Too often, the damage caused by intimate partner violence (IPV) goes far beyond what is visible. Beneath the bruises and broken trust lies another layer of injury—one that remains invisible, misunderstood, and all too often, ignored: brain injury.
On October 16, 2025, we invite you to Shattering the Silence, a one-day public education event hosted by the CGB Centre for Traumatic Life Losses, The Cridge Centre for the Family, and the Saanich Police Department’s Domestic Violence Unit.
This event is dedicated to raising public awareness and galvanizing collective action at the intersection of IPV and brain injury.
This gathering is more than a conversation—it’s a call to action.
Why This Event Matters Now
In early July, three women in British Columbia lost their lives in separate incidents of intimate partner violence all in the same week. These tragedies are not isolated—they are symptoms of a deeper, systemic failure to protect and support women facing violence.
In a powerful press release, Battered Women’s Support Services called for bold, integrated action to confront the crisis. But while death often makes the headlines, there are many more women who survive IPV but live with hidden wounds—including traumatic brain injuries that go undiagnosed, untreated, and unsupported.
The numbers are sobering. A small but revealing study conducted in Victoria, BC found that 100% of abusers in IPV cases were also living with a brain injury. This reinforces what front-line advocates have long known: we must look at brain injury not only as a consequence of abuse but also as a contributing factor in cycles of violence.
Understanding this intersection is critical if we are to develop trauma-informed, brain injury-informed systems of care that work for survivors, families, and communities.
What to Expect
At Shattering the Silence, we’ll bring together survivors, service providers, law enforcement, health professionals, and advocates for a day of education, dialogue, and connection. Topics will include:
- How brain injuries occur in the context of IPV
- The impact of undiagnosed brain injuries on survivors’ health, housing, parenting, and justice outcomes
- The role of brain injury in the cycle of violence—from both victim and perpetrator perspectives
- Policy recommendations for integrated, survivor-centered responses
Who Should Attend
This event is open to anyone who cares about the safety and well-being of women and families in our communities. If you work in health care, justice, education, social work, law enforcement, or public policy—or if you are a survivor, family member, student, or advocate—your voice and presence matter.
Together, we can build a safer, more informed, and more compassionate response to the complex realities of intimate partner violence.
SAVE THE DATE:
Thursday, October 16, 2025| 9 AM – 3 PM
Location:
Michèle Pujol Room, University of Victoria – 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, BC
Registration opens soon!
To be notified when registration opens or to request more information, please contact:
janelle@traumaticlifelosses.com
Let’s shatter the silence.
Let’s see the unseen.
Let’s save lives.
#ShatteringTheSilence #IPVandBrainInjury #SeeTheUnseen
