Getting to the roots of abuse

Many victims of domestic abuse find it hard to tell others. Now hairdressers are finding that they are sometimes the only people women will confide in. Sarah Roe takes a look

AS an experienced hairdresser, Barbara Johnson is accustomed to her role as agony aunt. Over the whirr of hairdriers at her Edinburgh salon, women entrust her with some of their closest secrets. But recently, when she began the usual small-talk with one new client, she quickly realised the middle-aged woman needed more than a good gossip.

While Johnson snipped her customer's split ends, the woman confided that she had a violent relationship with her husband and did not know who to turn to. "She said the abuse was worst when they came home from church on a Sunday morning. The marks were always behind clothing and in places where it wouldn't be noticed," recalls Johnson. The weekend before, the woman's son had thrown her down the stairs, "because it was something he was used to seeing". She adds: "She told me so many things that I haven't even told anyone."

Hairdressers are accustomed to lending a listening ear. Traditionally, they are a girls' best friend, ready to swap advice on anything from relationships to career changes. Women may confide more to a hairdresser than they would do friends or family. But at what point does the friendly banter stop and counselling begin?

Government officials in America have realised that cosmetologists - a term that includes hairdressers and beauticians - could be a vital link to encourage women and children who suffer domestic violence to come forward. Last year a training programme was established in the state of Nevada to teach hairdressers to spot the signs of physical abuse and to ask the appropriate questions. During an eight-hour course, trainees were introduced to basic issues on domestic violence, including what defines abuse and the typical signs of violence, such as bruising or missing clumps of hair. Through role- play and a video they were shown the most appropriate way to react to a client who confides in them and were given contact details of services geared to help domestic violence victims.

Under the scheme 150 stylists were trained and 1300 salons were sent an information pack, including posters and leaflets on domestic violence, and tips on how to help clients find safety. "We're just trying to teach this group what we're trying to teach everyone in society - to say to the victim: 'It's not your fault, you've got to get help'," explains Veronica Frenkel, Nevada's domestic violence ombudsman, who also trains others likely to notice domestic abuse, such as members of the clergy or animal welfare inspectors. She adds: "It is about knowing not to say, 'What did you do to cause [the violence]?' or, 'Why don't you leave him', and knowing to say, 'There's help for you'." Similar projects have also been established in Connecticut, Colorado, Idaho and Wisconsin.

It is a formula which hairdressers believe could be put in practice on this side of the Atlantic. It is thought around one British woman in four suffers domestic violence, but only a fraction of them come forward to police or support groups. Scottish Women's Aid, the main charity providing refuge and advice to abused women, fielded 59,000 calls last year but even this figure is deceptively low. Many women endure the violence because they feel they have insufficient financial security to leave their partner and do not want to disrupt their children's lives. They may blame themselves for their partner's aggressive turns or fear addressing a failed relationship. In many cases, friends and family do not believe their story because there are no signs of bruising or scars.

Hairdressers and beauticians are more likely to notice such abuse than other people in the community, due to the intimate nature of their work. A missing clump of hair or a bruise on the scalp may be a hint of violence that a trained cosmetologist could tactfully question a client about. Most hairdressers are natural communicators. It is part of the job to relax clients and encourage them to talk freely about themselves. In this non-threatening environment, detached from their friends and family, women are likely to confide cases of violence and domestic difficulty.

"You are enough removed not to be involved in the person's particular scenario but you're close enough to know about their lives," explains hairdresser Gordon Wilson, who owns an Edinburgh salon. "I have done some of my clients for three weddings - their hairdresser has outlived two husbands. You do get very close to them and people do tell you things. I suppose we are in a unique position." The salon already works with a local GP, who taught staff how to notice common health complaints, such as hair loss and thyroid problems, and advise affected clients to visit the doctor. Wilson feels additional training on the signs of domestic abuse would be a logical move.

Stylist Laura Maltby, who works at Gordon Wilson's salon, agrees that because hairdressers often take on this role of confidante, they are well-placed to become more than just a sympathetic ear. "Clients do definitely tell you stuff that they wouldn't tell other people, so they would probably open up to you and tell you if you just pushed it a wee bit and asked them." She adds that information on where to refer victims of domestic violence would be particularly beneficial. "It's happened a few times that people have broken down on me and you don't know what to do, so if you've got a phone number to give them or something it would help."

As yet, no formal links have been established in Britain between hairdressers and domestic violence support groups, although some agencies distribute posters and leaflets in salons. However, cosmetology trainers are aware that there is a need for better staff training on such issues. "Hairdressers do hear a lot of personal information and sometimes find it difficult to know how to deal with it," says Alan Goldsbro, head of the Hairdressing And Beauty Industry Authority. HABIA wants to develop a trainee mentoring programme to help students deal with these "difficult situations", but Goldsbro stresses that hairdressers should not be expected to take more responsibility for domestic violence victims than other groups in society.

What concerns counsellors and women's groups is that hairdressers may be ill-equipped to handle the issues they uncover. A token one- day course slotted into their curriculum would be inadequate preparation for counselling, which usually requires at least three months of supervision before an individual is qualified. Customers may also feel they are being spied on by a trusted stylist and may not be ready to talk about their ordeal. Lack of confidentiality could also be a problem.

At Scottish Women's Aid, staff said they felt hairdressers could be doing more harm than good if they started to look for signs of physical abuse, since they would have insufficient training to handle the reactions they might receive. "We are concerned that any quick- fire training might be superficial. You would actually be doing a disservice to both the trainer and the person who would benefit from it, because they wouldn't have the depth of expertise or knowledge to counsel someone in a very dramatic personal situation," comments a spokeswoman from Scottish Women's Aid, which is made up of 40 local groups.

Similar fears were raised in America when the training for cosmetologists first began. Newspaper editorials claimed hairdressers were being trained to be "snitches" and were forced to become counsellors. However, Veronica Frenkel at Nevada State says this was a misinterpretation. "Nobody is trying to turn them into counsellors, we're just trying to turn them into caring human beings who can actually help. Anyone can be a lifeline for a victim."

Frenkel's Nevada-based programme was well-received by the cosmetology business. Many women wrote to her personally, to thank her for the training, since a large proportion of them had met clients who confided domestic violence but had previously been unable to offer suitable help. Frenkel stresses that just by stocking posters about domestic violence and contact information for support agencies, a hairdresser could save someone's life.

Hairdresser Barbara Johnson would have welcomed such guidance. Her client is now divorced and "getting on with her life", but she still vividly remembers the dilemma of being unable to help. "I felt a bit useless because apart from saying to her why didn't she go and have a good long chat with her doctor I couldn't advise her on anything. It's a really helpless situation."

Some names have been changed Domestic Violence helpline: 0800 027 1234::::::::::::::smr26p1:7f:7f:7f:7f5lifelines::::::::::::::

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