reducing barriers to support - BC Society of Transition Houses

Trauma
The Women Abuse Response Program (WARP) at BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre notes that
the term ‘trauma’ has historically been used in the mental wellness and substance use fields and, in
those contexts, has been “devoid of a gender-based analysis”. With its adoption into the Violence
Against Women’s movement to describe women’s experiences with violence, some worry that the
importance of gender will be lost. Framing violence as ‘a traumatic experience’ may individualize
violence against women. WARP recommends that, “trauma, particularly complex post-traumatic stress…
be recognized as one of many impacts of violence against women”, rather than a description of violence
against women in and of itself. 123
Trigger
Trigger’ is used to refer to an event that encourages or prompts thoughts about using substances or, in
the context of mental wellness, brings about symptoms related to mental wellness.
Violence Against Women
BCYSTH uses the term ‘violence against women’ (VAW) as it captures violence a woman experiences
from her partner but is also applicable for other people she may be oppressed by (for example, family,
landlord, co-worker and broader social systems). The term can be applied to many types of harmful
behavior directed at women and girls because of their sex. 124
Violence against women hinges on control and domination. A woman’s experiences with violence are
shaped by her social context. See Appendix for further descriptions of the nature of abuse.
Women-Centred Care
Based on the assumption that women are “experts” of their own lives and that service providers should
take the lead from the women they serve.
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