CASE STUDY 6: JAY

Profile

Background

Jay and his parents immigrated from Sri Lanka. He lives with his parents and siblings. Jay gets along very well with his cousin, who lives in the same city as Jay in Canada. Jay’s father has extended family members living in Canada, and the family maintains a close relationship with them.

Family and Systemic Violence Witnessed/Experienced

Growing up, Jay witnessed altercations between his parents, but he was never targeted. Jay remembers one altercation between his parents when he was approximately 11 years old; Jay’s father assaulted his mother, and she fell and hit her head. Jay was worried about internal bleeding and wanted his father to take her to the hospital and get medical attention. However, his father rejected the idea and insisted that she was responsive. Jay called his two siblings, who were not at home at the time of the incident, for support in getting their mother medical attention. Both of his siblings refused to go against their father’s wishes, which led to Jay calling 911.

Although Jay specified to the 911 operator that he only wanted medical services, police officers were dispatched to his home. The police officers asked Jay and his father what had transpired. Both Jay and his father described the event as an accident, and no criminal charges were laid.

Jay lived with his first cousins when he first settled in Canada, so he developed a close relationship with them. Whenever Jay and his cousins got together, they shared details about happenings in their homes, including the FV. These discussions allowed them to cope with the violence in their families.

Jay currently lives with his parents and has a respectful relationship with them. Jay’s relationship with his siblings is good but is a work in progress. Jay’s father has not abused his mother since Jay called 911. Furthermore, Jay told his father he would not hesitate to call 911 again if his mother was injured. Jay feels he holds the role of “watchdog” in his family to ensure that his father never inflicts violence on his mother again.

Experiences while Accessing Supports

Jay does not feel that being a racialized individual impacted his interaction with EMS or the police. When the first responders came to his home, he requested that they remove their shoes when they entered the “Puja room” (place of worship in the house), which they respectfully did, nor did they step on the carpet in this room.

Impact of Family and Systemic Violence

Jay does not feel that witnessing altercations between his parents impacted him physically, emotionally or financially. Witnessing FV sparked Jay’s interest in criminology, which he pursued in his post-secondary education.