Addressing the silence: Utilising salon workers to respond to family violence

Abstract

Community programs designed to train salon workers to address the issue of family violence are becoming increasingly commonplace. This article draws on interviews with trainees of one such program called HaiR-3Rs, run by the Eastern Domestic Violence Service (EDVOS) and launched in January 2018 in Victoria, Australia. HaiR-3Rs trains salon workers in recognising, responding to, and referring clients experiencing family violence. Using data collected from qualitative interviews this article reflects on trainee experiences of the HaiR-3Rs program. This article offers insights into whether training salon workers to respond to the issue of family violence places an additional burden of expectation on workers, as well as practical issues and limits of the training. The results of this study suggest that programs like HaiR-3Rs tap into deeper issues about the emotional nature of salon work, and has implications for the hair and beauty industry more broadly.