Family and Relationship Violence

Family violence occurs in relationships of intimacy, kinship, dependency, or trust. It ranges from physical, emotional, financial, and sexual abuse to neglect. It includes any family relationship: spousal, common-law, children, and seniors.

Approach

The RCMP follows a collaborative and cooperative approach to addressing family violence by:

• raising public awareness on risk factors and effects of family and relationship violence.
• leading or partnering in community-based workshops on victims’ issues, sexual assault, and relationship violence.
• assisting communities in using problem-solving approaches to family violence.
• delivering family violence-related training to its members, victims’ services coordinators and community volunteers.

Publications

In collaboration with the National Clearinghouse on Family Violence and other partners, the RCMP has developed the following public awareness resources:

• Criminal Harassment: Stalking - It's NOT Love
• Dating Violence - Say NO!
• Effects of Domestic Violence on Children - Where does it Hurt?
• Spousal and Partner Abuse - It can be stopped
• Stopping Child Abuse - Protecting Our Future

2010/2011 Family Violence Initiative Funded Project Highlights

S.T.A.R.: Southwest-Interlake Teens at Risk

STAR provided service to 22 at-risk teens and their families. This project set out to achieve a better understanding of the barriers at-risk youth face through the collaboration of multiple agencies. This multiple agency approach allows for a proactive approach to dealing with at-risk youth resulting in a reduction in the at-risk behavior, an increase in school and work attendance as well as improved relationships between youth and family. Services were accessed that were not previously utilized allowing for clients, families and agencies to be accountable in following through with the opportunities to create positive change.

LRCA Volunteer Counseling Program – Family Violence Prevention Training

An effective training module for volunteer counselors was developed on how to recognize family violence and how to work with individuals that have experience family violence. This training module helped meet the needs in the community on the issue of family violence.

Neighbours, Friends and Families

A two day workshop was held to introduce the Ontario program: Neighbours, Friends and Families, an educational tool that raises awareness of the issues surrounding woman abuse for both women and men. The program is inclusive of issues relating to First Nations and French communities and can be tailored to specific community needs. Sixty representatives from across Nova Scotia attended including:

• RCMP;
• Transition houses;
• Immigration settlement and Integration Services;
• Mi’kmaq Family Services;
• Department of Community Services;
• Child Welfare;
• municipal police.

Family Violence in African Nova Scotian Communities: From Awareness to Action

Focus groups were created and a conference was held to meet the following objectives:

1. to assess the current level of awareness of family violence in the African Nova Scotian Communities in the Halifax Municipal region using a discussion guide;
2. to help break the culture of silence around family violence in these communities with victims speaking about their experiences and ways to break the silence;
3. to promote a greater awareness of family violence and prevention strategies to prevent family violence; and
4. to facilitate and promote action strategies for change. This particular forum was geared to seniors but a moving forward recommendation was to include youth in the discussion at the next conference.

Response-based practice training for Domestic Violence cases

The project objectives focused on increasing community collaboration through group learning with the expected outcome being an enhanced collective approach to assisting victims of domestic violence. The project met their objective in that there was 100% attendance and there has been an increased dialogue between all agencies involved towards refining and strengthening the collaborative approach to domestic violence files.

Bgek’esoredii (Respect) & Wicihitowin (Sharing): Connecting communities through communication

The project resulted in six pamphlets related to Family Violence, Elder abuse in Cree and Dene Aboriginal languages. The project provided the opportunity to effectively communicate with the local communities in a proactive manner on issues having a direct impact on their health and well being. The project positively reflected the local cultural diversity, respect and social inclusion. The project showcased a means to enhance and improve community relationships, to increase awareness of available services and to decrease incidents of Family Violence and Elder Abuse in the local First Nation communities.

“A Better Way” Men’s group

This project provided specialized training and education to men that are charged with spousal assault or otherwise seek assistance on the prevention of family violence. Specialized training in delivering “STOP: The Violence Program” facilitated by Dr. David Wexler was given to 44 professionals in the community including RCMP, victim services, addiction counselors and Child and Family Services. The project increased awareness and support of family violence prevention in the community. It built stronger networks and collaboration in the approach to domestic violence cases in the community and it established a foundation for future “A Better Way” Men’s group programming.

Creating Safe Environments for Children and Youth

This project provided “Train the Trainer” delivery of the Red Cross “It’s not your Fault” program. The training was delivered to personnel from three agencies including:

• John Howard Society;
• Boys and Girls Club; and
• Youth in Transition Inc.

The training is a child and adolescent abuse prevention program for 12- 18 year olds and “Prevention in Motion”, an abuse program for adults. The program is very comprehensive and adaptable abuse prevention program that addresses all forms of abuse in a sensitive and meaningful way.

Understanding and responding to Male Victimization – Survivors perspectives

This project was a workshop that achieved an increased awareness of male victimization within the community to a wide variety of service providers. It fostered a better understanding of male victimization and residential schools in creating patterns of violence creating behaviours that are impeding their recovery. The project provided educational opportunities for police, justice sector and community partners to address historical victimization and strategies for early intervention. It demonstrated to service providers how widespread the issue is and how difficult it is for survivors to cope.

Collaborative Approach to Child Abuse Investigations

This project was to Train the Trainers” in “A Collaborative Approach to Child Interviewing” in Family Violence. The training was provided in two regions including Labrador. The delivery of this course will increase capacity of members to conduct effective child interviews with a collaborative approach involving Child and Family Services. It also provides facilitators to continue to train newer members transferring to these detachments. The project fosters stronger partnerships to meet the needs of the community and the courts.

If you would like any further information on these projects, contact us.