Identifying the Issues: Victim Services’ Workers experiences working with victims with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

3. Methodology

3. Methodology

3.1 Participant Recruitment

A letter of information was sent to the thirteen provincial and territorial Directors of Victim Services across Canada through the Federal, Provincial, Territorial Working Group on Victims of Crime. The letter asked the Directors to identify specific victim services workers’ who might have had experience working with clients who have FASD. The process by which Directors identified victim services workers was up to each Director. Persons identified by the Directors were contacted by telephone to determine if they were interested in being interviewed. 

Prior to beginning the interview, participants were asked if they objected to having the conversation audio-taped and assured that the tapes would be destroyed once transcribed[8].

3.2 Research Questions

Research questions related to participants’ knowledge of FASD, the importance and prevalence of FASD among their clients, their strategies for working with clients with FASD, and their recommendations regarding what could help them better prepare for clients who may have FASD. In a semi-structured format, the following questions were asked of participants:

3.3 Considerations

While the incidence of FASD is considered to be higher among Aboriginal persons, FASD can affect anyone, regardless of culture, race, or economic background, if alcohol was consumed by the mother during pregnancy. Ideally, participation from victim services workers serving clients representative of Canada’s was sought, but during the design of the research, it was suspected that results may primarily include victim services workers’ experiences with issues that are specific to individuals who self-identify as First Nations, Métis, or Inuit. This is because many of the communities that are knowledgeable of FASD (e.g., Whitehorse, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Goose Bay, Thunder Bay) have a high representation of Aboriginal persons. Various Aboriginal groups and communities have identified FASD as an important issue to address, while Caucasian and other racial groups have not acknowledged the issue to the same extent. As a result, the suspected higher incidence of FASD among Aboriginal persons is also due to their heightened awareness and action in this area compared to non-Aboriginal persons. It is also important to recognize the social and environmental factors (other than alcohol) that contribute to FASD among Aboriginal persons including poverty, abuse, lack of access to medical care, and nutritious food (Tait 2003).

3.4 Limitations of the Study

Directors of Victim Services across the country were gracious in taking the time to determine if there was anyone in their respective jurisdictions who had experience working with clients with FASD. Not all victim services workers experienced in working with clients who have FASD were aware of this research and their ability to participate in an interview. Not all identified individuals were contacted for participation. Therefore, the results only characterize one sample of victim services workers across Canada who had worked with clients who have FASD. Despite these limitations, these interviews provided an opportunity to explore the perspectives of victim services workers on their experiences with FASD within the context of the criminal justice system.

[8] The research project underwent an ethics review that is based on the principles found in the Tri-Council Policy Statement. Last accessed June 15, 2009 from www.pre.ethics.gc.ca/eng/policy-politique/tcps-eptc/.