Brain Injury & Intimate Partner Violence

The term intimate partner violence (IPV) describes physical, sexual, or psychological harm by a current or former intimate partner or spouse. IPV is also known as domestic abuse or gender-based violence, and is a major public health concern that destroys lives, devastates families, and affects communities around the world.

One in three women will experience intimate partner violence. Most will also suffer a brain injury. When you consider most physical abuse involves blows to the head, face, and neck, and strangulation, it’s not surprising. But while sports concussion dominates news headlines, little attention is paid to how common brain injury is among survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). SOAR (Supporting Survivors of Abuse and Brain Injury through Research) works to change that through a unique, multi-disciplinary research collaboration between University of British Columbia – Okanagan and Kelowna Women’s Shelter.

In Canada alone, it’s estimated 230,000 women between 20 and 54 will experience severe violence at the hands of an intimate partner every year.

The federal Department of Justice estimates the annual costs associated with IPV exceed $7.4B.

Learn more about the Supporting Survivors of Abuse and Brain Injury through Research (SOAR Project).