abuse is more than physical and sexual abuse. It can be simple things that make you feel unsafe, like tracking your location, undermining your relationships with friends and family or making you doubt your decisions and reality (gaslighting). These tactics are all forms of coercive control – a pattern of behaviour used to regulate and dominate another person’s daily life and remove their personal agency.
Coercive control taps away at a person’s sense of self and their support system, leaving them unsteady and afraid.
It traps a person inside a cage of coercion and control. It keeps a person isolated and alone.
It has layers that are unseen.
Peer support empowers individuals through a journey of recovery, self-efficacy and hope. Through social inclusion, participants can escape the isolating effects of trauma and move towards healthy, happy relationships.
Peer support has been shown to significantly reduce the harmful impacts of domestic abuse. Scientific study has shown it can decrease stress levels in participants.
Our volunteer facilitators experience increased self-confidence, social inclusion and physical and mental health.