Designer's Corner - Research on Violence and Abuse in Canada: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

Only fairly recently has there been public recognition of how frequently family members _ most often women and children _ are the targets of violence in their own homes. The risk of experiencing violence from a family member far outweighs the risk of experiencing violence from a stranger, and the consequences for people's health go far beyond the immediate injuries sustained. Health-care professionals have responded by identifying family violence as a serious public health problem and by giving primacy to this issue. Yet, despite the prevalence of violence in our society, the significance of this public health problem, and the strong potential for nurses to initiate prevention efforts and become actively involved in efforts to enhance the health and well-being of abused women and children, there is only a small cadre of nurse researchers in Canada conducting research in this area. To further complicate research efforts, nurses who are actively involved in violence research are scattered across this vast country, making dialogue and collaboration with others in the field a challenge. There is a definite need for more nurses to conduct research in this important area of inquiry, and for those already involved in violence research to seek means of facilitating collaboration with each other. Canadian Nurses' Contribution to Research on Violence and Abuse Although there is only a small number of Canadian nurses conducting violence research, their efforts have made a significant contribution to the body of knowledge on abused women and their children. Studies have provided nursing with an emic perspective of the nature of violence