Welcome to the Knowledge Hub!
The Centre for Research & Education on Violence against Women & Children has received financial contributions from the Public Health Agency of Canada for the Knowledge Hub project. The Knowledge Hub facilitates Communities of Practice for projects funded through various investments from the Public Health Agency of Canada including:
- Supporting the health of victims of domestic violence and child abuse through community programs (2015-2022)
- Preventing and Addressing Family Violence: The Public Health Perspective (2022-2026)
- Preventing and Addressing Child Maltreatment (2026-2031)
Communities of Practice (CoP) have been developed to bolster the combined impact of funded projects, and further advance innovations in the growing field of trauma-informed health promotion.
These projects support people who have experienced gender-based or family violence and/or child maltreatment through a variety of programs. The Knowledge Hub facilitates knowledge mobilization among and for projects through a variety of opportunities including the KH Presents Series, Learning Network and Knowledge Hub Webinar Series, and a variety of other resources (reports, bulletins, videos).
The Knowledge Hub works with the Community of Practice (CoP) to:
- Foster relationships
- Build capacity
- Support knowledge mobilization
- Explore sustainability
Knowledge Hub Presents Conference
The Knowledge Hub hosted a national conference Innovations in addressing gender-based violence and trauma-and violence-informed health promotion on October 1-2, 2025 in Toronto, ON. More than 370 people attended.
Knowledge Hub Story
A story was created to describe and highlight the work and impact of the Knowledge Hub and the Trauma- and Violence-Informed Community of Practice. The story is based on the KH team’s work and experiences as well as data from a mid-term evaluation conducted with the CoP in 2024. Research findings were woven into narratives to make the data and our work accessible, interesting, and to help people understand what we do and how we do it.
The fictional characters in this story bring our work to life and highlight the objectives of the KH and CoP, showcase the range of projects and expertise within the community, and demonstrate the impact of our work. Additionally, we have highlighted the types of activities that the KH and CoP engage in, including the resources and outputs that we have developed together.
The story includes composite characters or fictionalized versions of real people, made by combining details from multiple individuals. This allows individual identities to be kept confidential while still allowing for the sharing of broad trends and experiences captured in the research data and team experiences. The quotes, however, are real, and demonstrate the themes pulled from the data that have been weaved into the narratives.
The story can be accessed below as a video.
New Resources and Upcoming Events
Upcoming LN/KH Webinar!
Recognizing the Importance of Family Violence for Children's Best Interests in Family Law Contexts
Presented by: Dr. Lisa Heslop & Dr. Kim Harris
This webinar will begin with an overview of why family legal professionals should screen for FV, what holds us back and what screening tools will help standardize the process. Moving beyond screening, the panel will introduce a new online assessment guide––the e-SAFeR––that is designed to help family law professionals create parenting plan recommendations that account for FV and forefront the safety of the children and the parent who experienced FV.
Recording Available!
Presented by: Patty Douglas
This LN/KH Webinar explored the intersections of neurodivergence, disability, and gender-based violence through critical disability studies, story-making, and neurodiversity-affirming approaches. Presented by Dr. Patty Douglas, this session drew on creative and participatory approaches that centre historically excluded perspectives, inviting participants to consider how dominant narratives about disability, care, communication, and harm shape responses to violence within education, health, and community systems.
Recordings Available!
Presented by: Simon Lapierre
This webinar presented findings from research on children’s experiences and perspectives regarding contact with their father in the context of post-separation intimate partner violence (IPV). It also highlighted the importance of considering children’s views when making decisions about contact with their father and identify factors that support their meaningful participation.
Recordings Available!
View the recorded presentations from the Knowledge Hub Presents Conference, a national event held on October 1-2, 2025. The sessions feature evidence-informed insights, emerging trends and practical tools to support ongoing work and learning.
Featured Project
The AIM Study
The Advocacy Intervention for women in Midlife and older (AIM) study is evaluating the effectiveness of the AIM Program, a 13-week advocacy intervention for women in midlife and older who experience intimate partner violence in the Maritime provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island). The project was registered as a Randomized Control Trial study with the ISCRTN registry and is also described here.
Featured CoP Member
Dr. Lori E. Weeks
Lori E. Weeks, PhD, is a Professor in the School of Nursing at Dalhousie University and holds a cross-appointment in the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies. One stream in Dr. Weeks’ program of research focuses on the abuse of older adults with a particular focus on supports for older women experiencing intimate partner violence. She has served on the Board of the Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and currently serves on the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Aging Advisory Board.
