Beyond The Mirror: How HaiR-3RS Is Helping Clients Facing Domestic Violence In Australia

                                Mandy Hudson Hair Educator & Adrian Panayiotis, Hair Ambassador 

Salon professionals are always in constant communication and forming special bonds with their clients while maintaining a professional demeanor throughout the entire experience. Beyond the technical hair and beauty skills, salons have arguably grown to become a safe haven for clients.

“The relationship between salon professional and client is very unique, with many forming a bond of trust,” says Mel Broere, Project Coordinator at Eastern Domestic Violence Service (EDVOS) organization in Australia. “This is reflected in research which shows that 68% of women choose their salon professional because of the relationship, with 84% trusting their salon professional’s support.

Yet, conversations tend to become deeper and intimate, with salon clients openly revealing topics that go beyond the exterior surface and rather at times a cry for help.

“Very few women experiencing family violence approach family violence services or the police in the first instance. They are more likely to tell someone they trust, like their salon professional.”

With an intention of filling in gaps in the hair industry, this is whereHair-3R’s (recognize, respond and refer) comes in.In Melbourne, the specialist family violence service in eastern metropolitan region has been running a program 3-hour interactive family violence awareness program for salon workers in response to research on the client-salon professional relationship.

 

Catered for salon professionals with changed work conditions or those outside Melbourne, it is aimed at training salon workers to safely help and manage client disclosures of abuse, empowering salon professionals with the 3Rs.

With the surge in COVID-19 cases and strict government-imposed lockdowns implemented across Australia, Broere says that there has been significant increase in family violence in Australia. A a survey of 15,000 women conducted by the Australian Institute of Criminology found that almost 1 in 10 Australian women in a relationship have experienced family violence and 33% of the women experienced in-house abuse for the first time during the pandemic. Additionally, more than half of women who experienced physical or sexual violence prior to the COVID-19, saying that violence became more frequent and severe.

“It’s important for salon professionals to do training so they have the skills and confidence to safely and appropriately help someone experiencing family violence.”

“Being in lockdown or isolation with a perpetrator can make it difficult for someone experiencing family violence to tell anyone about what is happening to them as they are often being monitored. They may not be able to reach out to a friend or family violence service without arousing suspicion,” she explains.

Seen as a safe space, salons in Australia still remain open despite various business closures and strict movement due to the COVID-19. With that being said, it’s highly vital – especially during these critical times – for hair salon professional to take up the program.

 

“With 1 in 4 women experiencing violence, it’s not a matter of ‘if’ salon professionals will be disclosed to, it’s a matter of ‘when.’ It’s important for salon professionals to do training so they have the skills and confidence to safely and appropriately help someone experiencing family violence,” EDVOS’s Project Coordinator says. “Being listened to and believed can have a significant impact on someone experiencing family violence. They may not have received this kind of response elsewhere and it can encourage them to seek help from a family violence service. For many, this kind of early intervention can be lifesaving.”

As many hair professionals are unsure of what to say and do if a client discloses family violence, there has been a high demand for the Melbourne-based HaiR-3Rs online training program amid the pandemic crippling the economy and various sectors, particularly from hair salons that are forced to shut down their doors for a small period of time due to this year’s restrictions.

“We believe all salon professionals should receive family violence training and would like to see it included as part of the curriculum in TAFEs and hairdressing schools,” she clarifies. “Globally, there seems to be a growing understanding that with proper training, salons professionals can be crucial in helping reduce violence in the community.”

“As humans, we’re far more likely to take advice from a friend and having our program endorsed by those in the industry has resulted in a lot more salon professionals contacting us to do HaiR-3Rs training.”

                                                                 HaiR-3Rs Training BIBA Academy 

Only available in Australia, the training is only free for those residing in Victoria. HaiR-3Rs relies solely on grants or donations to provide training and keep the program ongoing. “Whilst the majority of training has taken place in Victoria, we have run sessions in WA, QLD and ACT and received requests for training from all over Australia, as well as New Zealand.”

Much like other businesses, HaiR-3Rs has its own ambassadors, who are salon owners and well-known figures within the hair and beauty industry that have completed the training “help champion our program by providing key connections, support with promotion such as media requests or donation of their time and resources.”

“As humans, we’re far more likely to take advice from a friend and having our program endorsed by those in the industry has resulted in a lot more salon professionals contacting us to do HaiR-3Rs training. Ambassador Adrian also produces his own line of hair creams with $1 of every product going to the HaiR-3Rs program.”

Despite witnessing a gradual increase in training in selective countries, Broere says that it’s advisable to ask a clientjust as simple as saying “I’m worried about you. Are you ok?”. If clients reveal that they are experiencing family violence, believing them is essential. “Many victim-survivors don’t tell anyone or seek support because of the fear of not being believed.”

“Know your local family violence service. Call them up and ask what services they provide and if they have any materials you could display in the salon. This will show your clients that your salon is a safe space and staff will know where to refer clients who disclose family violence,” she concludes.

»Free HaiR-3RS training sessions are currently available for salons based in Victoria, Australia. 

»Readers can also support by following HaiR-3Rs on Instagram or donating to GiveNow:  https://www.givenow.com.au/hair3rs
(It costs $150 to provide free training for one salon professional!)