Breaking through wall of silence

It’s a silent scourge.

Every year, in every community large and small dotting the Atlantic region, and in every social stratum, thousands suffer ongoing — and deeply scarring — physical, psychological, emotional and financial abuse at the uncaring hands of so-called loved ones.

The victims can be our neighbours, friends or family. They can be adult women or men, including the elderly, or children, though the vast majority are female.

And, all too often, ashamed of their situation, perhaps mentally beaten down by their tormentors, they try to hide their suffering from others.

In public, often nothing can seem amiss. As Sandra McKellar, executive director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Sexual Assault Crisis and Prevention Centre in St. John’s, told SaltWire’s Alison Jenkins, most abuse happens behind closed doors.

“It’s not that someone who is an abuser looks like it. That’s a myth that we have. They can look like everybody else.”

Each week through February, the SaltWire Network has been running a series of in-depth articles on domestic abuse in our ongoing series — Facets of family violence.

We’ve looked at the many forms such abuse takes, its causes and its potential solutions.

We’ve shone a light on one of the biggest hurdles those seeking to escape their oppressors face — the region-wide lack of access to emergency and affordable housing.

We’ve shared the story of one brave individual’s escape from their abusive partner and how it’s changed their life for the good.

We’ve investigated the role that the internet, via cyberbullying, increasingly plays in allowing perpetrators to victimize those they target with various forms of online abuse.

And, this coming week, we’ll examine the ongoing tragedy of violence committed against Indigenous women and girls, as well as what occurs when domestic violence cases go to court.

You can find our series on family violence on the websites of any of our SaltWire publications online.

Transition houses and their allies have made a tremendous difference, of course.

Thanks to their courageous, relentless advocacy, awareness of the extent of this vast societal issue — and the damage done to victims — has unquestionably grown over the decades.

Governments have increased their support through initiatives that confront domestic violence. The justice system, from police to Crown attorneys to judges, have become more sensitive to victims’ needs and the complexity of domestic violence cases.

But one inescapable takeaway remains: Though progress has been made, we still have a long way to go.

Thousands of women, children and sometimes men still endure at times horrific physical (including sexual), mental, emotional and financial abuse in domestic situations every year across Atlantic Canada.

The stresses caused by lockdowns linked to the current pandemic have only exacerbated this crisis.

Not enough is being done to combat domestic violence. There’s still not enough awareness from a police perspective.

And so, in far too many cases, this silent scourge continues to slip under the radar.