Two days of training focused on strangulation may seem oddly specific, but the diversity of a group hosted by southern Vancouver Island鈥檚 Regional Domestic Violence Unit (RDVU) highlights the growing need for education on the impacts and support for survivors.

鈥淲ithin a few mere seconds you can go from a conscious survivor to an unconscious survivor, to someone who has been killed by strangulation,鈥� said Sgt. Jon Cawsey, officer in charge of the RDVU. The unit, which investigates the highest-risk intimate partner violence cases in B.C's Capital Region, hosted a two-day training session recently on how to identify, investigate and document specifically strangulation cases 鈥� and how to educate and support survivors.

The regional, multidisciplinary team includes police, Ministry of Children and Family Development, victim support services and probation 鈥� will often work with the survivor and the offender to break a cycle of violence, "to protect survivors and their families and to support the process which may include the prosecution of the abuser,鈥� said Cawsey said.

A majority of the cases they're involved in deal with strangulation, something Cawsey said has become normalized in popular culture.

鈥淯nfortunately it鈥檚 become more prevalent in society without the true understanding of how serious the risks are. There鈥檚 no excuse to put your hands around your intimate partner鈥檚 neck or throat for any amount of time.鈥�

The session highlighted the community approach needed to combat the issue, with 150 delegates from myriad professions including Crown prosecutors, victim advocates, officers, counsellors and researchers, all learning about strangulation from experts in the field. The Training Institute on Strangulation Prevention in San Diego led discussions on how to identify, investigate and document cases, as well as how to educate and support survivors.

鈥淭he high-risk nature of strangulation requires specific training on how to identify that someone has been strangled; how to support a survivor including medical care they likely need; and how to investigate strangulation cases to provide the best case to the courts to hold the abuser accountable,鈥� Cawsey said.

On average, almost three instances of domestic violence a day have been reported to Saanich police over the last three years.

The large majority, 80 per cent, of intimate partner violence survivors said they didn't report it to the police, according to 2021 data from Statistics Canada.

According to self-reported data, the most common reasons provided by survivors is the belief that abuse is a private or personal matter, and the perception that the incident is not important enough to report. Others cited fear of stigma and the court system as well as lack of trust in the criminal justice system.

One call to action coming from those gathered to learn during the Feb. 12 and 13 session, is as a community to get support services to survivors so they and their families can stay safe, Cawsey said, and abusers be held accountable.

鈥淭he impacts of strangulation 鈥� no matter how long or short 鈥� are significant and as a collective, it won鈥檛 be tolerated,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he work in the community is being done to garner further supports for survivors of strangulation.鈥�