By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
How cosmetologists are helping domestic abuse victims
6255757e1d2b36197e3fc764e0bf414ef088600262e469333af11387d0d96130
New programs across the world are looking to train cosmetologists about how to talk to domestic abuse victims about their experiences. - photo by Herb Scribner
Domestic abuse victims may not be afraid to open up to cosmetologists about their experiences.

In fact, cosmetologists in Canada have received training on how to talk to their clients about domestic abuse, since experts feel abuse victims are more likely to open up to someone they know, trust and see on a regular basis, like their cosmetologists, according to CTV News.

"A lot of people may never go to the formal system there are thousands of reasons why you may never see them," Rina Arseneault, associate director at the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre, told CTV News. "It doesn't mean they don't need more information to understand what prevention is all about, or understand how to leave, or understand they're not alone."

In fact, the New Brunswick Cosmetology Association and the Saint John Police force have worked together to host workshops that help cosmetologists learn proper ways to discuss domestic violence with their clients, CTV News reported.

"We deal with many clients that have issues," Colleen Jones-McLeod, a workshop participant, told CTV News. "And we want to always be able to help our clients, whether it's to deal with hair, or how they look in their beauty, (or) sometimes, dealing with their personal issues."

See more about those workshops in this video.

This isnt the first time cosmetologists have worked with domestic abuse victims to talk about their issues, especially in the United States. In fact, the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence has an entire guide for cosmetologists about how to talk with their customers about domestic abuse experiences.

Clients often share very personal information with their stylists, the guide explained. Most women see a cosmetologist on a regular basis over many years. In that time, trusting relationships are built as clients and stylists share stories about their families, jobs and views on a variety of subjects. Cosmetologists are interested in their clients wellness and are experienced listeners.

And those programs do exist at some level. For example, the Cut It Out program in the U.S. has trained cosmetologists to recognize signs of abuse and offer support, ABC News reported.

The program, which is sponsored by the National Cosmetology Association, doesnt want to turn people in salons into counselors, according to Gordon Miller, the NCAs executive director, but rather allow cosmetologists a chance to help their community, ABC News reported.

Domestic violence experts and prosecutors have tried to encourage cosmetologists to go through similar training to help out the community, according to CBS.

Oftentimes there is a bond, and whether its a client sitting in a chair opening up about whats going on at home or possibly if a stylist were to notice physically there is something wrong, were asking them to step up," one policymaker, Alderman Matthew OShea, told CBS.
Sign up for our E-Newsletters
How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
ce406c66b9871a104ac24256a687e4821d75680dcfc89d9e5398939543f7f88f
A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
Latest Obituaries