On May 10, Alberta Community Crime Prevention Association (ACCPA) in partnership with HomeFront, Big Hill Haven, United Way Calgary, EQUS, and REACH, presented a Keynote Luncheon with Rachel Louise Snyder at the Silvertip Resort in Canmore.
As an investigative journalist, Rachel Louise Snyder spent over 20 years travelling to more than 50 countries, and everywhere her stories have taken her, she witnessed the impact of domestic violence.
This led Snyder to examine the causes and effects of domestic violence in her latest book, No Visible Bruises: What We Don’t Know About Domestic Violence Can Kill Us. This award-winning book reveals that one of the most urgent social problems takes place behind closed doors, and that the most dangerous place for a woman is often in her own home.
Her keynote presentation, Every Voice Counts, addressed domestic violence and examined many of the myths that often accompany this social issue. Her presentation was compelling and insightful, engaging audience members of all experience levels as she brought her experience to light through her captivating storytelling.
Her presentation and novel tell the story of the abuse of Michelle Monson Mosure and her children by Michelle’s husband. Through this account, Snyder addresses the many ways in which policies, laws, and cultural narratives can allow abusers to escape responsibility.
“Violence inside the home is not a private matter; it’s a public epidemic.” – No Visible Bruises
An excerpt from the book reads, “Violence inside the home is not a private matter; it’s a public epidemic, and yet it remains locked in silence, even as its tendrils reach unseen into so many of our most pressing concerns, from mass shootings to mass incarceration to #MeToo.” Snyder illuminates the intersections between domestic violence and other social issues, including gender bias, poverty, and addiction, to highlight that none of these social issues occur in a vacuum.
In both her book and presentation, Snyder draws upon the stories of victims, perpetrators, law enforcement, and advocates to explore the causes of domestic violence and its far-reaching social consequences. Through her investigative reporting, Snyder unflinchingly examines the causes and effects of domestic violence, and aims to create change in how we address domestic violence which can, in turn, save lives.