Domestic Violence Training: Power & Kyriarchy

Welcome Statement: Introduction to the training on power and kyriarchy in relation to domestic violence.

General Discussion: Exploring the concepts of power and their relationship with kyriarchy.
Key Quote from Angela Davis: Feminism is not just about gender equality, but involves understanding capitalism, racism, colonialism, and diverse identities and experiences.

Participant: Preferred over "client/patient" to emphasize voluntary service engagement.
Trauma-Informed: Services shaped to accommodate trauma impacts for safe participation.
Safety-Planning: Customized safety plans based on individual risk factors.
- Example: Identifying red flags like non-consensual strangulation, a precursor to homicide.
Strength-Based Approach: Focus on survivor's existing strengths rather than deficits.
- Importance of recognizing survivor resilience (e.g., calling a hotline).
Empowerment Model: Balancing information sharing and advocacy while promoting survivor choice and consent.
Best Practice: The most informed principles or services based on the latest data.

Gender Neutrality: When referring to women and men, inclusivity of trans and cisgender individuals is assumed unless specified otherwise.

Survivor Archetype: Participants visualize their assumptions about domestic violence survivors.
- Common perceptions: Cisgender women, often imagined with lower economic status.
Abuser Archetype: Reflection on biases regarding abusers' demographics, often imagined as highly educated cisgender heterosexual men.
Importance of Reflection: Understanding biases that influence recognition of abuse and survivor identity.

Victim vs Survivor:
- "Victim": Best used in legal context, may induce feelings of helplessness.
- "Survivor": Suggests agency and survival post-abuse, preferred terminology in advocacy.
Alternative Terms for Abusers:
- Examples: Batterer, perpetrator, abuser, person causing harm.