GLBTQ & Questioning Youth

Children Who Witness Abuse Programs provide a safe space for children and teens. Sexual orientation and gender identity are important issues that can emerge, and counsellors may wish to find resources for themselves, and the youth and caregivers they work with.

The BCSTH Library has these and many other resources on sexual orientation that may be borrowed from the BCSTH Library by members by emailing library@bcsth.ca

For Helping Professions:

• Creating safe and supportive learning environments: A guide for working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth and families. Edited by Fisher and Komosa-Hawkins, 2013. [Book]
• Helping teens handle tough experiences : strategies to foster resilience. Jill Nelson and Sarah Kjos, 2008. [Chapter on Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or questioning teens]
• True selves : understanding transsexualism--for families, friends, coworkers, and helping professionals. Mildred L. Brown, Chloe Ann Rounsley, 2003. [Book]
• Two-spirit youth speak out! Urban Native Youth Association, 2004. [Online document]
• Gender Glossary. [Online document]

For Youth:

• GLBTQ : the survival guide for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning teens.
  Kelly Huegel, 2011 [Book]

For Parents:

• What you need to know about sexual orientation and supporting children and youth who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, two spirit, queer and questioning. CHEO (Ontario). [Fact sheet]
• Sexualityandu. Society of Obstetricis and Gynecologists of Canada. Resources for health professionals, parents, teachers, and anyone. [Website] 

Community Resources for Youth:

• Youth in BC and GLBTQ resources
• Qmunity Gay Youth
• Community Groups and Supports for GLBTQ Youth
• Out in Schools Resources
• Dancing to Eagle Spirit Society

Issues:

• Get that freak : homophobia and transphobia in high schools. Rebecca Haskell & Brian Burtch, 2010. [Book]
• Preventing youth suicide: a guide for practitioners. BC Ministry of Children & Families, 2012. [Report]
• Sexual orientation and HIV risk in Aboriginal youth. McCreary Centre. [Fact sheet]
• Promoting positive mental health among BC's youth. McCreary Centre. [Fact sheet]
• LGBTTTIQ and substance use. Canadian Centre on Substance abuse. [Fact sheet]
• Not yet equal: the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual youth in BC. McCreary Centre. [Online document]
• The national intimate partner and sexual violence survey (NISVS) :  2010 findings on victimization by sexual orientation. Mikel L. Walters, Jieru Chen, and Matthew J. Breiding, 2013.. [Report]

The BCSTH Library also has resources on the topics of sexuality and sexual role development, violence against GLBTQ youth and adults, and healthy teen relationships, but those are subjects for another blog post. You can search for all our resources the BCSTH Library catalogue.

To borrow library resources, read "First Time Borrowers" if you are one. Please visit the BCSTH Library to learn more about resources and information services developed especially for members of the BC Society of Transition Houses, and contact us for more information.

Deb & Tina, Co-Librarians

library@bcsth.ca

www.bcsth.ca
BC Society of Transition Houses

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Youth Sexting & Cyberbullying

How Common is Sexting Among Teens?

The word 'sexting' a combination of sex and texting and refers to the sending of sexually related text or images from one mobile phone to another.

'To date, there have been no published studies examining how many Canadian teens have used their cell phones to send or receive nude photos. Three studies have examined sexting among teens in the United States.' In some cases, it was as high as 22%.

Read this report on Sexting: Considerations for Canadian Youth by SIECCAN.


Where Can Youth Find Help if Involved in Sexting?
If you (or a friend, peer or sibling) have been involved in a self/peer exploitation incident (otherwise known as “sexting”), NeedHelpNow.ca (from the Canadian Centre for Child Protection; image above) provides you with guidance on steps you can take to get through this.

The US National Network to End Domestic Violence has Tech Savvy Teens: Choosing Who Gets to See Your Information along with other resources, mostly for adults, on technology safety.

What Can Parents & Families Do about Sexting?

Read Self-Peer Exploitation (Sexting): A Resource Guide for Families from the Canadian Centre for Child Protection.

What Books Can BCSTH Members Borrow on Cyberbullying? 

Remember - it's FREE to borrow by mail. Here are some of the resources that can be found in our library catalogue:

• Cyberbullying : activities to help children and teens to stay safe in a texting, twittering, social networking world / Vanessa Rogers, 2010. [Book] MEMBER FEEDBACK: "Very informative for those, such as I, who are new to this topic. Love the activities! I ordered the book for future reference."

• Cyberstalking and cyberbullying / Samuel C. McQuade, 2011. [Book] MEMBER FEEDBACK: "The book was very interesting; it has a lot of good information."
  
  
• i-SAFE Internet safety activities : reproducible projects for teachers and parents, Grades K-8, 2010. [Book] MEMBER FEEDBACK: Useful and recommended to members.
  
  
• Journal of a schoolyard bully : cyberbully / Farley Katz, 2012. [Book]. Fiction.
  
  
• A parent's guide to cyberstalking and cyberbullying : protecting your children as simple as 1 - 2 - 3 / Alexis A. Moore, 2010. [Book]

Also review past blog post on Technology & Social Smarts: A Changing World for Children.

What resources do you recommend? Let us know or add a comment.

To borrow library resources, read "First Time Borrowers" if you are one. Please visit the BCSTH Library to learn more about resources and information services developed especially for members of the BC Society of Transition Houses, and contact us for more information.

Deb & Tina, Co-Librarians

library@bcsth.ca

www.bcsth.ca
BC Society of Transition Houses

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Do Men Have a Role in Ending Violence Against Women & Children?

Here are a few publications in the BCSTH Library Catalogue by men who speak on  the role of men in ending violence against women and children.

Link to the author's website for more information, such as online videos, articles, books etc. BCSTH Members may email us to borrow any of these resources, and others they find in the BCSTH Library Catalogue.

1. Jackson Katz

What's in the BCSTH Library Catalogue by Jackson Katz.
If it's out, we can place it on hold for you.

We have quite a selection of resources by this author for members to borrow or link to, as you can see from the library catalogue screen shot, from 10 Things Men Can Do To Prevent Gender Violence to The Macho Paradox (2006) and Men Speak Out (2008), to the very popular DVDs Spin the Bottle, Tough Guide, and Wrestling with Manhood.




2. Paul Kivel

We have several of Kivel's publications, including Boys Will Be Men (1999) and Men's Work: How to Stop the Violence that Tears our Lives Apart (1992) [DVD].

Kivel also writes for children: I Can Make My World A Safer Place for adults to read to children aged 6 - 11 (2001), and Making the Peace: A 15-session violence prevention curriculum for young people .





3. Michael Kaufman & Michael Kimmel

The Guy's Guide to Feminism (2011) is a popular read with good information for anyone. It is authored by Kaufman and Kimmel.

Both Kaufman and Kimmel have chapters in the academic text Gender Violence: Interdisciplinary Perspectives (2007). They also feature in the academic text Men Speak Out: Views on Gender, Sex and Power (2008).

Cracking the Armour: Power, Pain and the Lives of Men (1994) is an earlier publication by Kaufman. Kimmel writes Guyland: The Perilous World where Boys Become Men (2008).



4. What More?

• Canadian men and masculinities : historical and contemporary perspectives, edited by Christopher J. Greig and Wayne J. Martino, 2012.

"The chief aim of this book is to examine, from historical and contemporary perspectives, the production and performance of men, boys, and embodied masculinities in the Canadian context. Within this framework Canadian Men and Masculinities explores a range of issues including modern fatherhood, black male athleticism, indigenous masculinities, and wrestling and body building."

• Being boys, being girls : learning masculinities and femininities, Carrie Paechter, 2007.
• Engaging men and boys in changing gender-based inequality in health: evidence from programme interventions. World Health Organization, 2007.

• Men's attitudes and behaviours towards violence against women, Alberta Council of Women's Shelters, 2012.
• Equality with a vengeance : men's rights groups, battered women, and antifeminist backlash (2011).
  
  The other side of the coin... "looking at efforts by men's rights groups in the United States to file lawsuits to remove funding from shelters and services for battered women. The argument that domestic violence is gender neutral is examined as part of the backlash against feminism."

Please visit the BCSTH Library to learn more about resources and information services developed especially for members of the BC Society of Transition Houses, and contact us for more information.

Deb & Tina, Co-Librarians

library@bcsth.ca

www.bcsth.ca
BC Society of Transition Houses

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Statistics on Violence Against Women in British Columbia & Canada

Finding the best and most relevant statistical information can be tough. Statistical reporting is often done by governments covering federal, provincial, or local jurisdictions, and may measure changes over time. Sometimes data sets are available, but have not yet been interpreted. Sometimes the most recent statistics compiled may be many years old as it takes time to interpret and compile the data collected.

Beyond these large reports, we often rely on reports from organizations (grey literature), such as a report by a particular organization on their client group, or published journal articles which gather research data on a population or service or geographical area which can help to paint a picture of issues relating to the state of violence against women.

To find all of our publications on statistics and surveys in the BCSTH Library Catalogue, click on the "Statistic & Surveys" Reading List.


Here are some key, recent statistical publications from our Library Catalogue.

1. BC Census of Women Served by Programs to End Violence

Each year since 2009, BCSTH has conducted a one-day census to find out how many people are served by programs to end violence against women. The full report is released in April 2013, during Prevention of Violence Against Women Week.

"In 2012, initial findings show that programs across BC supported 1,772 women and 943 children [on one day]. Fifteen women were pregnant. Forty-two of these women were threatened by a gun. However, 260 women, many of them mothers, were unable to get the support they needed, and 338 children remained on waiting lists for Children Who Witness Abuse Programs or were unable to get the support they needed."

Other jurisdictions conduct similar surveys, such as the US National Network to End Domestic Violence Annual Census.

Other examples of BC reports in the catalogue include Intimate partner violence in British Columbia, 2003-2011. Burnaby, BC: : Ministry of Justice, Office of the Chief Coroner, 2012.



2. Statistics Canada Reports

Stats Can has produced Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile for many years, with more specific analysis in articles (see 2004 and previous years, e.g., homicide, children, older adults, etc). The most recent report is from 2010, published in 2011.

Juristat is Stats Canada's journal, containing articles based on this Stats Can data. Browse the many articles available, such as Measuring Violence Against Women: Statistical Trends, released February 25, 2013. [most current report we have]


Stats Canada has also conducted a Transition Home Survey for many years with these Fact Sheets about the provinces and territories, including British Columbia (see table).



 3. Cost of Violence Against Women

This is an often-asked question and these reports are available:

• Intimate partner violence in a sample of women who have left abusive partners: a social determinants of health approach. 2012. Article | UBC press release
• Selected estimates of the cost of violence against women. Lorraine Greaves et al. 1995. Article
• The economic costs of violence against women : an evaluation of the literature. Tanis Day et al. 2005.
•  The health-related costs of violence against women in Canada: the tip of the iceberg / by Tanis Day 1995. (Available in the BCSTH Library)
  
  

Want More? There are many other report and surveys available in the BCSTH Library Reading List on "Statistics & Surveys".

Please visit the BCSTH Library to learn more about resources and information services developed especially for members of the BC Society of Transition Houses, and contact us for more information. 

Deb & Tina, Co-Librarians

library@bcsth.ca

www.bcsth.ca
BC Society of Transition Houses

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Need Recommended Resources on Healthy Relationships & Dating Abuse for Teens?

One of our BCSTH members was developing a new program and asked:

"What are some good resources on healthy relationships and dating abuse that would hold the interest of Grade 10 boys and girls?"

Other BCSTH members replied with their recommendations:

'I like to use the video "A Love That Kills". It is about 20 minutes and it shows a good representation of how abusive relationships start. It is Canadian and a true story.' [NFB, 2006, 19 min, available for loan as VHS or DVD from the BCSTH Library]

'I found the book "Save the Date: A Curriculum for Teens on Developing Healthy Dating Relationships" to be helpful. [Family Violence Project, 2007. Available for loan from the BCSTH Library] 

Also there is a film by Break the Cycle called "Ending Violence". [Interactive DVD with supporting materials, 2009. Available for loan from the BCSTH Library]

With these two resources I have been able to create a thorough 5-session plan for grades 9-12.' 

'These two suggestions are great. I also like to use the Red Cross program "What's Love Got to Do With It."' 

[The Red Cross has a program called RespectED with several components, including  #3 Preventing Youth Relationship Violence for youth in Grades 6 - 12. The BCSTH Library catalogue links to the website so you can access this information.]

WANT MORE? These are just a few more of the current resources that you will find in the BCSTH Library catalogue:

Programs:

• Respectful Relationships - developed by BCSTH member organization Salt Spring Women Opposed to Violence and Abuse (SWOVA). A national and provincial award-winning schools-based primary violence prevention program for youth. 

Fact Sheets/Basic Info/Help:

• Just for Teens (BC Government) - includes Signs of Dating Violence and Am I In an Abusive Relationship Quiz and warning signs for parents
• Dating violence for Teens (Echo for Change) - includes If You Are an Abusive Teen
• Technology Safety (National Network to End Domestic Violence) - includes Sexting, Tech Savvy Teens

Games:

• In Their Shoes: Teens & Dating Violence, Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 2012. We have both the regular edition and the classroom edition. The classroom edition can be used in a 50 min class. [Available for loan]

DVDs:

• It's Just  a Game. Or is it? (DVD, 39 min, 2009, SAFFRON, Alberta) [Available for loan]

For Teens:

• Respect: A girl's guide to getting respect and dealing when your line is crossed. (2005, Free Spirit Pub) [Available for loan]
• In Love and Danger: A teen's guide to breaking free of abusive relationships. (2006, Seal Press.) [Available for loan]

For People Working with Teens:

• Helping Teens Handle Tough Experiences: Strategies to Foster Resilience. (2008, Search Inst. Press) [Available for loan]
• Eyes Wide Open: Seeing How Violence Affects Us All: A manual for group work with teens. (2001, Centre for Children & Families in the Justice System). [Available for loan]

What works?

• Programs to reduce teen dating violence and sexual assault: perspectives on what works. Columbia Univ Press, 2009. [Available for loan]
• Youth Dating Violence - a summary of what works, and programs,  from 2002 (School-Based Violence Prevention Programs: A Resource Manual, RESOLVE Alberta)

Please visit the BCSTH Library to learn more about resources and information services developed especially for members of the BC Society of Transition Houses, and contact us for more information. 

Deb & Tina, Co-Librarians

library@bcsth.ca

www.bcsth.ca
BC Society of Transition Houses

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Restorative Justice & Violence Against Women

One of our BCSTH members asked me to do some research on restorative justice and its role in cases of violence against women. Here is a summary of my research process.

1. Books - Search the BCSTH Library Catalogue

We have 4 hard copy books in the library that BCSTH members may borrow, both general and specific to violence against women. One of them is Restorative Justice for Domestic Violence Victims: An Integrated Approach to their Hunger for Healing, 2010. It has chapters on:

• Hunger for healing : is there a role for introducing restorative justice principles in domestic violence services?
• From domestic violence to restorative justice in domestic violence services : methodologies and analyses plans
• Portrait of the battered women : potential for restorative justice intervention
• Power and control dynamics in the batterer-battered relationships
• Help-seeking patterns : are women victims or survivors?
• How well do extant domestic violence services serve survivors? some restorative justice implications
• A hunger for healing and closure : a case for restorative justice approaches in domestic violence services.

2. Web reports & web sites - Search the BCSTH Library Catalogue

Our catalogue if not just for books; we also select the best web resources that present a balanced view of the topic so that you can look in one place to get started on your research. There may be historical information about how restorative justice started in BC, examples of how it is being done in BC, academic theses from local universities, position papers from non-profits, as well as reports from other provincial and national bodies. Here are just a few examples:

• Restorative Justice in the Context of Domestic Violence: A Literature Review, 2004.
• The Implications of Restorative Justice in Cases of Violence Against Aboriginal Women and Children

3. Google for More Web Reports & Web Sites (We all love to Google, but I used Google's Advanced Search and restricted to Canadian links)

I love to check the BCSTH Library catalogue first because it gives me a sense of what's being published, and then I can Google for more if needed. By Googling for Canadian links, I found out:

• SFU has The Centre for Restorative Justice - a good local contact
• There is an inventory of programs in BC
• Other provinces have looked at this issue, e.g., PEI and NS and NFL
• Our Saskatchewan counterpart held a conference on it in 2000
• BC has several reports, such as this one from 2002

4. Journal Article Research via Google Scholar (Free) & My Local Academic Library with a Program in Women's Studies (Not Free Stuff)

Next, I searched Google Scholar. This is a handy free database that only searches journal literature. Not all of the articles it retrieves can be freely found on the Web (some require purchase or a trip to your local university) but it will give you a sense of what is being published in the journal literature.

Google Scholar is very unsatisfying to a librarian who is used to searching sophisticated research databases, so I made the journey to my local university which has a program in women's studies. They subscribe to databases that can't be found freely on the Web. Most universities will allow you to use their electronic resources on site as a community user. The best ones for our subject area are:

• Women's Studies International
• PsycINFO
• Social Sciences Index

I found several good articles, along with many more citations and abstracts that helped me to understand the scope of the research on this topic, such as this review article on Restorative Justice Models in Cases of Intimate Partner Violence: Reviewing the Evidence (not freely available online, must be purchased or obtained from a library).

My role as your BCSTH librarian is to:

• select the best resources for you, our members, according to our collection development policy and within our budget; 
• organize them so you can find them when you need them, through our BCSTH Library Catalogue, providing you with the URLs for web resources and lending hard copy items to you; 
• disseminate the information through our lending service, Ask-a-Librarian, web site, blog, emails, and other ways so that you can take advantage of this great service.

I hope this example researching the topic of restorative justice gives you a peek into the world of librarians and how we can assist you in your work.

Please visit the BCSTH Library to learn more about resources and information services developed especially for members of the BC Society of Transition Houses, and contact us for more information.

Deb & Tina, Co-Librarians

library@bcsth.ca

www.bcsth.ca
BC Society of Transition Houses

Vancouver, British Columbia

Do You Offer Trauma-Informed Care?

What is trauma-informed care? 

"We found that the big issues that kept coming up – addictions, FASD, domestic violence and residential schools – were all related to trauma."

Coalescing on Women and Substance Use gives this background, as well as info sheets, and a toolkit on Canadian trauma-informed practices.

What are trauma-specific interventions?

In the US, there is a National Center for Trauma-Informed Care with useful resources, including this summary of interventions.

"Trauma-specific interventions are designed specifically to address the consequences of trauma in the individual and to facilitate healing. Treatment programs generally recognize the following:

• The survivor's need to be respected, informed, connected, and hopeful regarding their own recovery
• The interrelation between trauma and symptoms of trauma (e.g., substance abuse, eating disorders, depression, and anxiety)
• The need to work in a collaborative way with survivors, family and friends of the survivor, and other human services agencies in a manner that will empower survivors and consumers"

The US VAWnet.org has an extensive resource on Trauma-Informed Domestic Violence Services.

Is Your Organization Trauma-Informed?

The Manitoba Trauma Information & Education Centre has on Organizational Self-Assessment as well as other resources. 

What's a good book to get started with?

Borrow Becoming Trauma Informed for a good overview of the topic. 

If you work with children, consider Trauma-Informed Practices with Children and Adolescents. (The publisher provides chapter 1 online).

Borrow these and other books, listed below, on the topic of trauma. 

10 New Books on Trauma to Borrow from the BCSTH Library

1. Life story therapy with traumatized children : a model for practice, 2012.
2. Overcoming trauma and PTSD : a workbook integrating skills from ACT, DBT, and CBT, 2012.
3. The PTSD workbook for teens : simple, effective skills for healing trauma, 2012.
4. Understanding adult survivors of domestic violence in childhood : still forgotten, still hurting, 2012.
5. Why are you so scared? : a child's book about parents with PTSD , 2012.
6. Dissociation in traumatized children and adolescents : theory and clinical interventions, 2011.
7. The trauma recovery group : a guide for practitioners , 2011.
8. The mindful therapist : a clinician's guide to mindsight and neural integration, 2010.
9. Trauma and the avoidant client : attachment-based strategies for healing, 2010.
10. Trauma and physical health : understanding the effects of extreme stress and of psychological harm, 2009.

Please visit the BCSTH Library to learn more about resources and information services developed especially for members of the BC Society of Transition Houses, and contact us for more information.

Deb & Tina, Co-Librarians

library@bcsth.ca

www.bcsth.ca
BC Society of Transition Houses

Vancouver, British Columbia