Jennifer Davidson shares her traumatic experience as a Social Work Supervisor in Child Welfare in Nova Scotia. In this role, she faced threats and harassment due to her supervisory position and her legal obligation to report concerns related to a child’s well-being. Ultimately, she endured catastrophic events as a result.

The work environment lacked essential safeguards and support for both her own well-being and that of her staff. During times of resource shortages, staffing issues, and extremely high caseloads, Jennifer also had to contend with rising violence, addiction, and poverty rates in the province. Despite following all proper procedures, advising her employer, providing a statement to the police, contacting them multiple times afterward, and adhering to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) protocols, she was ultimately left in an impossible position with no support from the individuals or organizations she reached out to for help.

When violence escalated from her workplace to her professional community, and eventually to her home community, Jennifer recognized the need to protect herself and her children. With 22 years of experience assessing risk, she 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.

After several interactions related to her child welfare report, and being targeted by the angry, retaliatory client and his male friends, Jennifer felt physically and mentally compelled to defend herself. She was overwhelmed by fear and exhaustion due to the harassment that went unaided by her employer and police. Her trauma-induced response to fight was triggered by a series of experiences in which she was cornered, blocked from leaving, struck in the face with a phone, taunted, cursed at, and insulted. Repeated verbal threats compounded her fear, threats that she would “pay,” that she 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, Jennifer acted instinctively. Desperate to prevent what she believed was an anticipated attack, she took action to protect herself.

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 Jennifer finally stood up to those threatening her safety, she was punished by her employer, local police, and the courts, who seemed unconcerned by her terrifying experiences. Eventually, she was abandoned by her union.

Her experiences were ignored, downplayed, minimized, and even decriminalized. Normalized. Authorities refused to acknowledge the escalating pattern of violence and her reasonable efforts to obtain support and prevent the situation. The impact on her mental and physical well-being, her career, her family, and her future were given little consideration. For a moment, Jennifer realized that she was truly on her own. The focus was entirely on how she responded, while ignoring everything she had endured and her resilience in managing the situation. Everyone has a limit to what they can tolerate.

She 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. She also supervised one of the busiest offices in the province, handling some of the highest caseloads. Despite her trustworthiness in these roles, her concerns about her own safety and her family’s safety were not taken seriously, leaving her feeling hopeless.

Her role as a supervisor and her previous designation as an expert witness in Social Work in the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia were seemingly overlooked in favor of punishing her fear-based reaction to stand and fight. She was forced to face her concerns head-on on a day that should never have happened, had there been proper intervention from her employer or the police. If Jennifer’s safety concerns had been properly documented and addressed after the initial incidents, or if safeguards had been put in place to prevent the situation, her life would likely be very different today.

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.

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.

When all doors are closed, we open a window. This is that window.