Dr. Isabelle Côté, Associate Professor at the School of Social Work, has launched the PEVC Institute (Protecting Children Against Domestic Violence) with research partner, Simon Lapierre, Full Professor at the School of Social Work at the University of Ottawa. This unique research and training initiative is dedicated to safeguarding children living in domestic violence situations, with a focus on intervention, prevention, and professional training.
The PEVC Institute was born out of Côté and Lapierre's five-year research project funded by a $1 million grant from Status of Women Canada in 2019. Building on the solid foundation of evidence-based practices developed during this research, the Institute now operates with significant support from the Fondation Lucie et André Chagnon.
"Children who live with domestic violence are at a high risk of developmental harm," said Dr. Côté. "Our goal is to ensure their safety, empower community professionals, and together, create effective intervention strategies, ultimately saving lives."
The PEVC Institute provides comprehensive training for francophone professionals in youth protection, law enforcement, women's shelters, perpetrator intervention programs, and legal services. Community service professionals learn best practices directly from the researchers through a four-day training program. Participants learn to handle complex cases of domestic violence, focus on the safety of children and their mother, and better understand accountability for perpetrators.
"Cases of domestic violence are some of the most difficult and dangerous to handle," Dr. Côté explained. "We are shifting the paradigm with a rapid-response model that emphasizes both immediate safety and long-term change. To our knowledge, this research-to-front-line-training format is the first of its kind in this field in Canada."
The PEVC model was successfully implemented in three pilot regions of Quebec, sparking interest from additional regions. Now offered in seven regions in both English and French, PEVC continues to expand to meet the needs of communities. The Institute has trained a growing number of police officers, lawyers, prosecutors, and social service providers throughout Quebec.
"Domestic violence is often invisible, and perpetrators can appear like the good guy next door,'" said Dr. Côté. "We are training professionals to detect and address these situations before it's too late using a holistic approach that prioritizes the safety of children."
With generous funding in place from Fondation Chagnon, the PEVC Institute will continue expanding its training and research efforts. The team is committed to ongoing evaluation and adaptation of their model, ensuring it remains at the forefront of protecting vulnerable children.
"Our work is intended to go beyond intervention," said Dr. Côté. "It's about giving children the safe and healthy childhood they deserve, and ensuring that families can break free from cycles of violence."
