A new training initiative in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, aims to help salon professionals identify signs of abuse and addiction, and appropriately signpost people to support services.
The multi-agency training initiative, believed to be of the first of its kind nationwide, involves the Health Service Executive, An Garda Síochána, Donegal Domestic Violence Service, and the North West Regional Drug & Alcohol Task Force.
The 'Empowering Salon Professionals to Recognise and Respond to Domestic Violence, Coercive Control, and Addiction' initiative is targeted at hairdressers, barbers, nail technicians, aestheticians and salon owners in the northwest.
Salon professionals were given training and practical guidance on recognising warning signs of domestic violence, coercive control, substance misuse and responding safely and supportively to disclosures.
Organisers said they hope to foster awareness and equip salon professionals with the right information to create safer spaces within the community, where people facing these challenges can find help and hope.
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'The hairdresser noticed a bruise on the back of my neck'
'Anne' shared her experience during the training initiative. She said she wished she had asked for help sooner but felt she could not survive on her own.
"My daughter got chewing gum in my hair. I went into the salon after dropping the eldest to school and my youngest to playschool," she told RTÉ News.
"When the hairdresser moved my hair, I winced. She noticed a bruise on the back of my neck. She didn't ask me anything. She said I didn't have to put up with this. Then, she handed me a card.
"It took me four years [to make the call] because I didn't feel that I would be able to survive on my own. He convinced me that I needed him, and without him, I was nothing and I couldn't survive.
"I'm so glad I made the call. I wish I'd made it sooner. It can be scary but have the courage to make that initial phone call. People and supports are there for you."
'Hairdressers are like a confessional box'
HSE Addiction Services Lead Donna McGee said people often feel too embarrassed or ashamed to ask for support.
"Hairdressers and beauty salons are like a confessional box," she said.
"They've built up trust with their customers. They hear a lot of things and when they hear it [signs of abuse or addiction] - it's knowing how to respond appropriately. It's important they know how to support and signpost people.
"Sometimes people are embarrassed or feel ashamed to ask for support. We really want to reduce that shame and stigma.".
The Chief Executive of the Donegal Domestic Violence Service, Marie Hainsworth, said they hope to foster an awareness of the supports that are available.
"If somebody discloses domestic abuse or talks about a difficult situation in a salon – that the salon professional can say yes, I know a service that offers support," she explained.
"I heard them and then it becomes a more personal connection. We're not asking salon professionals to take responsibility for clients that disclose domestic abuse, we're saying we can support you and we can support the victim."
Last year in Donegal, there were 974 reports to gardaí of domestic abuse compared to 871 reports in 2023 and 678 reports in 2022.
Since coercive control became law on 1 January 2019, some 67 cases of coercive control have been reported in Donegal.
Of those 67 cases, ten charges were directed, four convictions were secured, and six cases remain before the Circuit Court.
Detective Inspector Siobhán Mollohan from the Donegal Divisional Protective Services Unit told RTÉ News that domestic abuse is an organisational priority for gardaí.
"We in Donegal work very closely with statutory and non-statutory agencies to combat domestic abuse," she said.
"We hope that by bringing in salon professionals that we will look at a whole of society approach to domestic abuse and support."
She said they wanted to equip salon professionals with information on how to react to a disclosure.
"We have a Divisional Protection Services Unit in every garda region. They work in plain clothes and if needs be, they will go and meet a victim somewhere that suits them," she said.
"They will give them all the information on the reporting and maybe on how to get a domestic violence order to keep them safe. Everybody is entitled to feel safe in their relationships."
Det Insp Mollohan said that if victims want to make a report in an emergency, they should dial 999 or 112, but they can also arrange to call to their local garda station and ask to speak in private.
Gardaí received over 65,000 domestic abuse related contacts last year - an average of 1,250 a week.
The salon professionals were given strategies for offering discreet support and best practices for handling sensitive conversations while maintaining professional boundaries.
Colleen Boyle of the Terence Boyle Hairdressing Group told RTÉ News she felt it was important for their staff to know how to signpost those who may need help to the resources available.
It's estimated that one in four women and one in seven men are victims of domestic abuse.
Breda Doherty from Hairdos in Churchill said she found the statistics on the prevalence of domestic violence staggering.
"I think it's vital information for everyone in our workforce, we're very grateful for it," she said.
"There's a lot of confidentiality within the salon. You're more than their hairdresser."
