A Collaborative Response to Addressing Family Violence with Racialized and Diverse Communities During Pandemic Recovery in Peel Region

Abstract

Family violence is a social issue that impacts families and communities every day in Canada and around the world. As family violence rates continue to increase there is an urgent need for cross-sectoral collaboration to codesign social work and social service systems, in partnership with those experiencing family violence. This article will share learnings from a two-year community-based participatory research study that worked alongside survivors and witnesses of family violence, community partners from diverse social service agencies, and researchers, to understand experiences of family violence in racialized communities in Peel region, Ontario, Canada. An intersectional-trauma-informed approach guided the work that included establishing a community advisory board, hiring peer research assistants, Photovoice, and holding a knowledge exchange event (KEE) with survivors and witnesses of family violence, researchers, and community partners to rapidly generate ideas for intervention areas through a 25/10 crowdsourcing activity and codesign preliminary solutions through a mini hackathon. Key findings from the photovoice highlighted systemic failures and gaps experienced by those facing family violence. As we shifted into ideation, this preliminary focus on systems solidified and top ideas identified included barrier-free, culturally aware provision of services ranging from mental health supports, safe housing, financial independence, and accessing wrap-around services. Our work concluded with the collaborative development of preliminary solutions to these ideas and emphasized the need for cross-sectoral partnerships and lived experience engagement to change systems. Centering the voices of those who have experienced FV in system-level change and advocacy is necessary to ensure services and supports meet the needs of service users.

1. Introduction

Family violence (FV) is a social issue that impacts families and communities every day in Canada and around the world. FV can be defined as: Any behavior by a person towards a family member that is physically, sexually, emotionally, or economically abusive, that is threatening or coercive, or that controls or dominates the family member in a way that causes them to fear for their safety and wellbeing or that of another person. It also includes behavior by a person that causes a child to hear, witness, or otherwise be exposed to the behavior listed above. (The Equality Institute 2020). The United Nations has further expanded this definition to encompass psychological abuse given how FV manifests within intimate partners (United Nations 2025).

Experiences of FV can lead to long-term negative impacts on physical and mental health such as injury, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (Gilbert et al. 2009; Arata et al. 2005). Although survivor-centered services and community resources may improve outcomes for survivors and their families and mitigate long-term negative health consequences, many individuals who experience FV face barriers to accessing holistic and culturally relevant services (Niolon et al. 2017; Taylor 2016; Chaze et al. 2020; The Equality Institute 2020). Previous research and interventions within the area of FV with diverse communities show the need for multi-systems level approaches (education, child welfare, health, social services, justice) that address individual, family, community, and systemic factors and consider intersecting systems of oppression and social determinants of health (Fiolet et al. 2024; The Equality Institute 2020; Baker et al. 2016). Centering the voices of those who have experienced FV in system-level change and advocacy is necessary to ensure services and supports meet the needs of service users (CSWB 2020; Fierheller et al. 2024a).

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities were significantly impacted, as public health interventions such as social distancing and “lock-downs” led to increased rates of FV (Peel Region 2023; Carrington et al. 2020; Humphreys et al. 2020). While the pandemic had devastating impacts on communities, it also created the opportunity to re-evaluate community engagement practices within and across social work, social and health services. (Fierheller et al. 2024b, 2024c). Post-pandemic, family and intimate partner violence rates continue to climb, and experts are now considering it a public health epidemic in Canada; however, some governments are still failing to officially declare it (Peel Region 2024b; Draaisma 2024; Previl 2025). In the Peel region, a diverse region in Southern Ontario, Canada, there was a 29.9% increase in the rate of family and IPV reported to Peel Regional Police (CSWB 2020; Peel Region 2024a). Between 2020 and 2023, Peel Police responded to over 16,000 incidents of IPV (two every hour), with approximately 14,000 survivors accessing community support services and roughly 2000 survivors receiving referrals (Peel Region 2023; Nyarwai and Williams 2024).

Peel Region has therefore identified FV as a key priority to enhance community safety and well-being, by engaging community members and individuals from social services and multi-sectoral organizations across the region (CSWB 2020; Peel Region 2024a). Peel’s Community Safety and Well-being (CSWB) plan (CSWB 2020; Peel Region 2024a) also emphasizes the need for a coordinated regional response to FV prevention that considers the diverse representation of individuals and families who have experienced FV and have been historically marginalized from service, policy and research design (Peel Region 2024a; CSWB 2020). The Peel Family Support Network (PFSN), a group of social workers, social service, and health providers across sectors, was also established during the pandemic to prevent FV and support overall family well-being. The PSFN conducted a comprehensive assessment to understand the challenges and experiences of youth, caregivers, and families to mobilize resources and services (Family Child Health Initiative on behalf of the Peel Family Support Network 2022). The needs assessment identified FV and mental health as priority areas requiring collective action during and beyond the pandemic. There is an urgent need for cross-sectoral collaboration to codesign social work, social service, and health systems, in partnership with those experiencing FV to ensure services are relevant and meet the needs of diverse and racialized families and communities residing in Peel (Government of Ontario 2017; CASW 2025; Turner 2016).

This article will share learnings from our community-based participatory research (CBPR) study that worked alongside survivors and witnesses of FV, community partners from diverse social service agencies, and researchers, to understand experiences of FV in racialized communities in Peel region, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moving community knowledge and priorities into action, the primary objective was to center the voices of Peel’s diverse and racialized communities who experienced or witnessed FV and who have been historically absent from service, policy, and research design (CSWB 2020; Fierheller et al. 2024a). Authors represent those with lived experience of FV, social workers, community leaders, health care professionals, and researchers. Throughout this article, we will show how centering the lived experience of community members can be conducted through community-based participatory research approaches to support systems-level change. We will also show how health and social service providers can work together to gather experiences and mobilize knowledge by using engaging visual participatory methods such as photovoice, to understand the extent and impacts of FV on survivors and witnesses identifying from diverse and racialized communities. We will share how we worked alongside diverse communities during a knowledge exchange event to generate ideas for FV prevention in diverse and racialized communities and co-designed preliminary solutions. Lastly, we will show how this work can inform various fields including social work and social services, health, child welfare, justice, and education to create meaningful system-level change alongside diverse communities.

2. Materials and Methods

Study Design: This study was completed in three phases: (1) community engagement, (2) photovoice workshops with those with lived experience of FV to understand the extent and impacts of FV during the COVID-19 pandemic, and (3) a knowledge translation event, involving a 25 gives you 10 (25/10) crowdsourcing activity and a mini hackathon (see Section 2.8 for definition) to identify priorities for FV prevention and co-design interventions. The study was conducted from June 2022 to May 2024 in the Peel region.

2.1. Theoretical Frameworks

To grasp the intricate dynamics of FV and to ensure impactful, inclusive, and adaptable strategies, interventions, and services, our research study focused on two primary theoretical frameworks: (1) a community-based participatory research (CBPR) framework and (2) an intersectional trauma-informed framework. A CBPR approach necessitates meaningful community involvement and a flexible, iterative, and cyclical process integrating academic and community-based knowledge throughout the research (Caine and Mill 2016; Greer et al. 2018). Employing CBPR methods to design, implement, and evaluate interventions is essential for developing studies that align with community needs and values while enabling individuals within the community to make decisions actively (CSWB 2020; Peel Region 2024a). We adopted a CBPR approach to ensure that the diverse voices of individuals with lived experience of FV and the service providers serving these communities guided and informed the research study objectives, design, data collection, analysis, and co-design activities. An intersectional trauma-informed framework was also utilized throughout study activities and analysis to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the complexities surrounding FV (The Equality Institute 2020; Kulkarni 2019). This framework considers the intersection of individual, family, community, systemic, structural, socioeconomic, and health factors (Kulkarni 2019; The Equality Institute 2020). Trauma-informed practices are rooted in the understanding that traumatic experiences influence the types of services needed and how survivors engage with support (Kulkarni 2019). Intersectionality offers a lens to understand how an individual’s unique social identity and position intersect with social systems of power and oppression, shaping everyday experiences, including those related to FV (OECD, Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development 2021). Social identities are multi-dimensional and interconnected (Niolon et al. 2017; Fiolet et al. 2024; Caine and Mill 2016). Experiences of individual and systemic trauma were therefore considered in all research activities.

2.2. Community Advisory Board and Peer Research Assistant Engagement

In alignment with CBPR principles, a community advisory board (CAB) was convened and composed of individuals who have experienced or witnessed FV, social service providers working with survivors and those families at risk of FV, and researchers. The CAB developed terms of reference and guiding principles to ensure meaningful participation, create a safe environment, and provide overarching guidance for all study activities. CAB members were compensated at $25 per hour for their time. Under the CAB’s guidance, we recruited and hired Peer Research Assistants (PRAs). The PRAs received relevant training, led the CAB, and participated as researchers in all study activities, ensuring that their lived experience and knowledge were centered throughout. Our CAB consisted of 4 individuals with lived experience of FV, 5 social service providers, and 3–4 researchers. We also onboarded two PRAs, one having lived experience of FV and the other having witnessed FV.

2.3. Photovoice Workshops and Their Co-Design

Photovoice is a user-friendly, visual participatory method involving photography and storytelling (Photovoice Worldwide n.d.; Wang and Burris 1997). Photovoice captures local knowledge and information through lived experience and the perspective of community members, while aiming to raise awareness and encourage discussion about issues and topics that are often excluded from traditional research methods and advocate for social change (Kessi 2011).

Based on guidance from the CAB, the team conducted photovoice activities with participants of pre-existing FV support groups offered at community social service agencies. Working alongside existing FV support groups allowed for the leveraging of trusting relationships, as well as resources and support for those who had experienced FV. Participants also had access to a previously established safe space to talk about their personal experiences of FV. A South Asian women’s survivor group and a Black Men Support group were identified through existing community networks. With insight from the CAB and to ensure that the photovoice activities were aligned with participants’ needs, following the identification of the support groups, the research team co-designed the photovoice activities alongside the support group facilitators. The co-design process was intended to ensure that the photovoice activities were tailored to the specific needs of each group (e.g., language translation, time workshop was conducted, individual vs. group workshops, etc.). The co-design meetings included sessions with the representatives from organizations running the support groups, to discuss the recruitment and selection of facilitators and the structure, method, and outline of the photovoice workshops. The facilitators selected were representative of the groups participating in the photovoice activities and consisted of a South Asian Urdu/Hindi speaking woman (MP) and Black, African, and Caribbean identifying man (FA) and woman (CW). Once the facilitators were selected, they joined the co-design sessions to continue designing and refining the workshop content. Ongoing community partner feedback and CAB guidance were used to refine the workshop structure and ensure the photovoice workshops were tailored to each group’s needs.

2.4. Recruitment of Photovoice Participants

We used convenience sampling by distributing electronic flyers and recruitment posters through the engaged support groups to share with their service users. Interested participants completed an Expression of Interest (EOI) form, which was followed by a recruitment screening. For participants who met the eligibility criteria during the recruitment screening process, a meeting was scheduled to review the consent form and Zoom guidelines and allow the participants to ask questions. The participant had a choice to verbally consent (which was recorded) or electronically sign the consent form. All participants were also provided with an electronic copy of a mental health resource list. All participants received $25/hour honoraria for their participation.

Eligible Photovoice Participants were (1) 18 years or older; (2) have experienced or witnessed FV; and (3) reside, work, or are a part of communities within Peel region. Exclusion criteria: (1) inability to attend all required Photovoice workshops or one-on-one sessions; (2) self-identify challenges to participate in the workshops because of experiencing an acute crisis related to FV at the time of the study. This was a modified exclusion criteria based on the CAB’s feedback that explained the presence of acute crises should not be an exclusion factor, but rather, autonomy should be provided to the participants to decide whether they are able to participate.

2.5. Photovoice Workshop Process and Structure

Participants from each group took part in a series of workshops; the structure of which was decided in the co-design sessions and consisted of a mixture of group and/or one-on-one workshops either virtually or in person. The South Asian women’s group opted for two one-hour virtual group workshops to introduce and conclude the photovoice activities and one six-hour in-person group workshop, facilitated by a South Asian identifying, Urdu-speaking female (XX); The Black men’s group photovoice workshops consisted of six weekly one-hour virtual group workshops, led by a Black, African, Caribbean (BAC) identifying female facilitator (XX) and six weekly one-hour one-on-one workshops, led by a BAC identifying male facilitator (XX). During the workshops, the participants first learned about photovoice and the ethics surrounding photo taking (Workshop 1). They were then provided with the following prompts to take photos: (a) “How did/could your thoughts/experience with family violence change because of the COVID-19 pandemic?”, (b) “What supports for family violence did you have?”, (c) “What supports for family violence did you wish to have?” (Workshop 2).

Once photos were taken, the subsequent workshops focused on in-depth photo discussion and reflection on the photos and their experiences surrounding them (Workshop 3), which then helped facilitate caption and narrative writing, and participants wrote captions or brief narratives to accompany each photo (Workshop 4). The workshops then moved into identifying and sorting the photos into groups and subsequent themes. Participants worked collaboratively to name and describe themes that described their photos (Workshop 5). To facilitate this discussion and collaboratively theme and group their photos, the South Asian women’s group had physical copies of their photos as they were in-person and the Black Men’s group utilized Miro, a virtual interactive platform that allows for collaborative work. The workshop series concluded with a discussion about the photovoice exhibit and how they wanted their photos, captions, and themes to be showcased at the upcoming knowledge translation event (Workshop 6).

2.6. Photovoice Data Analysis

We had three (3) data sources from the photovoice workshops: (1) Photos and Captions; (2) Workshop Audio Recordings; and (3) Research Team Field Notes taken during the workshops. These three sources were used in tandem to analyze the study findings. The photos and captions created by the participants were our primary data source. We used the technique of selective transcription for the workshop audio recordings to pull relevant quotes and themes and used them to create analytical memos (Lee et al. 2019; McMullin 2023; Birks et al. 2008; Braun and Clarke 2006). Applying an analytical memoing approach to voice-recorded data was both efficient and practical given our data sources and the length and bilingual nature of the recordings (Braun and Clarke 2006; Birks et al. 2008; Lee et al. 2019; McMullin 2023). Recordings from specific workshops were assigned to designated Research Associates (RAs), and PRAs who listened to the recordings and used their field notes for observational insights, to generate a draft memo to their assigned recording. This “draft memo” was then circulated to another RA/PRA and the workshop facilitator to review and provide comments. The reviewed memo with all the comments was then called the “comment memo” and returned to the assigned RA/PRA who generated the final memo. The assigned RA/PRA reviewed all the comments, made appropriate changes while referring to the recording, and generated the “finalized recording memo” (Braun and Clarke 2006; Birks et al. 2008; Lee et al. 2019; McMullin 2023). The memos described various themes and topics that emerged from the discussions heard in the recordings and included pertinent quotes that described those themes and sentiments.

2.7. Knowledge Translation Event and Mini Hackathon (KTE)

The knowledge translation event aimed to facilitate reflective practice, mobilize and exchange community knowledge, and explore the complexity of FV experienced by racialized and equity-deserving families in the Peel region. During the KTE, the research team and CAB brought together participants from the photovoice workshop activities, additional community members from Peel who have experienced or witnessed FV, service providers, research team members, and other community and academic shareholders as identified by the CAB, to rapidly generate bold ideas for FV prevention and collaboratively co-design preliminary solutions to address FV in the region. The event agenda included: (1) presenting the study objectives, (2) a lived experience keynote speaker who spoke to their experience and led the group through an arts-based activity to demonstrate art as an outlet for self-reflection, healing, and expression, (3) a guided photovoice exhibit walk by a community partner working within FV service provision, to center the photos and their themes and to contextualize FV, (4) a “25 gets you 10 (25/10) crowdsourcing” activity to generate and prioritize actionable ideas for regional FV prevention interventions, and (5) a mini Hackathon to generate preliminary solutions to address FV in response to the top ideas generated.

Eligible KT Event Participants were: (1) 18 years or older; (2) a community member who has experienced or witnessed FV or a service provider who provides support, services, and/or resources to families experiencing FV; and (3) reside (if a community member) or work (if service provider) within Peel region, and (4) be any additional stakeholder identified by the CAB/PRAs. Exclusion criteria included: (1) being less than 18 years old, due to the sensitive nature of the conversations.

2.8. 25/10 Crowdsourcing and Mini Hackathon

The 25/10 crowdsourcing method involves rapidly generating bold ideas and prioritizing actionable ideas within a 30-min interactive activity, to ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to contribute ideas using a democratic process (Lipmanowicz and McCandless 2013). The activity utilizes an idea generation round, followed by 5 scoring rounds of generated ideas, to give each idea a total score out of 25. To kick off the activity, the room was divided into eight (8) groups of 6–8 participants and accompanied by a facilitator who aided in writing the generated ideas and facilitating the discussion. The idea generation round began with guiding questions like “What bold idea would you recommend to prevent FV during pandemic recovery? How would you take that bold idea and make it regional, collaborative, and center the voices of individuals with lived experiences of FV? What steps would you recommend to get started?” and participants were encouraged, as a group, to write up to three ideas in response to the prompts over 15 min. Following the idea generation portion of the activity, the scoring rounds commenced. The ideas were circulated amongst the groups and scored on a 5-point scale. A total of 5 scoring rounds occurred and afterward, all scores were added and scored out of 25. The top-scoring (scores > 20) ideas were then identified.

Following idea generation and prioritization, we used a hackathon methodology, to co-design preliminary solutions to address FV based on the top ideas from the 25/10 activity (MIT Hacking Medicine 2016). Hackathons are short-duration competitions where teams collaboratively brainstorm and build innovative solutions. Hackathons are being used to redesign healthcare systems and have been delivered virtually throughout the pandemic (MIT Hacking Medicine 2016; Braune et al. 2021). Our event adapted this methodology to conduct a “mini hackathon” where a guided worksheet was designed using the PICOT (Population, Intervention, Control, Outcome, and Time) framework which small teams of 6–8 individuals used to co-design preliminary solutions in response to an assigned idea (Riva et al. 2012; Feldner and Dutka 2024). In the same 8 groups that were used during the 25/10 crowdsourcing activity, each group was randomly assigned one of the four top-scoring ideas, so that two preliminary solutions could be generated for each of the top ideas. Participants and their facilitator worked together to develop a solution for their assigned idea using the guided PICOT worksheet and the following challenge question: “Considering the local context in Peel, we challenge you to develop an intervention for the prevention of FV based on the idea that you have been assigned.”

3. Results

3.1. Photovoice Workshops

We had seven participants for our South Asian women’s photovoice group. Based on the self-reported demographic survey results, all participants were born outside Canada and had arrived in Canada > 10 years ago. They all identified as women and 57% (n = 4) were unemployed. Of all participants who answered the question (n = 6), all of them had a college degree or above. We had four participants for our Black men photovoice group; however, only one participant completed the demographic survey, so the results are not reported.

The South Asian women’s group took 22 photos throughout the workshops, while the Black men’s group captured 14, and corresponding captions were created. During the thematic sorting (described in the Materials and Methods sub-section Photovoice Workshop Process and Structure) conducted in the workshops, the South Asian women’s group generated nine themes, whereas the Black men’s group produced eight (

Table 1. (A) Themes and their descriptions generated by the South Asian Women’s Photovoice group. (B) Themes and their descriptions generated by the Black Men photovoice group.

(A)
Theme	Brief Description
Resilience	This group defines resilience as the internal strength used to overcome challenges. A difficult task in a society filled with blame and a lack of support.
Moving On	This theme captures factors associated with moving on in life and saying goodbye to the past—can look like financial freedom, freedom of choice, and freedom to be who they need to be.
Protection	Captures the dichotomous nature of things, specifically in the context of sometimes needing protection from the very things needed for our survival. It speaks about the security and comfort of being protected and how protection can come in many forms.
Hope and Joy	Describes the factors associated with growth and joy, such as strong support, celebrating milestones, and a hopeful attitude.
Overcoming Challenges	Captures the hope required to overcome challenges and the subsequent rewards of doing so, such as, societal freedom, joy, being inspiring, and being contributing members of society.
Life Cycle	Captures the cyclical nature of the good and bad times one faces and that every end signifies a new beginning. It also reflects the symmetry between nature and life, such as our multi-faceted yet ever-changing existence.
Freedom	Freedom in this theme encompasses freedom from societal expectations and being able to focus on things that brought the participant’s joy. It also captures the importance of looking beyond material comfort for happiness.
Understanding Yourself	Captures the importance of self-reflection and understanding yourself. It acknowledges the progress and how far one has come.
Love	Captures love in its many forms. This can include self-love, love for others, and the joy of being with loved ones.
(B)
Theme	Brief Description
Resilience	Explores the strength it takes to overcome challenges. It highlights there is always a light at the end of the tunnel and that resilience and strength can come in many different forms.
Black Fatherhood and the System	Captures the experience of black fatherhood, the dedication they have to their children, and how systemic challenges, stereotypes, and biases affect their experiences.
Navigating Systems and Missing Links	Highlights the impacts FV creates. It also acknowledges the importance of using an intersectional lens. Individual experiences within the system are oftentimes impacted by factors such as gender, race, etc.
Faith in Self	Explores the concepts of personal journeys, growth, identity, and self-confidence.
Change	Captures the importance of change in life and change in the current systems that can discriminate against black men. Speaks about controlling the change we wish to see.
Safety and Love	Captures the importance of and the desire for safety and love in relationships and in one’s life. As well as the importance of loving yourself. It speaks about the lack of safety and love being detrimental to one’s well-being.
Breaking the Silence and Barriers	Captures the harm current gender roles and expectations can have on men and the barriers/taboos they pose. It also highlights the importance of speaking out and breaking those barriers.
Thriving and Growth	Explores the concept of overcoming your circumstances, growing, and thriving once again in life.
Resilience	Explores the strength it takes to overcome challenges. It highlights there is always a light at the end of the tunnel and that resilience and strength can come in many different forms.

A,B).

All themes generated had many intersecting components, were self-reflective, and shared a common thread of system-level impacts, failures, and barriers, which seemed to have further exacerbated participants’ experiences of FV. Both groups created themes that spoke directly about systemic challenges. When examining impeding factors and challenges within each theme, participants also identified how social systems impacted their lives.

3.1.1. South Asian Women’s Group

“My child used to see us fight during COVID and I couldn’t leave then; and now that we have finally left, there is no housing, and we have moved 3 times in 1 year”

(participant quote, 26 August 2023)

“I had to leave my well-paying PSW job for my child because daycares start at 7:30 a.m. and my job started at 7:00 a.m. Thus, I couldn’t do afternoons, I couldn’t do nights”

(participant quote, 17 August 2023)

“I don’t know what a shelter is, what kind of environment it will have and how will it impact my kids”

(participant quote, 17 August 2023)

When examining the themes generated by the South Asian women’s group, the theme Moving On directly spoke to the systemic challenges and gaps within the system. The group described the need to let go of the past in order to move forward yet faced significant hardships when they wanted to do so. Participants spoke extensively about the challenges they had to face as single mothers with minimal support (financial or social) and unstable housing. Although many seemed to have found community within support groups, they spoke about the ongoing struggle for food and shelter which prevented them from moving on from the trauma they have suffered.

“When all doors closed, and hands became empty, I went looking for my piece of the sky”

(participant quote, 26 August 2023)

“At the end of the day you have to do it by yourself, but just the feeling that there are people to support you, can really impact you”

(participant quote, 17 August 2023)

The South Asian women’s group also generated themes rooted in self-reflection namely Understanding Yourself, and Hope and Joy, which explored concepts of growth, identity, confidence, optimism, and faith. However, these themes were again underpinned by the understanding that these elements were discovered in the face of great despair and systematic barriers. The participant’s quote above speaks to their experiences of being unable to access support and resources, as the figurative doors that closed for many of these participants. When discussing these themes, the group also spoke about the struggle of navigating cultural norms and the lack of access to culturally aware and relevant care and services. Participants described systematic failures, and facing discriminatory behaviors at a societal level, which then translated into personal experiences of despair, loneliness, and isolation, which they felt were ignored at a systematic level. However, it is noteworthy that even in the face of these challenges, participants also spoke about their Resilience and finding strength or their “piece of the sky” even when it seemed like the whole world was positioned against them. These experiences were also connected closely with the group’s desire for Love and Protection, two key themes generated by the group that spoke about the power of these two elements, while also recognizing how both can be a form of control that makes it difficult to recognize and exit violent situations. As with other themes, once again, when examining barriers to exiting violence, gaps in current systems were highlighted in the conversation about how pathways to safety currently are complicated, difficult to access, and fragmented.

“Every woman should learn to be independent. It is my wish that every woman out there can earn her living, as it has a liberating effect. When you can support yourself, you feel more confident and do not have to feel indebted to anyone. Do not be afraid to burn bridges when necessary.”

(participant quote, 26 August 2023)

“The wheel is like a circle of life, we push through it, work hard to keep it moving and sometimes it brings you back to ground zero”

(participant quote, 26 August 2023)

The South Asian women’s group also identified themes that focused on the change that they wished to see to address the systematic and societal barriers they had identified. These themes were Overcoming Challenges, Freedom, and Life Cycle which spoke about changing mindsets, moving forward, and the need to both acknowledge and challenge toxic norms at a personal and systemic level. The group also identified the importance of financial freedom and the need to create initiatives at a systems level to empower women to earn their livelihood, a critical step to bring about sustainable impact.

A key picture from the South Asian women’s group that conveys many of the above points can be seen in Figure 1. The picture speaks about the loneliness many survivors face and the desire for support.

3.1.2. Black Men’s Group

“By separating a family and leaving them with limited resources, you made a situation that was already inadequate, woefully inadequate.”

(participant quote, 12 November 2023)

“It has a massive effect on how the black man sees the system and that is why most black men don’t patronize the system. It has to do with their mental health, so all this put together there is a history to it, there is a history to the racism that we are suffering here, and it’s been passed from one generation to another.”

(participant quote, 12 November 2023)

The Black Men’s group experiences of FV and their generated themes, all intersected at a systems level, both directly and indirectly, tying together their experiences as fathers and Black men. When examining themes that directly spoke to the system, Black Fatherhood and the System spoke about the built-in systematic biases against Black men, especially in the context of fatherhood. Participants spoke about how the system is weaponized against them and offers very limited support and resources. They also extensively spoke about racism, economic exploitation, and their lack of trust in the system. Similarly, the theme Navigating Systems and Missing Links explored the lack of support and current systemic gaps when it comes to men experiencing FV. They spoke about fighting an uphill battle against unfavorable narratives, perceptions, and assumptions, while trying to navigate familial separation and biases within the family justice system, especially in court arbitrations.

“…because oftentimes what you think, is not really what’s happening.”

(participant quote, 21 January 2024)

“It’s a condition, at least by society for men to be stoic and sort of forgo the emotional gymnastics involved with daily living.”

(participant quote, 12 November 2023)

Although the group spoke about the strides, they had made in understanding themselves, finding inner strength, and overcoming challenges to grow into better versions of themselves, notably in the themes of Resilience, Faith in Self, and Thriving and Growth, they also spoke extensively about the challenges they had to face especially in the wake of biased judicial systems and broken systems. Participants specifically spoke about fighting uphill battles against the assumptions, bias, and judgment surrounding them being the source of violence without evidence, both societally, from their neighbors jumping to conclusions about what was happening behind “closed doors” as well the systemic biases they faced by those in a position of authority or tasked with service provision.

“…as a dad, you are fighting to survive, fighting to save your kids’ life. And most times that’s where all your energy and efforts go…”

(participant quote, 11 December 2023)

“Some families still haven’t been reunited since the incident because of how the police intervened. A lot of families have been destroyed because of procedures and protocols. Do preventive steps and enacted steps that would deescalate, alleviate, and nurture the situation, instead of jumping to separating families and using hostility.”

(participant quote, 30 November 2023)

“[It was] hard to get support for individual needs. [It was] a traumatic time, economically stressful.”

(participant quote, 12 November 2023)

The Black Men’s group extensively spoke about the importance of family, love for their children, and the need for safety for themselves and their kids. Participants spoke about the amount of energy they had to expend only for survival and being a part of their kid’s life, driven by their love for their children. They also described broken families and the need for safety, for themselves and for their kids. Interestingly participants also spoke about the dichotomy of both Safety and Love (for themselves and their kids) and how they are often also utilized as tools to hold those experiencing violence hostage and unable to exit violent situations. A reoccurring idea when discussing these experiences was the absence of support and resources, tailored to their situation and that contextualized their struggles as Black fathers leaving violent situations.

“We took the first step in talking about it, acknowledging it, and now we are coming together and discussing it, so it’s like we are our own support system”

(participant quote, 30 November 2023)

“As we are sharing, a lot of burden has been off-loaded.”

(participant quote, 12 November 2023)

“I don’t think we have a problem communicating. I don’t think communication is the problem. It is understanding what we are communicating is the issue.”

(participant quote, 30 November 2023)

The Black Men’s group also spoke about the future and the change that needs to happen to break violent patterns and provide support to those experiencing FV. Amid the discussions of “what failed?” and “what went wrong?”, there was also a focus on “what comes next?”, especially at a system’s level which was highlighted in their themes Change and Breaking the Silence. Change spoke about understanding that life is dynamic, there is always room for improvement, and that current systems need to change, especially to address and challenge preconceived narratives. Consequently, they spoke about resources and support that they would need to bring about this change. Similarly, the theme, Breaking the Silence, further explored what needs to be done to allow for a better future. Participants spoke about the need for courage to speak up, challenging cultural and systemic barriers and stigma, and the need for ongoing advocacy, while seeking support from those around them.

Below is an example of a participant photo from the Black Men’s group (Figure 2) that highlights many of the above points.

3.2. Knowledge Exchange Event (KEE)

The KEE was attended by 68 individuals including 30.8% (n = 21) community members who had experience with and/or witnessed FV in Peel, 57.4% (n = 39) service providers working within FV prevention, and 11.8% (n = 8) researchers and research institute staff. Of all the participants, 69.1% (n = 47) completed the demographic survey, which can be seen in

Table 2. Demographic Characteristics of KEE Participants.

	Completed Demographic Survey Population [% (n)] (N = 47)
Best Identified Role
Adult (18+) w/Lived Experience	44.6 (21)
Community Partner	19.1 (9)
Researcher	2.1 (1)
Service Provider	29.8 (14)
Other	4.3 (2)
Age
18–24	8.5 (4)
25–34	31.9 (15)
35–44	29.8 (14)
45–54	12.8 (6)
55–64	12.8 (6)
65–74	4.3 (2)
Gender
Woman	87.2 (41)
Man	8.5 (4)
Prefer not to answer	4.2 (2)
Marital Status
Married or Domestic Partner	40.4 (19)
Divorced	12.8 (6)
Separated	14.9 (7)
Single or Never Been Married	31.9 (15)
Racial/Ethnic Group
Asian—East	2.1 (1)
Asian—South	46.8 (22)
Asian—Southeast	4.3 (2)
Black Caribbean	19. 1 (9)
Indian—Caribbean	4.3 (2)
Latin American	2.1 (1)
Middle Eastern	4.3 (2)
White—European	10.6 (5)
White—North American	2.1 (1)
Mixed Heritage	2.1 (1)
Prefer not to answer	2.1 (1)
Highest Level of Education
High school graduate	6.4 (3)
Some college	6.4 (3)
College graduate	14.9 (7)
Some university	14.9 (7)
Undergraduate degree	17.0 (8)
Advanced degree	34.0 (16)
Prefer not to answer	6.4 (3)
Total Family Income
$0 to $29,999	23.4 (11)
$30,000 to $59,999	14.9 (7)
$60,000 to $89,000	10.6 (5)
$90,000 to $119,999	6.4 (3)
$120,000 to $149,999	14.9 (7)
$150,000 or more	10.6 (5)
Prefer not to answer	19.1 (9)

.

3.2.1. Idea Generation and Prioritization

A total of 22 unique ideas were generated which can be seen in

Table 3. List of All Generated Ideas from the 25/10 Crowdsourcing Activity.

#	Generated Idea	Score
1	Survivors and instigators of violence should be provided barrier-free and culturally responsive, free-cost, mental health support.	25
2	Access to safe housing to prevent and exit FV.	23
3	Foster empowerment through financial independence.	20
4	Reduce barriers to accessing free wrap-around services and supports.	20
5	Create early-on preventative programs for FV and children through different activities/strategies: culturally appropriate, educational, awareness, communication, and happy and respectful relationships.	18
6	Re-imagine the current “first response” system for FV. Reformulate with more comprehensive mental health support.	18
7	Beginning with community kitchens, create safe and brave spaces for victims of FV (incl. women, children, and men).	18
8	Using media as a form of bringing awareness to FV. Using the radio, tv shows, and apps to educate victims and share their experiences.	17.5
9	Create education programs to promote healthy relationships for groups including parents, caregivers, and seniors.	17
10	Focus on funding for prevention, not just care.	16.8
11	Offering counseling and destigmatizing the taboo that counseling is negative. Starting from parenting education and dismantling emotional immaturity.	16.8
12	Centralized system of data sharing across the system so people with lived experience don’t have to keep proving their experience and having barriers.	16.5
13	More resources and a direct path where people can go to and have reliable help and assistance. More awareness and education regarding FV.	16.4
14	Encourage and support victims with lived experience to be active participants in the educational process of preventing FV.	16
15	Communication between different agencies treating different family members for a holistic support system.	14
16	Establishing a women’s advisory committee to advise the government on trends and policy challenges associated with FV.	14
17	Collaborate with organizations to have monthly awareness projects within communities (ex. mental health month).	13
18	Create a unified platform to collate agenda for change and lobby with the government.	11.5
19	Default acceptance and believing of survivors across the system for people.	11
20	Collaborative efforts involving service providers, community leaders, and lived experience.	Unscored
21	Food security. By communicating with your community and collaborative efforts for food banks.
22	Society has changed but the system hasn’t changed.

. Carrying forward the thread of systems change that we had started to see during the photovoice activities, the top ideas (scores > 20) that were identified all spoke to systematic support that needed to be introduced to support those experiencing FV. The top idea (score = 25), indicating that everyone who saw this idea gave it the maximum score possible, spoke about providing culturally responsive and barrier-free, no-cost mental health support services. This was closely followed (score = 23) by developing, establishing, and enhancing systemic pathways that provide safe housing to exit situations of FV, allow for financial independence, address barriers, and improve access to wrap-around services and support.

Other ideas focused on early prevention, specifically centering cultural awareness and identifying those at-risk to foster happier families, rethinking the current first response system, enhancing food security, leveraging media to call attention to FV, education programs, soliciting additional funding, and reducing stigma around FV. Upon discussion of these top ideas, once again the conversation shifted from personal challenges and experiences to the changes that need to be made to the current systems, and we transitioned to our mini hackathon, to start developing preliminary solutions to the top ideas identified.

3.2.2. Mini Hackathon and Recommendations for Action

Two preliminary solutions were developed for each of the four top ideas, resulting in 8 preliminary solutions. Since individual solutions have been discussed in detail previously, what is worth focusing on here are the extensive overlap and commonalities between these solutions, as they highlight how there are shared gaps, which can simultaneously address FV at multiple levels in the region (Fierheller et al. 2024c). When examining these shared gaps, all solutions focused on integrating services across sectors including mental health providers, school boards, community service providers, government programs, and other wrap-around service providers. All solutions also focused on integrating culturally aware and relevant care and language and recognized the diverse communities that reside within Peel including newcomers, refugees, racialized groups, and young children. There was also a focus not only on those experiencing violence but also on those who instigate violence, and the need to leverage systems-level change and focused programming to prevent violence from occurring in the first place. All solutions also recognized the importance of integrating community engagement and formalizing partnerships with social work and social service systems, to ensure sustainable change.

Based on these co-designed solutions, which were directly informed by the learnings from the preceding phases, our study makes it apparent and thus recommends that systems-level change is needed and must include the voices of those with lived experience of FV and health and social service providers working across sectors. There is a strong desire for and a current gap in culturally relevant and informed care and mechanisms that allow for the prevention of violence. These findings also highlight the need for integrated care and access to services for those navigating FV within the region while simultaneously addressing systematic barriers.

4. Discussion

Our 2-year study successfully engaged individuals who identify from racialized communities and have lived experience of FV within the Peel region, to understand experiences of FV, identify gaps and assets, and work towards developing solutions alongside social workers, social service providers, and other cross-sectoral partners. Our work has shown that survivors and witnesses of FV come from all walks of life, are resilient, and have important experiential knowledge that should be used to shape social services design and evaluation.

We saw these learnings emerge early on during our photovoice activities, where it became rapidly apparent that survivors felt that the failures in service provision at a systems level made it difficult for them to access support and services, negatively impacting their overall well-being. As we shifted into ideation, this preliminary focus on a social systems level approach solidified, as we explored innovative ideas for FV prevention and event attendees identified top ideas around barrier-free, culturally aware and relevant, and seamless provision of services ranging from mental health support, safe housing, financial independence, and accessing wrap-around services. Our work then concluded with the collaborative development of preliminary solutions to these ideas which highlighted the need to focus not only on those experiencing violence but also on the instigators of violence. It was evident that cross-sectoral collaborative efforts and coordination across agencies to support secondary prevention and upstream interventions were needed, through the development of wrap-around service continuums, addressing mental health concerns early on, and focusing on outreach, while centering culturally aware and relevant care. Given that IPV service provision has been extensively critiqued for being non-responsive to those with diverse needs (Sokoloff and Dupont 2005; Mehrotra et al. 2016), and service delivery assumptions have been noted to be often misaligned with survivor needs (Kulkarni 2019), it was unsurprising that these were also the experiences of our cross-sectoral community partners and participants with lived experience of FV within the region (Robinson and Spilsbury 2008; Kennedy et al. 2024; Wright et al. 2022). As the current FV service provision sector continues to evolve in response to socio-economic changes and we continue to see a reduction in available housing, mental health services, and a lack of adaptation to survivor populations changing cultural and linguistic needs, it is also unsurprising that we continued to hear while working alongside these shareholders that cultural, social, financial, educational, racial, and gender disparities significantly impact one’s unique experience of FV, and thus needs to be accounted for at a systems level (Government of Canada 2023; Golden et al. 2013; Hyde-Nolan and Juliao 2012; Ragavan et al. 2020).

Our findings highlight two key factors, the first being the need for cultural considerations within service planning and provision. Culturally aware and relevant care enables information sharing by service users, fosters trust, and directly impacts service utilization (ABR-SD 2021; Betancourt et al. 2002). In the absence of culturally relevant care, people have reported feeling misunderstood, and therefore abandoning the care process midway (Saenz et al. 2024; Marsiglia et al. 2021; Ocloo et al. 2021; Claeys et al. 2021; Vandecasteele et al. 2024), reaffirming how a lack of trust deters future care and service-seeking behavior, resulting in failures to support those experiencing FV or preventing FV (Pokharel et al. 2023). Culturally relevant care, however, is not a one-size-fits-all approach, as cultural identity intersects with other social identities including but not limited to sex, gender, and race, which thus requires providers to prioritize cultural knowledge and a willingness to understand in order to tailor their support services and prevention strategies effectively (The Equality Institute 2020; Kulkarni 2019; Baker et al. 2016; Pokharel et al. 2023).

Throughout the study, our participants discussed experiences and challenges with services at different levels of the FV system involving instances of misunderstanding, discrimination, and bias. We heard this through our South Asian women’s group’s struggles with the welfare and the housing system, as they spoke about discrimination from landlords who did not want to rent to “single mothers” presuming retaliation from abusive spouses, defaults in rent, and/or police involvement, with similar experiences by other FV survivors also extensively documented in the literature (Sweet 2021). Similarly, conversations with the Black men’s group also highlighted the role of inherent systemic prejudices and biases, which prevented them from seeking FV support services. Participants spoke about how oftentimes they were presumed guilty due to their race and gender by service providers, making their efforts to seek support feel counterproductive. Culturally aware and relevant care once again becomes highly critical in order to navigate these interplays between intersecting identities effectively; in this case, being Black and male and understanding how these men perceive and access support and services (Fierheller et al. 2024a; Smith 2008; Rice et al. 2021; Stewart and Haselschwerdt 2023).

Our findings thus underscore that when providing services to FV survivors and families, it is inadequate for services to merely exist; rather, they must be tailored to the individual’s racial identity, culture, and experiences. For example, if we were to carry forward this example from our Black Men’s group, services for these men need to understand that the context of Black fatherhood is markedly different from the Western cultural norms, necessitating a nuanced understanding of how Black men are perceived within the current system (Comer 1989; Seward and Stanley-Stevens 2013; Wallace 2021; Valiquette-Tessier et al. 2019). It is also crucial to recognize that their experiences are rooted in the historical contexts of racism, slavery, and economic exploitation which impacts how they ask, receive, and respond to care (Valiquette-Tessier et al. 2019; Wallace 2021; Comer 1989; Seward and Stanley-Stevens 2013). These findings become even more vital when we realize that men’s voices are often absent from system-level discussions surrounding FV (Wright et al. 2022; Taylor et al. 2022; Kelley 2022), and thus our study deliberately created a space for their voices and stories. This inclusion was essential to allow them to be a part of the solution, recognizing that genuine and sustained systemic and societal change requires everyone’s participation.

The second key factor highlighted by our findings was the need for collaboration and coordination across community partners and healthcare and social services. We saw that participants, community partners, and those on the frontlines battling the FV epidemic recognize the need for wrap-around supports and uninterrupted pathways to prevent, exit, and move on from situations of FV. We heard survivors speak about their inability to find gainful employment, struggling to find childcare, navigating the difficulties of the complex justice system, and accessing food and shelter. We saw that those experiencing FV have nonlinear journeys and there are many entry points or pathways to access services and systems for child welfare, justice, and housing (Wood 2018). Though wrap-around care is ideal for addressing the above through its provision of comprehensive services (Fierheller et al. 2024a), given the magnitude and gravity of FV, the number of community agencies and providers working within the area, and the diverse population it involves, there is a need for intentional coordination before these supports can be implemented in the manner they need to be, in order for real change and action to occur. Lack of coordination leads to interrupted care for those needing support allowing them to slip between the cracks; however, barriers to collaboration remain, including concerns about power sharing, lack of resources, and differences in practices and goals (Malik et al. 2008). Our study has once again identified and highlighted these systemic failures through community engagement with lived experience, indicating the importance of and the expressed need for intentional coordination, collaboration, and communication between service provision agencies, funders, and the government to allow for a seamless transition between programs and services.

The above observations, grounded in our CBPR approach alongside our shareholders, not only demonstrate ways lived experience can be engaged to prioritize and inform systems-level change, but are extremely valuable as engaging those with lived experience in the understanding, ideation, and development of solutions has been extensively shown to result in action-oriented and relevant findings (Kruzan et al. 2021). Our study takes this a step further by formalizing collaborative engagement with those on the front lines providing these services, i.e., the social workers and service providers alongside the service users or potential users. Evidence has shown that collaboration and ideation by engaging these diverse perspectives can result in robust outcomes that are highly relevant to the current context, and high-priority areas (Talgorn et al. 2022; Golden 2019; Shemer and Shahar 2022; O’Neill and Moss 2019). Thus, the very methods we used to arrive at these findings became the beginning of the cross-sectoral partnerships that we propose can bring about the coordinated, sustainable, and relevant change that our partners and participants have spoken about. Although we recognize that social workers and social service agencies provide crucial support and resources to families experiencing violence, without coordinated efforts to work alongside those with lived experience and formalizing bi-directional exchange of knowledge, we risk repeating historical errors where advocates, researchers, and survivors operate in silos. Programs developed are either not evidence-informed or fail to account for on-the-ground realities and experiences, making it challenging to address community needs and FV effectively (Ragavan et al. 2020). Engaging those with lived experience in this work also has many direct benefits for the service users themselves as literature has shown that this intentional inclusion in FV service design is empowering for survivors, aligned with their desire to create meaningful change, and creates opportunities for peer support (Fiolet et al. 2024).

Limitations

Limitations to our study exist. While we tried to include diverse voices experiencing or witnessing FV from across the region, we acknowledge that many voices were not included. Future work is needed to ensure that we continue to find spaces to engage those from other racialized groups, and those identified with intellectual disabilities. Our knowledge translation event was also primarily attended by those who identified as women, and further work is needed to ensure that those who identify as men are engaged in future work.

5. Conclusions

With the rise of family and intimate partner violence in Canadian communities reaching epidemic proportions, community engagement and co-design are more crucial than ever to ensure that social work and social services remain relevant and effectively meet the needs of diverse and racialized children, youth, families, and communities experiencing violence. Our work has demonstrated that there is a critical need to enhance and expand current services and systems available to those experiencing violence. While enhancements identified focused on culturally tailored supports and culturally aware and relevant care providers, expansions focused on wrap-around supports and wider system collaboration and coordination. Our research team continues to collaborate with community members and partners to address the collective recommendations from this study and translate knowledge into action by applying for additional research grants and mobilizing knowledge through ongoing community engagement. CBPR approaches can provide tools such as community advisory boards, peer research assistants, and innovative engagement methods, that ensure continued community involvement, and facilitate ongoing knowledge exchange among social workers, service users, researchers, and policymakers to create meaningful systems-level change.