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Premier's Action Committee on Family Violence Prevention
How are Islanders affected by family violence?
Family violence is a serious concern in PEI. In the year 2000:
- over 8000 calls were received by Transition House Association
- 1647 women and children received direct services from Transition House
Association
- 751 new cases were opened at Victim Services including 87 cases of sexual
assault, 236 for wife assault, and 44 for other family abuse issues
- over 1600 reports of child abuse/neglect were investigated by Child and Family
Services
- approximately 115 emergency protection orders were granted since the Victims
of Family Violence Act was proclaimed in 1996.
How do Islanders feel about family violence?
The results of the Family Violence Survey 2000 indicated that:
- 87% of Islanders are concerned about family violence
- 97% believe if family violence happens once, it will usually happen again
- 75% believe that education and awareness will help prevent family violence
- 81% think of family violence as child abuse, 80% partner abuse, and 10% elder
abuse
- 92% believe family violence happens when there is too much drinking of alcohol
- 37% believe physical abuse of a woman often starts during pregnancy
- 74% believe that elder abuse often happens in PEI
- 40% of those surveyed would go to Social Services, 32% to the police, 15% to
medical people, 11% to Transition House Association, and 11% to clergy for
information about an issue related to family violence
- 90% of people believe that penalties for family violence are not strict enough
What is the Premier's Action Committee on Family Violence Prevention?
Established in 1995, the Premier's Action Committee on Family Violence Prevention is
a 23-member committee consisting of 18 community representatives and five government representatives.
The mandate of the committee is to:
- implement a five-year strategy on family violence prevention for Prince Edward
Island, and
- report directly to the Premier on all issues related to the implementation of the
strategy, and all related issues of family violence prevention and intervention on
Prince Edward Island
Committee members serve five-year terms. Members include:
| Chair - Member at Large |
Hon. Marion Reid |
| Resource Person |
Rona Brown |
| Administrative Assistant |
Cindy Ferguson |
| PEI Teachers' Federation |
Charlene Cain |
| PEI Nurses Association & PEI Aboriginal Women's Association |
Marilyn Sark |
| PEI Medical Society |
Dr. Christine MacNearney |
| PEI Seniors' Federation |
Irene Larkin |
| PEI Chiefs of Police Association |
Deputy Chief Richard Collins |
| Royal Canadian Mounted Police |
Sgt. Dave Thibeau |
| Transition House Association |
Joanne Ings |
| PEI Rape & Sexual Assault Crisis Centre |
Kelly Robinson |
| Community Legal Information Association |
Ann Sherman |
| Department of Education |
June Sanderson |
| Office of the Attorney General |
Dave O'Brien, Q.C. |
| L'Association des Femmes Acadiennes |
Leona Arsenault |
| Office of the Attorney General |
Jill Lightwood |
| Eastern PEI Family Violence Prevention |
Anne Nicholson |
| PEI Advisory Council on the Status of Women |
Lisa Murphy |
| Clergy Representative (Kensington United Church) |
Rev. Jack Spencer |
| East Prince Women's Information Centre (E.P.W.I.C.) |
Andy Lou Somers |
| Women's Institute |
Barbara Currie |
| Big Brothers / Big Sisters Association |
Yvonne Cartner |
| Department of Development & Technology |
Jim Follwell |
| Occupational Health & Safety |
George Stewart |
| Dept of Health & Social Services |
Cathy McCormack |
The provincial family violence strategy receives annual funding of $250,000 from the
Interministerial Women's Secretariat, and the departments of Education, Health and
Social Services, and Development & Technology. Funding is provided to Transition House
Association, the PEI Rape/Sexual Assault Crisis Centre, and to fund the provincial
family violence consultant position.
What has the committee accomplished?
During the first five years of the strategy, the Premier's Action Committee on Family
Violence Prevention has:
- provided increased funding for the establishment of community outreach workers
in the Eastern Kings and Queens regions, additional resources for Anderson
House, and for the treatment and support of adult survivors of childhood sexual
abuse and sexual assault through the Rape and Sexual Assault Crisis Centre
- assisted in the implementation of the new Victims of Family Violence Act
- funded annual purple ribbon campaigns to raise awareness of violence against
women and children
- conducted public presentations on family violence prevention
- implemented social marketing campaigns to change attitudes towards family
violence
- provided training for front line service providers on the identification, detection,
investigation and interventions required to effectively respond to victims of child
abuse, domestic violence and elder abuse
- participated in several research initiatives
- published brochures, resource, and public education materials
- partnered with community and government organizations in related projects
- partnered with the Reproductive Care program to develop and implement a
prenatal psychosocial assessment program for pregnant women, and assisted
with training for nurses and physicians to implement the assessment
- developed and implemented woman abuse protocols for hospital emergency
rooms, income assistance and justice related services
- surveyed public attitudes and awareness of family violence
- coordinated initiatives to prevent violence in the workplace
What is the future direction of the committee?
The mandate of the committee is now being renewed. New and returning members are
being asked to serve five-year terms, and a new five-year family violence prevention
strategy is being developed and implemented.
In the fall of 2001, community and private consultations were held across the province to address the issue of family violence. The result of these consultations will be combined with the ongoing work of the Premier's Action Committee on Family Violence Prevention, along with a synthesis of recommendations from various reports on family violence provided over the last number of years. This information is being coordinated and developed into an ACTION PLAN which will be presented to the Premier in January 2002. This ACTION PLAN will provide the direction for the renewed mandate of the committee.
For more information on family violence, please consult the following websites:
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