Jennifer Davidson
Former Social Work Supervisor in Child Welfare. Advocate for the unheard. My voice for those who protect our children.
The Work That Defined Me
I'm sharing my traumatic experience as a Social Work Supervisor in Child Welfare in Nova Scotia. In this role, I faced threats and harassment due to my supervisory position and my legal obligation to report concerns related to a child's well-being. Ultimately, I endured catastrophic events as a result.
The work environment lacked essential safeguards and support for both my own well-being and that of my staff. During times of resource shortages, staffing issues, and extremely high caseloads, I also had to contend with rising violence, addiction, and poverty rates in the province.
I held one of the most challenging positions within the provincial government: long-term protection, which involved managing high-risk cases with verified risks involving children. I also supervised one of the busiest offices in the province, handling some of the highest caseloads.
Despite my trustworthiness in these roles, my concerns about my own safety and my family's safety were not taken seriously, leaving me feeling hopeless.
A System That Failed Me
Despite following all proper procedures, advising my employer, providing a statement to the police, contacting them multiple times afterward, and adhering to Occupational Health and Safety protocols, I was ultimately left in an impossible position with no support from the individuals or organizations I reached out to for help.
When violence escalated from my workplace to my professional community, and eventually to my home community, I recognized the need to protect myself and my children. With 22 years of experience assessing risk, I understood the gravity of the threat posed by a privacy-protected individual with a history of multiple criminal convictions, along with his friend, even if no one else seemed to acknowledge it.
My role as a supervisor and my previous designation as an expert witness in Social Work in the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia were seemingly overlooked in favor of punishing my fear-based reaction to stand and fight. I was forced to face my concerns head-on on a day that should never have happened, had there been proper intervention from my employer or the police.
If my safety concerns had been properly documented and addressed after the initial incidents, or if safeguards had been put in place to prevent the situation, my life would likely be very different today.
The Breaking Point
After several interactions related to my child welfare report, and being targeted by the angry, retaliatory client and his male friends, I felt physically and mentally compelled to defend myself. I was overwhelmed by fear and exhaustion due to the harassment that went unaided by my employer and police.
My trauma-induced response to fight was triggered by a series of experiences in which I was cornered, blocked from leaving, struck in the face with a phone, taunted, cursed at, and insulted. Repeated verbal threats compounded my fear. threats that I would “pay,” that I should “worry,” and “be afraid to sleep,” and ominous exchanges between the men about how they would “die for each other.”
After a third incident of being followed and threatened, and more than six attempts to seek help, I acted instinctively. Desperate to prevent what I believed was an anticipated attack, I took action to protect myself.
Multiple pictures and videos were taken of me without my permission or consent. in close proximity, inches from my face, while these threats were uttered to me.
As women, we are often told to scream loudly and fight back when in danger, to trust our instincts, and to never turn our backs on a threat. When I finally stood up to those threatening my safety, I was punished.
Silenced by the System
When I finally stood up to those threatening my safety, I was punished by my employer, local police, and the courts, who seemed unconcerned by my terrifying experiences, and said I was thin-skulled and overly sensitive. Eventually, I was abandoned by my union.
My experiences were ignored, downplayed, minimized, and even decriminalized. Normalized. Authorities refused to acknowledge the escalating pattern of violence and my reasonable efforts to obtain support and prevent the situation.
The impact on my mental and physical well-being, my career, my family, and my future were given little consideration. I realized that I was truly on my own. The focus was entirely on how I responded, while ignoring everything I had endured and my resilience in managing the situation.
Everyone has a limit to what they can tolerate.
No one should have to suffer without care, empathy, and real support. especially at the hands of their employers and governments. Harassment and intimidation should not be excused by inaction or allowed to go without consequence. Meanwhile, overworked and under-protected helping professionals, who have witnessed too much trauma, should not be punished for reacting with anger and fear in times of immense stress and with reasonable certainty of harm.
When all doors are closed, we open a window. This is that window.
Foreseeable Harm
Unaddressed violence leads to more violence. it's basic cause and effect. This individual is now accused of substantial violence against two different women involving firearms, as well as assaulting police. Once released, he then choked one of those women. He then allegedly went on to commit several more impaired driving offences. Does house arrest seem sufficient to you?
Decriminalizing someone's violence without addressing its root cause doesn't stop the behavior. it simply shifts the harm onto new victims. That's exactly what has happened here, and it was easily foreseeable.
Why This Site Exists
This site aims to promote positive change and healing by sharing the often-unheard stories, resources, and opportunities. Safe spaces are created when employees feel safe to share their experiences. We cannot change our realities by hiding the truth.
This site seeks to influence policies and procedures that protect those who protect our children, as well as other professionals who frequently experience workplace violence or trauma.
Continue the Journey
Read my reflections, explore my conversations, and add your voice to the movement for change.