Algonquin College-led study examines how victims of violence can find resilience

Posted on Monday, April 3rd, 2017

OTTAWA — A new Algonquin College-led study examining how victims of violence can find resilience is receiving considerable media attention.

The study, conducted in partnership with the University of Ottawa and the Victim Justice Network, looks at how individuals can navigate the aftermath of violence and find a path to what some have called “post-traumatic growth.”

“What makes our research a big deal is that much of the research around for victims of violence focuses around the harms experienced by victims,” Jennifer Barkley, project manager of the study and Algonquin College alumna told the Globe and Mail. “Less is known about their strengths that contribute to their resilience, and that’s why we find this so exciting because we’re giving victims of violence a chance to reflect on their strengths.”

The study was also featured on the front page of the Ottawa Citizen.

Benjamin Roebuck, professor and co-ordinator of Algonquin’s graduate victimology program, told the newspaper that the results of the study will help shape training and curriculum aimed at professionals who help those who have been victimized.

“We’re trying to understand people’s experiences and pathways to feeling well. To be able to have the conversation, we have to see all the harms that are there. But we can experience both harms and growth” Roebuck told the Citizen.

The study has also been featured on radio segments for both CBC Radio’s Ottawa Morning program and The Current.

Those who would like to participate in the study can find a link here.

Read the Globe’s story here, the Citizen’s story here and find an audio link from CBC here. And be sure to listen to Roebuck and Barkley’s interview on CBC’s The Current here.


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