The Family
Violence Initiative
Year Five Report
December 2002
Download in PDF format (702 KB)
To obtain more information on family violence, including the Family Violence
Initiative, contact the National Clearinghouse on Family Violence at the
following address:
National Clearinghouse on Family Violence
Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), Centre for Healthy Human Development
Address Locator: 1909D1
9th Floor, Jeanne Mance Building, Tunney’s Pasture
Ottawa Ontario K1A 1B4
Telephone: (613) 957-2938 or 1-800-267-1291 Fax: (613) 941-8930
FaxLink: (613) 941-7285 or 1-888-267-1233
TTY: (613) 952-6396 or 1-800-561-5643
Internet home page: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/nc-cn
Email: ncfv-cnivf@phac-aspc.gc.ca
Many of the reports and resources referred to in this Report can be obtained,
free of charge, from the National Clearinghouse on Family Violence.
To obtain additional information on related programs of departments,
agencies or Crown corporations participating in the Family Violence Initiative,
visit each department’s Web site.
Cat.
No. H72-2/2004
ISBN
0-662-68032-4
ADDENDUM
Please note the following edits have been made to the formatting of
the Family Violence Initiative: Year Five Report, December 2002 since
it was distributed to Ministers.
- Endnote number 124, referring to the 2001 Speech from the Throne,
had been deleted from a previous version of the report. It has been
added and the remaining endnotes (previously numbered 124 through 127)
have been adjusted to match the endnote numbers in the text.
- The PROTECTED designation has been removed from the footer of the
report.
In addition, the following text serves as clarification of the text
on p. 30 of the Report:
By 2002, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) provided over $40
million in operational funding to 39 First Nation shelters. First Nation
shelters assisted an annual average of 3,700 people from approximately
200 First Nation communities between 1997/98 to 2001/02. Locating shelters
within First Nation communities has improved First Nation peoples
access to culturally appropriate services and provided a viable option
for victims of family violence within their respective communities. For
further information about INACs Family Violence Prevention Program,
please contact the INAC office in your region or the Social Services and
Justice Directorate at INAC headquarters.
Executive
Summary
INTRODUCTION
The Family Violence Initiative Year Five Report presents an overview
of the achievements of the federal investment in family violence prevention
for the fiscal period April 1997 to March 2002. It provides:
- an overview of the Family Violence Initiative;
- a synthesis of the performance results in relation to identified
key results from April 1997 to March 2002, based on departmental performance
reports, commissioned case studies, evaluation and review information;
and
- an overview of the road ahead for the Family Violence
Initiative for the period beginning April 2002.
BACKGROUND
The Family Violence Initiative, launched in 1988, is a long-term federal
commitment to a long-term societal problem with myriad social, justice,
and health dimensions. Since 1996, the Family Violence Initiative has
been an ongoing commitment providing annual funding of $7 million to be
shared among seven departments as a supplement to expenditures from their
ongoing budgets that they and other departments, agencies and Crown corporations
make to address the issue. This is used to coordinate the Family Violence
Initiative, collect national data, address identified gaps and operate
the National Clearinghouse on Family Violence. Several programs developed
in previous phases of the Family Violence Initiative were integrated into
ongoing departmental programming and budgets.
MANDATE
The 1997/98 to 2001/02 mandate of the Family Violence Initiative has
been to:
- promote public awareness of the risk factors of family violence and
the need for public involvement in responding to the problem;
- strengthen the ability of the criminal justice and housing systems
to respond to the problem; and
- support data collection, research and evaluation efforts to identify
effective interventions.
MANAGEMENT
The Family Violence Initiative is horizontally managed to ensure a shared
federal perspective, foster collaboration, create partnerships and provide
opportunities for joint action, thereby enhancing the federal capacity
to achieve results. Health Canada leads the Family Violence Initiative.
Twelve departments, agencies and Crown corporations take part. Of these,
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the Department of Canadian Heritage,
the Department of Justice Canada, Health Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted
Police, Statistics Canada and Status of Women Canada share the annual
$7 million and also apply funds that were integrated into departmental
budgets. Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Correctional Service of Canada,
the Department of National Defence, Human Resources Development Canada
and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada apply funds from within their departmental
budgets.
The Family Violence Initiative works with provincial and territorial
levels of government, First Nations, non-governmental organizations and
a range of other stakeholders. Without the participation, cooperation
and collaboration of these other players, many federal departments would
be unable to undertake family violence activities or deliver programs.
STATISTICAL HIGHLIGHTS
Family violence which includes a range of abusive behaviours
that occur within relationships based on kinship, intimacy, dependency
or trust continues to be a disturbingly commonplace occurrence
in the lives of Canadians through all life stages. During the five years
prior to the 1999 General Social Survey (GSS), 8% of women (690,000) and
7% of men (549,000) who had a current or former partner reported at least
one incident of violence ranging from threats to sexual assault.1
In 1998, the Canadian Incidence Study (CIS) of Reported Child Abuse and
Neglect, found a rate of almost 10 substantiated cases of child maltreatment
for every 1,000 children in Canada.2 Family members or other
relatives were the alleged perpetrators in the vast majority (93%) of
substantiated maltreatment.3 Approximately 7% of older adults
reported that they had experienced some form of emotional or financial
abuse by an adult child, spouse or caregiver in the five years prior to
the 1999 GSS.4 Aboriginal women and men experience higher levels
of spousal violence, compared with non-Aboriginal peoples (20% compared
with 7%). Aboriginal women were twice as likely as Aboriginal men
and three times more likely than non-Aboriginal women and men to
report having been assaulted by a current or former spouse during the
five-year period prior to the 1999 GSS.5
With increased knowledge about the dynamics and consequences of family
violence, new issues of concern have emerged relating to the various
forms, contexts and consequences of family violence. These highlights
reinforce the need to focus even more intensely on factors that contribute
to the problem and on effective strategies to prevent and respond to it.
One of the most pressing challenges is finding ways to address family
violence issues in a manner appropriate to the experiences, circumstances
and needs of Canadas diverse population and communities.
ACHIEVEMENTS: PERFORMANCE RESULTS HIGHLIGHTS
While it is clear that reducing family violence will take time, the
Year Five Report shows that the Family Violence Initiative met its performance
expectations for the reporting period. As a result, there have been advancements
in the creation of a coordinated and increasingly collaborative approach
to family violence. Highlights are presented below.
Performance Result: Effective, Efficient and Coordinated Federal Policy
Development and Programming on Family Violence Issues
Over the past five years, the Family Violence Initiative achieved tangible
success in advancing national coordination and collaboration on family
violence policy and program development. Engaging in a continuing policy
dialogue with provincial and territorial counterparts including
multilateral and bilateral efforts has proven beneficial in areas
such as advancing criminal law reform and researching, implementing and
evaluating related policies and practices; fostering information exchange
and knowledge transfer in areas such as the health consequences of family
violence; developing strategies and policy frameworks to address specific
forms of family violence (such as violence and the girl child); and developing
federal-provincial-territorial partnerships to build or enhance existing
shelters for victims of family violence.
The Family Violence Initiative continued to play a lead role in expanding
the information base on family violence, through the development of national
data, policy relevant research and evaluation needed to assist policy
makers. Through the federal investment in national data collection, Canadians
now have access to trend data on spousal violence, national baseline data
on maltreatment and neglect reported to child welfare agencies, and information
on violence against older adults. Baseline information on public attitudes
on family violence issues has been created. These information sources
widely inform policy development across all levels of government. Independent
policy relevant research funded by the Family Violence Initiative also
made important contributions to community and national level policy dialogue.
These performance results indicate that there is a continuing need
and demand for credible and timely information on family violence,
particularly for information that sheds light on the forms, dynamics and
consequences of family violence, as well as information to fill gaps in
understanding the particular experiences, concerns, and needs of special
populations with respect to family violence issues. There is a continuing
demand for policy relevant research and evaluations related to family
violence issues. Such information also contributes to increased public
awareness and understanding of family violence issues.
Performance Result: Enhanced Prevention and Improved
Community Response and the Development and Implementation of Community
Activities
Strengthened Community Response
Over the past five years, the Family Violence Initiative made important
inroads in enhancing the effectiveness of family violence prevention and
responses through its multi-faceted research, evaluation and knowledge
synthesis activities. These activities provided valuable information that
contributed to improvements in policies, programs and practice in various
sectors including health, social services, justice and housing and across
all levels of government. The Family Violence Initiative supported a range
of community activities that contributed to community capacity, networks
and partnerships to address family violence. This included the production
and provision of accessible resources and tools.
The Family Violence Initiative supported Aboriginal communities (on-
and off-reserve) in their efforts to address family violence issues through
a variety of means, including the use of holistic approaches that emphasized
among other things the importance of teaching traditional
values, culture and practices.
These performance results suggest that efforts to research, test and
improve the effectiveness of family violence prevention and responses
should be ongoing, and that more emphasis on learning and information
sharing could result in greater cross-fertilization of ideas and approaches.
They also underscore the importance of community-driven approaches to
family violence, particularly in relation to Aboriginal communities on-
and off-reserve, rural and remote communities and ethnocultural communities
and in relation to addressing the needs of specific populations such as
persons with disabilities.
Strengthened Ability of the Shelter System to Respond to Family Violence
Improvements to the shelter system a vital part of the response
to family violence in Canada were achieved with support from the
Family Violence Initiative and other sources of funding, including the
National Homelessness Initiative. Highlights include:
iv
Year Five Report
Fifty new shelters with 677 additional units were created and 380
existing shelters with 2,100 units in family violence shelters were repaired
or improved. Shelter clients identified shelter enhancements as a success
factor in terms of helping them address their family violence situations.
Enhancements also enabled shelters to better meet the needs of children
and to improve access for persons with disabilities.
Fourteen new shelters were built in First Nations communities
from 1997/98 to 2001/02. There are now some 50 shelters and related services
available to victims of family violence residing in First Nations communities.
An Aboriginal Circle Against Family Violence, comprised of shelter representatives,
was founded to address family violence issues in Aboriginal communities.
These performance results indicate that the Family Violence Initiative
contribution to the Shelter Enhancement Program had positive impacts on
strengthening and expanding the shelter system. At the same time, there
is a continuing need for repairs and enhancements in existing shelters
(in 2001, repairs and enhancements are estimated to cost $27 million).
There is a continuing need for additional units or shelters in Canada
in general and for many First Nations communities and for youth.
Strengthened Criminal Justice System Response
Over the past five years, important shifts in how the criminal law addresses
family violence have occurred. Key amendments to the Criminal Code significantly
improved the criminal justice legal framework for addressing family violence
by offering better protection for the safety and security of victims;
improving the protection of children from sexual exploitation; strengthening
sentencing provisions (such as including a requirement that courts take
into account the abuse of a spouse or a child as an aggravating factor
in sentencing); and refining penalties related to the anti-stalking legislation
created in 1993 (offence of criminal harassment). These efforts are the
result of enhanced cooperation, coordination and collaboration with provincial
and territorial officials to research, assess and evaluate the effectiveness
of new legislative provisions and develop and implement appropriate instruments
and measures to enhance the administration of justice in family violence
cases. Efforts to provide public legal education and information on family
violence in languages other than English or French, as well as innovative
projects to reach Canadians living in rural areas, have had some positive
impacts.
Over the past five years, empirically-based family violence prevention
and treatment programs for federal offenders have been developed, tested
and implemented, with preliminary evaluations showing promising results.
Ongoing family violence awareness and training for criminal justice personnel,
including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and military police as well
as others, increased the capacity of the criminal justice system
and its intersectoral partners to respond effectively to family
violence.
Year Five Report
v
These performance results underscore the importance of continuing collaborative
efforts to enhance the responsiveness of the criminal justice system and
other legislative measures to current and emerging family violence issues.
Performance Result: Increased Public Awareness of Family Violence and
Reduced Tolerance for Family Violence
Public awareness survey information collected in 2002 indicates that,
consistent with the federal definition of family violence, Canadians define
family violence in broad terms to include violence among immediate family
members, including parent-adult child relationships, and most include
violence occurring within relationships of trust. More than three quarters
of Canadians believe that family violence should be an urgent priority
for the federal government as well as at the community level.
Over the past five years, the Family Violence Initiative promoted public
awareness of family violence by providing Canadians with information about
the risk factors associated with family violence, the systemic factors
that underlie it, the varied social, health, and economic consequences
of violence, and insight into how to prevent violence and better protect
victims when violence occurs. Much of this information is disseminated
or made accessible to Canadians through the National Clearinghouse on
Family Violence. The Family Violence Initiative also created opportunities
to stimulate public discussion and dialogue, including efforts directed
to groups such as health and social service professionals and specific
populations.
The importance of community engagement as a public awareness strategy
was underscored by the results of a partnership with ethnic broadcasters
and ethnocultural communities to raise awareness of family violence among
ethnocultural communities in Canada. An evaluation confirmed that ethnic
media are an effective way to reach specific communities and this approach
can be used by other Family Violence Initiative departments to reach beyond
linguistic and cultural barriers.
The performance results suggest multi-faceted efforts to increase public
awareness are having an effect on public awareness of family violence
issues and are contributing to reduced tolerance for family violence in
Canadian society. Both nationally driven efforts aimed at specific audiences,
such as professionals, and at the general population, and community-driven
efforts which engage community members in the design, development and
delivery of public awareness messages, are important. The performance
results also suggest that a mix of information promotion, information
technologies and dissemination strategies can broaden reach and increase
public awareness and understanding of family violence. That is, better
results are possible when information dissemination is comprehensive and
actively promoted, targeted and shared through interactive methods, such
as group discussions, workshops and training sessions.
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Year Five Report
Performance Result: Reduced Occurrence of Family Violence
The Family Violence Initiative continues to take significant steps toward
its overarching, long-term key result of reducing occurrence of family
violence. Over the past five years, together, all of the Family Violence
Initiative activities helped to raise public awareness of family violence;
improve the national information base; create and ensure access to knowledge,
tools and resources; and implement specific reforms, programs and other
measures to strengthen the justice and housing systems response.
Although it is not always possible to isolate the impact of the federal
investment, this five-year summary clearly indicates that, cumulatively,
the federal investment is making a difference in Canadas capacity
to address this issue, from the community to the national level. At the
same time, it is widely recognized that reducing occurrence of family
violence in Canada will take time and will continue to be a long-term,
incremental process requiring ongoing federal investment.
CHALLENGES
The Family Violence Initiative is horizontally managed to facilitate,
among other things, efficient and coordinated federal policy development
and programming on family violence. Horizontal management is an appropriate
way for the federal government to effectively manage family violence issues,
given the complexities of the policy environment, the importance of intersectoral
and interdisciplinary partnership development, the diversity of populations
at risk and the differences in community awareness and capacities to address
family violence across Canada. There are continuing challenges which relate
to the unique nature of family violence. They include the systemic and
multi-faceted nature of the issue and the requirements of a multi-sectoral
policy response (including involvement by the health, justice, social
services and housing sectors); the policy environment, characterized by
legislative and mandate differences across jurisdictions as well as intersectoral
and cross-jurisdictional challenges including resource constraints
in partnership development and implementation; diversity within
populations at risk and differences in community awareness of, and capacities
to address, family violence issues. Given the broad scope and nature of
family violence issues and existing resource parameters and constraints,
refining horizontal management mechanisms and tools to effectively coordinate
activity across 12 departments presents the Family Violence Initiative
with operational challenges.
The Family Violence Initiative will continue to refine and improve its
operations and efficiencies to enhance its capacity to address its performance
expectations.
THE ROAD AHEAD
The Family Violence Initiative the key element of the federal
strategy to address family violence in Canada remains on a steady
track and the performance results demonstrate movement in the positive
direction of change. The Year Five Report performance results indicate
that the current mix of programming, which includes a focus on coordination,
public awareness, prevention and response at the federal level, has been
successful. At the same time, there is an awareness of the need to address
the family violence issues of concern to Aboriginal peoples, people living
in rural and remote communities, persons with disabilities and ethnocultural
populations. With increased knowledge about the dynamics and consequences
of family violence, new issues of concern have emerged relating to the
various forms, contexts and consequences of family violence. This in turn
reinforces the need to focus even more intensely on factors that contribute
to the problem and on effective strategies to prevent and respond to it.
Objective and Expected Results
The objective for the Family Violence Initiative is to reduce the occurrence
of family violence in Canadian society.
Strategy
The Family Violence Initiative will meet its objective by continuing
to enhance awareness, strengthen the ability of the criminal justice,
housing and health systems to respond, and build on the knowledge base
through data collection and research. The proposed activities are consistent
with current federal themes and priorities.
Horizontal Management Approach: A Renewed Emphasis on Collaboration
The Family Violence Initiative will revitalize its approach to horizontal
management with a greater emphasis on collective activity that produces
results and resources that reflect collaborative input. Studies of horizontal
management including the Family Violence Initiative suggest
that stronger links between the working level and the senior public service
level within the federal government would increase the effectiveness of
the Family Violence Initiative.
Refinement of horizontal management, leadership and coordination mechanisms
and tools, with the continuing support of central agencies, will improve
both processes and outcomes.
viii
Year Five Report
To advance collaboration, the Family Violence Initiative will also strengthen
existing partnerships and advance collaboration with potential partners,
including multilateral and bilateral liaison with provincial and territorial
partners. It will strengthen ties with national and community-based organizations
that represent specific populations (Aboriginal people, people living
in rural and remote communities, people with disabilities and ethnocultural
populations) with the view to increase partnerships.
The Family Violence Initiative will advance collaboration with potential
partners and place renewed emphasis on strengthening existing links, including
those with provincial and territorial governments. Provincial and territorial
governments make an important contribution to efforts to reduce the occurrence
of family violence. The Interdepartmental Working Group will meet annually
with its provincial and territorial counterparts at the working level.
As well, Family Violence Initiative member departments will seek further
opportunities to work with relevant provincial and territorial partners
through formal federal-provincial-territorial fora (for example, through
meetings of the Ministers Responsible for Seniors) in the interest of
collaborating on various projects. They will also, where appropriate,
liaise bilaterally with selected provincial and territorial Ministries.
For example, Health Canada will expand its efforts to liaise with Ministries
of Health to promote recognition of family violence as a health issue.
Reconfiguration of Activities
One of the purposes of Year Five Report, as specified at the time of
its approval, is to recommend whether a reconfiguration among activities
is required to address what may have emerged as priorities/gaps
after five years. The planning which Initiative members have carried out
together in preparing this Year Five Report leads to the conclusion that,
for many sound reasons, a reconfiguration of activities would not be appropriate
at this time.
With regard to the related question of resource allocation, however,
it is clear that, with increased funding, the Family Violence Initiative
could have broader coverage and reach and accomplish more to address this
pervasive social problem. Over the short term, the Family Violence Initiative
will pursue cooperative cost-sharing arrangements between member departments
to address needs.
Table of Contents
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Page |
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INTRODUCTION |
1 |
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Purpose of the Year Five Report |
1 |
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How this Report is Organized |
1 |
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THE FAMILY VIOLENCE INITIATIVE |
1 |
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Background to the Family Violence Initiative |
1 |
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Mandate |
2 |
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Member Departments |
2 |
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Management Approach |
2 |
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Federal-Provincial-Territorial Linkages |
3 |
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Resources |
3 |
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Coordination Mechanisms |
5 |
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Expected Key Results |
5 |
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TRENDS IN FAMILY VIOLENCE IN CANADA |
7 |
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Scope, Extent and Nature of Family Violence |
7 |
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Consequences of Family Violence |
12 |
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Responses to Family Violence |
12 |
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PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS AND RESULTS |
16 |
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EXPECTED RESULT: EFFECTIVE, EFFICIENT AND COORDINATED
FEDERAL POLICY |
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DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRAMMING ON FAMILY VIOLENCE ISSUES |
16 |
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Overview |
16 |
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Performance Expectations |
17 |
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Performance Results |
17 |
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Insights: Horizontal Management |
18 |
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Insights: Coordinated Policy and Program Development
on Family Violence |
21 |
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Insights: Enhanced Information Base |
23 |
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EXPECTED RESULT: ENHANCED PREVENTION AND IMPROVED COMMUNITY
RESPONSE |
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AND THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF COMM UNITY |
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ACTIVITIES FOCUS ON COMM UNITY RESPONSE |
23 |
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Overview |
23 |
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Performance Expectations |
24 |
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Performance Results |
24 |
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Insights: Research and Knowledge Synthesis to Inform
the Prevention and Response |
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to Family Violence |
25 |
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Insights: Resources, Tools and Networks to Strengthen
Community Capacity to |
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Address Family Violence |
26 |
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Insights: Aboriginal Communities Strengthening
Family Violence Prevention |
28 |
|
x
Year Five Report
EXPECTED RESULT: ENHANCED PREVENTION AND IMPROVED COMMUNITY RESPONSE
AND THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF COMM UNITY
ACTIVITIES STRENGTHENED ABILITY OF THE SHELTER
SYSTEM TO RESPOND TO FAMILY VIOLENCE |
28 |
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Overview |
28 |
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Performance Expectations |
29 |
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Performance Results |
29 |
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Insights: Strengthened ability of the shelter system
to respond to family violence |
32 |
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EXPECTED RESULT: ENHANCED PREVENTION AND IMPROVED COMMUNITY
RESPONSE |
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AND THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF COMM UNITY |
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ACTIVITIES STRENGTHENED CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM |
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RESPONSE TO FAMILY VIOLENCE |
33 |
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Overview |
33 |
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Performance Expectations |
33 |
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Performance Results |
34 |
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Insights: Strengthened criminal justice system response
to family violence |
37 |
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EXPECTED RESULT: INCREASED PUBLIC AW ARENESS OF FAMILY
VIOLENCE ISSUES |
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AND REDUCED TOLERANCE FOR FAMILY VIOLENCE |
37 |
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Overview |
37 |
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Performance Expectations |
37 |
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Performance Results |
38 |
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Insights: National Clearinghouse on Family Violence |
39 |
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Insights: Increased public awareness of family violence
issues and reduced tolerance |
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for family violence |
43 |
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EXPECTED RESULT: REDUCED OCCURRENCE OF FAMILY VIOLENCE |
44 |
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Performance Expectations |
44 |
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Performance Results |
44 |
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Insights: Reduced occurrence of family violence |
44 |
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MOVING FORWARD : THE ROAD AHEAD |
45 |
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Issues and Challenges |
45 |
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Considerations Regarding Specific Populations |
45 |
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Objective and Expected Results of the Next Phase |
46 |
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Expected Results |
46 |
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Strategy |
46 |
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Departmental Responsibilities |
48 |
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Horizontal Management Approach: A Renewed Emphasis on
Collaboration |
49 |
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Considerations for Continual Improvement and Responding
to Diversity |
51 |
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The National Clearinghouse on Family ViolenceDissemination |
51 |
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Accountability and Reporting |
52 |
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Evaluation |
52 |
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Reconfiguration of Activities |
52 |
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APPENDIX A |
53 |
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ENDNOTES |
54 |
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REFERENCES |
64 |
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Year Five Report
xi
INTRODUCTION
Purpose of the Year Five Report
The Family Violence Initiative Interdepartmental Working Group is pleased
to present the
Family Violence Initiative Year Five Report. This report provides an
overview of the achievements of the federal investment in family violence
prevention for the fiscal period April 1997 to March 2002.
How this Report is Organized
The report provides:
- an overview of the Family Violence Initiative;
- a synthesis of the performance results in relation to identified key
results from April 1997 to March 2002, based on departmental performance
reports, commissioned case studies and evaluation and review information;
and
- an overview of the road ahead for the Family Violence
Initiative for the period beginning April 2002.
THE FAMILY VIOLENCE INITIATIVE
Background to the Family Violence Initiative
The Family Violence Initiative is a long-term federal commitment to
a long-term societal problem with myriad social, justice and health dimensions:
In 1988, the Family Violence Initiative received $40 million in
time-limited funding to provide shelters to abused women and their children
and to establish a process for developing a long-term federal approach
to family violence prevention.
In 1991, the Family Violence Initiative expanded to $136 million,
again in time-limited funding, to increase public awareness and understanding
of family violence; strengthen the criminal justice legal framework; provide
prevention, protection and treatment services to Aboriginal and Inuit
communities; provide emergency shelters and long-term housing; and enhance
national information exchange and coordination.
Since 1996, the Family Violence Initiative has been an ongoing
commitment with annual funding of $7 million shared among seven departments.
This is used as a supplement to expenditures from their ongoing budgets
that they and other departments, agencies and Crown corporations make
to address the issue, to coordinate the Family Violence Initiative, collect
national data, address identified gaps
Year Five Report
1
and operate the National Clearinghouse on Family Violence (NCFV). Other
previously funded activities were integrated into ongoing departmental
programming and budgets.
Mandate
The Family Violence Initiatives mandate for the past five years
has been to:
- promote public awareness of the risk factors of family violence and
the need for public involvement in responding to the problem;
- strengthen the ability of the criminal justice and housing systems
to respond to the problem; and
- support data collection, research and evaluation efforts to identify
effective interventions.
Fulfilling this mandate will take time. This five-year summary shows
that important milestones on this segment of the journey have been reached.
Member Departments
Health Canada leads the Family Violence Initiative. Twelve (12) departments,
agencies and Crown corporations take part.6 The Department
of the Solicitor General of Canada and the Canadian International Development
Agency are observers.
Family
Violence Initiative: Member Departments |
Canada
Mortgage and Housing Corporation |
Health
Canada |
Citizenship
and Immigration Canada |
Human
Resources Development Canada |
Correctional
Service of Canada |
Indian
and Northern Affairs Canada |
Department
of Canadian Heritage |
Royal
Canadian Mounted Police |
Department
of Justice Canada |
Statistics
Canada |
Department
of National Defence |
Status
of Women Canada |
Management Approach
The Family Violence Initiative is horizontally managed to ensure a shared
federal perspective, foster collaboration, create partnerships and provide
opportunities for joint action, thereby enhancing the federal capacity
to achieve results. Horizontal management is appropriate because family
violence issues are multi-dimensional, cut across federal mandates and
link to federal-provincial-territorial and First Nations areas of jurisdiction
and responsibility.
2
Year Five Report
The Family Violence Initiative has links to other federal interdepartmental
strategies, activities and mechanisms where family violence issues are
of concern. All contribute to positive social change with regard to deeply
rooted social problems, including family violence.
Examples
of Related Federal Action Contributing to Family Violence Prevention
• National
Strategy on Community Safety and Crime Prevention
• Youth
Justice Renewal Initiative
• Policy
Centre for Victims Issues
• Aboriginal
Justice Strategy
• Aboriginal
Healing Strategy
• National
Homelessness Initiative
• Family
Violence Prevention Program of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
• Child
and Family Services Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
• The
Metropolis Project
Federal-Provincial-Territorial Linkages
Family
violence issues are addressed in the agendas of federal-provincial-territorial
ministerial meetings such as the meeting of the Federal-Provincial-Territorial
Ministers Responsible for Justice and Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers
Responsible for the Status of Women. The Federal-Provincial-Territorial
Ministers Responsible for Seniors’ Safety and Security Working Group
also addresses family violence issues pertaining to older adults. Members
of the Family Violence Initiative’s Interdepartmental Working Group
consult, coordinate and collaborate with their provincial and territorial
counterparts at the working level. Ad hoc working groups, such
as Ad Hoc Federal-Provincial-Territorial Working Group Reviewing
Spousal Abuse Policies and Legislation, address specific issues related
to family violence. Through its Shelter Enhancement Program, Canada Mortgage
and Housing Corporation collaborates and develops partnerships with provincial
and territorial governments and First Nations communities.
Resources
The Family Violence Initiative encompasses a vast array of federal activities,
well beyond those supported by the $7 million allocation. In fact, some
federal departments that are not formally members of the Initiative also
administer programs that address, to one degree or another, the issue
of family violence. While it would be extremely challenging to put an
accurate dollar figure to the amount of funds the government spends to
address family violence, it would clearly be considerably higher than
$7 million.
The following chart provides a five-year summary, by mandate element,
of how the $35-million over five years additional allocation ($7 million
per year) was distributed from 1997/98 to 2001/02. These figures relate
to the allocation and do not necessarily reflect the actual pattern of
expenditures.
Year Five Report
3
Family
Violence Initiative Departmental
Additional
Allocation by Mandate Element (1997-2002) |
Department |
Public
Awareness |
Justice |
Housing |
National
Data |
FTEs |
Canada
Mortgage and Housing Corporation |
|
9.5 |
|
|
Department
of Canadian Heritage |
2.3 |
|
|
|
|
Department
of Justice Canada |
|
7.25 |
|
|
4.64 |
Health
Canada – National Clearinghouse on Family Violence |
6.2 |
|
|
|
8 |
Health
Canada – Coordination |
1.75 |
|
|
|
3 |
Health
Canada – Research |
|
|
|
2.7 |
|
Royal
Canadian Mounted Police |
|
2.25 |
|
|
|
Statistics
Canada |
|
|
|
1.75 |
2.8 |
Status
of Women Canada |
1.25 |
|
|
|
|
Total |
11.5 |
9.5 |
9.5 |
4.45 |
18.44 |
Public
Awareness:includes the promoting of public awareness of risk
factors related to family violence, and the need for public involvement
in responding to the problem.
Justice:includes
actions to strengthen the criminal justice system’s response
to family violence.
Housing:includes
efforts to improve and enhance shelters for women and children and
youth who are victims of family violence as well as funds for additional
shelters and second-stage housing. CMHC’s budget includes
$200,000 annually in administration costs.
National
Data Collection:includes efforts to develop a national picture
of family violence in Canada.
Notes:The
Health Canada Coordination function includes secretariat, coordinating
reporting, facilitating performance measurement and promoting dialogue
among Interdepartmental Working Group participants, related governments
and NGOs.
Because
of the interdisciplinary and intersectoral approach to family violence
prevention, there are strong points of intersection between each
mandate element. Departments may co-fund activities in other mandate
elements. Policy and program development, research and evaluation,
and information dissemination are woven throughout all elements.
Additional activities may be funded through departmental budgets.
FTEs: Represent full-time
equivalents. |
As noted previously, federal funding related to family violence prevention
extends beyond the $35-million allocation provided to seven departments
of this Family Violence Initiative from 1997/98 to 2001/02. Related allocations
that were integrated into departmental budgets as reported by Family Violence
Initiative departments, include the following examples:
□ The
Correctional Service of Canada invested $9.1 million in family violence
prevention and treatment programs.
□ Status
of Women Canada’s Women’s Program provided a total of $8,018,715
for initiatives aimed at eliminating systemic violence against women and
the girl child. An additional $6,014,941 was allocated for initiatives
that addressed the elimination of systemic violence, as well as one or
both of the other areas of focus of the Women’s Program.
□ Human
Resources Development Canada’s National Homelessness Initiative
has committed $43 million over a four year period to enhance Canada Mortgage
and Housing Corporation’s Shelter Enhancement Program.
Coordination Mechanisms
From 1988 to 1996, the Family Violence Initiative was led by the Interdepartmental
Assistant Deputy Minister Steering Committee chaired by Health Canada.
From 1996 to 2001, it was led by an Interdepartmental Working Group chaired
by Health Canada. Since 2002, an Interdepartmental Directors General Steering
Committee chaired by Health Canada has supported, advised and provided
direction to the Family Violence Initiative Interdepartmental Working
Group. The role of other coordination mechanisms, including an Interdepartmental
Evaluation Working Group and ad hoc working groups, is presented in Appendix
A.
Expected Key Results
The Family Violence Initiative Intervention Model illustrates the Key
Results that the Family Violence Initiative expects, over time, to influence
and achieve.
![model.gif](/web/20061210202141im_/http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ncfv-cnivf/familyviolence/html/gfx/model.gif)
Year Five Report
5
It is important to recognize that the federal investment complements the
efforts of Provincial and Territorial governments. Given their lead responsibility
for service delivery, the range of activities that those governments support
to both prevent and respond to family violence is quite broad. Similarly,
efforts at the community level initiated in many cases by volunteers
who seek funding support from a variety of time-limited sources, including
the corporate sector cannot be minimized. Federal investment often
provides partial or indirect support to these efforts, as well as frequently
serving a leveraging function that stimulates support and action from
other sources. The federal role gathering, synthesizing and disseminating
new knowledge about the nature of the problem and effective ways to respond
to it is generally welcomed by our Provincial and Territorial colleagues.
Moreover, we engage in these functions in the context of ongoing consultation
with officials at that level.
The Family Violence Initiative addresses the first Key Result
effective, efficient and coordinated federal policy development and programming
on family violence issues through a horizontal management approach
to family violence issues and through the creation, synthesis and dissemination
of knowledge that can inform and influence the work of all players.
The Family Violence Initiative works toward the second set of Key Results
enhanced prevention and improved community response and the development
and implementation of community activities by strengthening ties
with other players, influencing the development and adoption of effective
family violence policies and programs, supporting community-driven action,
and encouraging the allocation of resources to address family violence
issues.
The third set of Key Results increased public awareness of family
violence issues and reduced tolerance for family violence is cumulative,
long-term and based on concerted action at all levels of Canadian society.
These results will be reached as the Canadian public increasingly comes
to view family violence as unacceptable and supports community efforts
to prevent and respond to it.
Attaining the overarching Key Result reduced occurrence of family
violence will take cooperation, determination, perseverance and
investment within, and by, all levels of society. This ultimate long-term
Key Result is dependent on changing behaviour and societal norms and on
achieving the other Key Results.
Fed eral leadership and partnership development two cornerston
es of th e Fa mily Violence Initiative influence and contribute
to the creation of an integrated, national approach to family violence
issues. Working together with all sectors of Canadian society, the Family
Violence Initiative enhances opportunities for joint action and opens
the possibilities for change. Incrementally, but surely, the federal investment
makes a sound contribution to the reduction of family violence.
6
Year Five Report
TRENDS IN FAMILY VIOLENCE IN CANADA
Scope, Extent and Nature of Family Violence
Family violence includes a range of abusive behaviours that occur within
relationships based on kinship, intimacy, dependency or trust. Current
information reveals that family violence continues to be a disturbingly
commonplace occurrence in the lives of Canadians through all life stages.
Violence in relationships may include physical or sexual assault, as defined
by the Criminal Code of Canada, and other forms of physical and sexual
abuse and exploitation, neglect, emotional abuse, financial abuse and
spiritual abuse. Family violence may be a single incident of violence,
but more typically it consists of a pattern of violent or abusive behaviour.
Victimization surveys, police-reported crime data, and incident reports
from other agencies provide estimates of the extent of family violence,
but because of the difficulties in interviewing victims on this subject,
they may not capture the full picture. Individuals who have experienced
violence may not be able to or may choose not to report
it. They may be dependent on the perpetrator, they may fear repercussions,
or they may not know that help is available. Willingness to report may
have increased, in part, because there is less social stigma attached
to being a victim and seeking help, public awareness has increased, and
training for police- and court-related victim support services has improved.8
Spousal Violence
According to the 1999 General Social Survey (GSS), spousal violence
involves similar proportions of both men and women as victims. The 1999
GSS found that 8% (690,000) of women and 7% (549,000) of men who had a
current or former partner reported at least one incident of violence
ranging from threats to sexual assault during the five years prior
to the survey.9 The violence experienced by women, however,
tended to be more severe and more often repeated than the
violence experienced by men. Being a young man or woman poses a higher
risk of experiencing spousal violence. According to the 1999 GSS, women
between the ages of 15 and 24 and men between the ages of 25 and 34 reported
the highest one-year rates of spousal violence.10
![year5-eng2.gif](/web/20061210202141im_/http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ncfv-cnivf/familyviolence/html/gfx/year5-eng2.gif)
In 2000, based on data from a subset of 166 police departments, representing
more than half (53%) of the national volume of reported crime in Canada,
85% of victims of spousal violence reported to the police were women (28,633
out of almost 34,000 victims).11 The over-representation of
women in police statistics may be partly explained by data that indicate
that women are more willing than men to report incidents of spousal violence
to the police. According to the 1999 GSS, 37% of female spousal victims
(compared to 29% in the 1993 Violence Against Women Survey) reported to
the police in the previous five-year period compared with 15% of male
victims.12 Between 1995 and 2000, the number of spousal violence
victims who came to the attention of a subset of 106 police agencies increased
27%, from 21,733 to 27,663 victims.13
![year5-eng21.gif](/web/20061210202141im_/http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ncfv-cnivf/familyviolence/html/gfx/year5-eng21.gif)
Although the overall rate of spousal homicide has declined in recent
years, women are still killed by their spouses at a much higher rate than
men.14 Between 1974 and 2000, the rate of spousal homicide
dropped by 62% for women and by more than half for men. Since 1974, the
majority of spousal homicides in Canada have been against women.15
In 2000, three in four victims of spousal homicide were women.16
However, spousal homicides
increased in 2001 the first increase in six years. A total of
86 spousal homicides were reported in 2001, up from 68 in 2000. The majority
of the increase involves cases of men killing their current or ex-spouses
in Ontario. While firearms are the most frequently used weapons in spousal
homicides against women, the rate at which both wives and husbands have
been killed by firearms declined between 1974 and 2000 a decrease
of 77% for women and 80% for men.18 Between 1991 and 2000,
the risk of spousal homicide was highest among young women (1524
years) who were separated from their spouses 12 times higher than
that for separated women aged 55 and older. Among men, homicide rates
of young separated men (15-24) were high (44.1 men per million separated
couples 15-24 years old).19
Criminal harassment by intimate partners is also of increasing concern.
In 2000, three quarters of the incidents of criminal harassment reported
to police were directed at women. The number of male ex-spouses and boyfriends
known to police for stalking has increased from 1995 to 2000. The number
of females continue to represent a small percentage of those accused of
criminal harassment.20
Child Abuse
Of the sexual assaults and physical assaults reported to 166 police
agencies in 2000, almost one quarter (23%) of all victims were children
and youth under the age of 18.21 Children and youth are most
frequently victimized by an acquaintance: 52% of child and youth victims
of assaults reported to the police in 2000 were assaulted by acquaintances,
19% were assaulted by strangers and 23% were assaulted by family members.
Within families, parents are the most likely perpetrators in assaults
against children and youth.22 Children and youth are most frequently
killed by a parent or someone else close to them. Between 1974 and 2000,
a family member was the perpetrator in almost two thirds (63%) of homicides
of children and youth (boys and girls).23
In 1998, the first national study of the incidence of child abuse and
neglect reported to and investigated by child welfare services in Canada
was conducted. The Canadian Incidence Study (CIS) of Reported Child Abuse
and Neglect examined a sample of child welfare services across Canada
during a three-month period in 1998 and found a rate of almost 10 substantiated
cases of child maltreatment for every 1,000 children in Canada. In all
four categories of substantiated maltreatment neglect, physical
abuse, sexual abuse and emotional abuse the vast majority (93%)
of alleged perpetrators were family members or other people related to
the child victim.24
In about one third of the child welfare investigations, physical abuse
was the primary reason for the investigation. Most (69%) substantiated
cases of physical abuse involved inappropriate punishment, such as hitting
a child with a hand or an object in a manner that caused physical harm,
or putting a child at risk of physical harm. In the same period, about
one in ten investigations were of sexual abuse. Touching and fondling
of the genitals was the most common form of substantiated sexual abuse
(68% of cases), while attempted and completed intercourse occurred in
more than one third of substantiated cases.25 Many children
and youth hear or witness a parent being assaulted by another parent:
the 1999 GSS found that children in an estimated 461,000 households in
Canada either heard or witnessed a parent being assaulted during the five
years prior to the survey.26
Abuse of Adolescents
In 2000, according to police-reported data, the risk of physical assault
for children and youth by both family and non-family members increased
as children get older. However, as children age and become more independent,
their sphere of relationships expands and the rate of physical assaults
committed by non-family members becomes significantly higher than the
rate for family members. Comparing physical assaults committed by family
and non-family members, young children aged 5 years and under were more
than twice as likely to be physically assaulted by family than non-family
members (48 and 63 compared with 20 and 31 per 100,000 children). The
reverse is true for older children; children aged 6 years and older were
more likely to be physically assaulted by non-family than family members.
Although there are no national data available, research indicates that
violence in adolescent dating relationships is a serious problem.27
Abuse of Older Adults
Older adults also experience family violence, particularly emotional
or financial abuse. Approximately 7% of older adults reported that they
had experienced some form of emotional or financial abuse by an adult
child, spouse or caregiver in the five years prior to the 1999 GSS. Very
few older adults reported experiencing physical or sexual violence.28
Police-reported data for 2000 indicate that those aged 65 years
and older have the lowest risk of experiencing violent crime. When older
adults are victimized, they are twice as likely to be victimized by non-family
members. In cases of family violence toward older adults, adult children
and spouses are the most likely perpetrators.29 In 2000, older
men who reported family violence to police were most likely to have been
victimized by their adult children, while older women were equally likely
to have been victimized by their spouses (36%) or their adult children
(37%).30 Between 1974 and 2000, older women had a much higher
risk of being victims of spousal homicide (52% of older female victims
of family homicide were killed by their spouses compared with 25% of older
men). With the rapidly increasing proportion of older adults in the Canadian
population, there is concern that the extent of abuse of older adults
will increase.
Specific Populations
There is increasing recognition that a persons vulnerability to
family violence may be increased by factors such as dislocation, colonization,
racism, homophobia, disability, poverty, and social and geographic isolation.31
Furthermore, lack of access to services and supports may further increase
a persons vulnerability to being abused or compound the effects
of the abuse.32
Aboriginal peoples
Aboriginal women and men, according to the 1999 GSS, experience higher
levels of spousal violence, compared with non-Aboriginal peoples (20%
compared with 7%). Aboriginal victims of spousal violence were also more
likely to report experiencing more severe forms of spousal violence (being
beaten, choked, threatened with a gun or knife, or sexually assaulted)
compared with non-Aboriginal victims (48% compared with 31%).33
Aboriginal women, in particular, report experiencing much higher rates
of spousal assault. According to the 1999 GSS, Aboriginal women were twice
as likely as Aboriginal men and three times more likely than non-Aboriginal
women and men to report having been assaulted by a current or former
spouse during the preceding five-year period.34 Between 1991
and 1999, rates of spousal homicide were more than eight times higher
among Aboriginal women compared with non-Aboriginal women in Canada (47.2
per million compared with 5.8 per million). The rate of spousal homicide
was 18 times greater among Aboriginal men compared with non-Aboriginal
men (27.6 per million compared with 1.5 per million).35 The
Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples identified a number
of factors that are linked to violence in Aboriginal communities, including
economic and social deprivation, alcohol and substance abuse, the intergenerational
cycle of violence, the breakdown of healthy family life linked to residential
school upbringing, the loss of traditional values, and overcrowded and
substandard housing.36
People living in rural and remote communities
In 2001, 30.4% of Canadians lived in rural, remote or northern communities.37
Where people reside can influence how and whether they seek help. Solutions
available to victims or potential victims of family violence may differ
depending upon their geographic and social environment. However, few differences
have been noted between urban and rural women in terms of rates of spousal
violence, according to the 1999 GSS.38
Persons with disabilities
Preliminary research on violence in families and persons with disabilities
suggests that women and children with disabilities are among the most
highly victimized groups in Canadian society.39 Research in
Canada suggests that the risk of abuse to people with disabilities may
be as high as five times greater than the risk to the general population.40
Ethnocultural populations
Diversity has given Canada many advantages, yet it has also challenged
institutions to respond to a complex range of needs associated with integrating
ethnocultural populations into Canadian society. Issues relating to family
violence in ethnocultural families include: additional stressors, fewer
social resources, financial pressures, intergenerational conflict, trauma
caused by separation, racism, language barriers, isolation, threats of
deportation, and threats of separation from children. Foreign-born women
abused by their partners may be less likely to report abuse because they
may be unaware of where to seek help or unsure that help would be forthcoming.
Difficulties in addressing the issue of family violence within specific
ethnocultural communities may be further exacerbated by a lack of culturally
appropriate services and/or a lack of knowledge of available services.
Same-sex couples
No national data are available on the prevalence of spousal abuse in
same-sex relationships; however, a growing body of research indicates
that spousal abuse is a serious problem among both lesbian and gay couples.41
Consequences of Family Violence
Family violence exacts an enormous toll on victims, perpetrators, their
families and communities. Victims of family violence may experience pain
and suffering that affects every aspect of their lives including
serious consequences for their physical and mental health.42
For many victims, the psychological damage they experience may be more
harmful and far-reaching than the physical injuries. In some cases, victims
pay with their lives. Perpetrators also experience negative consequences
that may include, for example, shame, rejection, depression, substance
abuse or incarceration. Children who are exposed to family violence are
at high risk for emotional and behavioural problems. The cycle of abuse
can affect generations within families. Individuals and families whose
lives are harmed by family violence and fear may be less likely to participate
in and contribute to community life.43
The consequences of family violence vary for women, children
and older adults.
According to the 1999 GSS, women were three times more likely
than men to report being physically injured in assaults by spouses.44
Women victims reported experiencing more frequent emotional consequences
of spousal violence. They also reported twice as much use of medications
and drugs compared with male victims.45 Other research indicates
that sexual abuse of a woman partner can result in unplanned pregnancy,46
and abuse during pregnancy may result in serious health consequences for
a woman and her baby.47
Children who are abused, including those who are exposed to spousal
violence, may experience physical injuries as well as other physical,
psychological and behavioural problems that extend into adolescence and
adulthood.48 According to the CIS, children who have been sexually
abused, may experience depression or anxiety, age-inappropriate sexual
behaviour, behaviour problems, negative peer involvement and irregular
school attendance.49
For older adults, physical injury may exacerbate pre-existing
or chronic health problems and make it more difficult to function independently.50
In economic terms, the costs of family violence are staggering. Studies
have attempted to measure the costs of violence against women. Each one
found the annual price tag related to health care, criminal justice,
social services and shelter operation, among other services is
in the billions.51 Greaves et al. (1995) estimated that the
partial social services/education, criminal justice, labour/employment
and health care costs of violence against women amounted to an estimated
$4.2 billion annually.52
Responses to Family Violence
Family violence is no longer a hidden problem. It affects Canadians
from all walks of life across the life span. As knowledge about family
violence and its consequences becomes more widespread, Canadians have
become more aware of and more concerned about this issue. In a recent
national survey of public attitudes toward family violence, 62% of Canadians
believed that family violence has become a more serious problem now than
it was a decade ago. For two in five Canadians (41%), violence toward
children was the greatest cause for concern, and 57% perceived children
under 12 years to be at highest risk of experiencing family violence.53
Public Expectations
Findings from a national public awareness survey completed in 2002 indicate
that Canadians are concerned about family violence, and approximately
75% consider that it should be a high priority for governments and communities.54
What Canadians Say About Family Violence Issues
- Consistent with the federal definition of family violence, Canadians
define violence in broad terms to include violence among immediate family
members, including parent-adult child relationships and most include
violence occurring within relationships of trust. Those with the most
expansive definition of family violence are Canadians between the ages
of 25 and 44, who know someone who has experienced family violence or
read or heard information about family violence and individuals who
have children at home and who are employed. Canadians expressed the
greatest degree of concern about violence toward children, particularly
children under 12.
- More than three quarters of Canadians believe that family violence
should be an urgent priority for the federal government as well as at
the community level. The majority see family violence as more serious
today than a decade ago, and there is a widely shared opinion that neither
the media nor womens groups exaggerate the seriousness of family
violence. Canadians recognize factors that influence the occurrence
of family violence such as stress, alcohol and drugs, history of violence
in the family, poor communication and the need to control others. They
see direct impacts on health as well as psychological effects. There
is broad recognition of the intergenerational effects of family violence
resulting in poor development of children, youth crime and school bullying.
- Eight in ten Canadians reported they had heard or read something about
family violence in the last 12 months. Four in five felt they were well
enough informed about family violence. Those who did not feel well enough
informed wanted information on how to recognize family violence and
how to respond to it when it is occurring.
- Six in ten Canadians reported that they know or have known someone
who has experienced family violence.
- When tested for social tolerance for various types of family violence,
highest concern was expressed for scenarios involving kicking, hitting
and sexual abuse and in scenarios when the victim was a child.
- Almost three in four Canadians feel they have at least some personal
responsibility for helping to reduce family violence in their community.
Reluctance to intrude on a family matter, and not knowing
what action to take are the most common barriers to intervening.
- Canadians see health care professionals and community workers as the
most knowledgeable and appropriate people to assume a legal obligation
to report family violence.
- Two in three Canadians believe that the courts treat cases of family
violence too lightly and just under one half of Canadians believe that
the police treat cases of family violence too lightly. One in two view
the police as being supportive and responsive to victims.
- Focus group participants were hesitant to criminally charge the perpetrator
in situations of family violence. Situations that were viewed as meriting
a charge included those involving serious physical harm, a history of
repeated incidents and situations involving child victims.
- The majority of Canadians view the most appropriate and effective
response to family violence to be counselling and treatment. Public
education and awareness programs were recognized equally as a means
of addressing family violence. A small proportion of respondents chose
harsher penalties as the most appropriate and effective means of responding
to family violence.
Source:
EKOS Research Associates, Public Attitudes Toward Family Violence: A
Syndicated StudyFinal Report (Ottawa: EKOS Research Associates,
2002).
Working Together to Respond to Family Violence
The issue of family violence continues to be a key issue for governments
and communities. Individuals and organizations at all levels and in many
sectors, notably education and public awareness, health, housing, social
services and justice, are working together to respond to family violence
through policy and program development, legislative reform, services for
victims, research and public education. As a result of the resources allocated
to family violence in the past three decades, intersectoral and interdisciplinary
innovations in prevention as well as responses within institutions and
communities are contributing to change.
In the education sector, the emphasis has been on school-based
anti-violence programs, early childhood education programs, and training
for professionals and front-line workers. Across Canada, there has been
an emphasis on increasing public awareness combined with efforts to develop
partnerships and enhance coordination of programs and services at the
community level.55
In the health sector, there is increasing recognition of the connections
between family violence and health, including the physical and mental
health effects of abuse, the effects of abuse on child development, and
the importance of health care as a point of intervention.56
In the housing and social services sectors, the shelter systems
remain the mainstay of programming. As of April 17, 2000, a total of 508
shelters for abused women were operating across Canada in every province
and territory.57 Of these, only 18 existed prior to 1975, and
57 began operating between 1975 and 1979. The number of shelters expanded
rapidly during the 1980s. During the 1990s, additional shelters were built,
including shelters in Aboriginal and rural communities, and the number
of admissions to shelters increased from 78,429 women and children in
1991/92 to 96,359 admissions in 1999/2000.58 Many shelters
now offer specialized services for older women and culturally sensitive
services for Aboriginal and ethnocultural women. The range of shelter-
and community-based treatment and counselling programs and advocacy and
support services for victims and witnesses of family violence of all ages
has also broadened.59
In the justice sector, some of the major initiatives of the past
two decades include the adoption of mandatory charging and prosecution
policies in cases of spousal violence, the inclusion of criminal harassment
as an offence under the Criminal Code, the enactment of family violence
legislation in a number of jurisdictions to provide protection for victims
under the civil law, and the creation of specialized domestic violence
courts.60 Responding to Specific Population Groups and Contexts
Meeting the unique needs of specific population groups is increasingly
important. Examples of these efforts include:
Holistic community-based strategies to promote individual and
family healing are helping to rejuvenate community life in Aboriginal
communities.61 Between 1989 and 1998, construction of shelters
in Aboriginal communities expanded.62 In 1999/2000, 63% of
shelters for abused women in Canada reported they provided culturally
sensitive services for Aboriginal women, including recognizing traditional
healing methods, using spiritual elders and teachers, providing access
to language interpreters and Aboriginal language materials and recognizing
and understanding Aboriginal cultural norms and beliefs.63
On-reserve options for First Nation family violence victims, such as safe,
culturally appropriate services are also improving.
As part of its commitment to rural communities, the Government
of Canada has adopted the practice of employing a Rural Lens as a way
of viewing issues through the eyes of rural Canadians. Safe house networks
and, in some provinces, rural family violence prevention centres are being
implemented in rural and remote communities.64 Between 1989
and 1998, the number of shelters constructed in rural and Aboriginal communities
increased.65
In 1996, First Ministers agreed to make disability issues a priority
and to work together to effectively address the needs of persons with
disabilities.66 Upgrades to existing shelters have improved
access to services for people with disabilities.67
Interpretation services and culturally specific services that
reduce barriers to services for immigrant and new Canadians who are victims
of family violence are improving.68
Strategies to address violence issues within same-sex relationships
are being developed.69
In Canada, child welfare laws require that all cases of suspected child
abuse must be investigated to determine if a child is in need of protection.
If protection is needed, child welfare authorities may provide family
counselling and support, remove the child (temporarily or permanently)
from the home, or remove the perpetrator(s) from the home. In cases of
sexual or physical abuse, criminal sanctions may apply. In the past 40
years, responding to child abuse has included the introduction of mandatory
reporting laws, the creation of child abuse registries, changes to the
Criminal Code and the Canada Evidence Act, extension of the time limits
for laying charges in child sexual abuse cases, and shifting of the administration
of child protection legislation for children on-reserve from provincial
jurisdiction to First Nations communities. Addressing the sexual exploitation
of children has become a priority.70 As the Royal Commission
on Aboriginal People heard in their community consultations, the breakdown
in Aboriginal family structures and functions has contributed to serious
social problems. Healing individuals and families creates the path that
leads to community healing. The federal government has supported implementation
of a community-based healing strategy to support Aboriginal people and
their communities in dealing with the legacy of physical and sexual abuse
in residential schools.71
Most provinces and territories now have special adult protection or
guardianship legislation to protect older adults who experience abuse
or neglect.72 However, there are ongoing concerns about balancing
the need to respect older adults independence with this legislation.
Year Five Report
15
Knowledge Development, Innovation and Collaboration
There is an ongoing need to develop more knowledge about family violence73
including the risk and protective factors associated with violence, and
the impacts of exposure to violence across the life span within the global
population and specific populations at risk.
Efforts to improve the effectiveness of prevention and response strategies
require ongoing support. The importance of collaborative, innovative,
integrated, multi-sectoral and interdisciplinary responses continues.
PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS AND RESULTS
EXPECTED RESULT: EFFECTIVE, EFFICIENT AND COORDINATED FEDERAL POLICY
DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRAMMING ON FAMILY VIOLENCE ISSUES
Overview
Since its inception, the Family Violence Initiative has been horizontally
managed to ensure effective, efficient and coordinated federal policy
development and programming on family violence issues. Horizontal management
is the process of managing work across organizational boundaries
in a coordinated and collaborative manner in order to achieve mutually
agreed-upon objectives.74
The Office of the Auditor General of Canada has noted that horizontal
management processes are based on a set of common objectives, apply results-oriented
performance measurement strategies, use information to effectively report
on and improve performance, and operate with effective coordination structures.75
While the Family Violence Initiative possesses these fundamental elements,
like most horizontally managed initiatives it has experienced some implementation
challenges. Some of these challenges relate to the substantively unique
nature of family violence, such as the systemic and multi-faceted nature
of the issue and the requirements of a multi-sectoral policy response
(including involvement by the health, justice, social services and housing
sectors). Others relate to the policy environment which encompasses a
number of legislative and mandate differences across jurisdictions; intersectoral
and cross-jurisdictional challenges including resource constraints
in partnership development and implementation, diversity within
populations at risk, and differences in community awareness of, and capacities
to address, family violence issues.
Other challenges are more operational in nature. For example, the current
configuration of the Family Violence Initiative includes activities funded
wholly through the Family Violence Initiative annual allocation as well
as other activities funded wholly or in part through departmental programs.
The Initiative involves consultation and coordination across departments
and with related initiatives to develop strategies to address the myriad
interrelated factors that contribute to family violence. In addition,
over the past five years, staff turnover has posed an ongoing challenge.
This approach to funding, and the numbers
16
Year Five Report
of departments and strategic linkages required, combined with the persistence
of vertical lines of authority and accountability, add a layer of complexity
to strategic planning. It has also tended to blur lines of accountability.
Streamlining the strategic planning process, clarifying accountability
requirements and simplifying performance reporting are continuing challenges.
Finding appropriate mechanisms and tools to effectively coordinate activity
within existing resource parameters is also an ongoing challenge.
The Interdepartmental Working Group remains confident that horizontal
management of family violence issues is an appropriate way for the federal
government to address family violence issues. Continual refinement of
horizontal management leadership and coordination mechanisms and tools,
with the support of central agencies, will continue to improve both process
and outcomes.
Performance Expectations
The Family Violence Initiative planned to efficiently and effectively
coordinate family violence prevention across all federal departments with
programming that directly, or indirectly, addressed the issue, commensurate
with resources. To reach this result, the Family Violence Initiative undertook
to:
- refine horizontal management mechanisms and processes;
- facilitate coordinated policy and program development by ensuring
opportunities for consultation on family violence issues to facilitate
cooperation, coordination and collaboration; and
- enhance the national base of policy-relevant information.
Performance Results
Horizontal Management: Refining Mechanisms and Processes
In 1996, the Interdepartmental Working Group was given the authority
to manage the Family Violence Initiative. Since that time, two case studies
on horizontal management processes within government (including one study
specifically commissioned by the Family Violence Initiative)76
have found that effective horizontal management strategies have strong
links between the political realm, the senior public service and the working
level. Interdepartmental senior-level governance has been found to provide
high-level leadership and direction that facilitates decision making on
priorities and resource allocation. This in turn helps to build and sustain
initiative momentum and secure the issues profile on the policy
agenda. These studies note that senior-level involvement is particularly
important for policy and program design and delivery oriented initiatives,
such as the Family Violence Initiative, which must transcend vertical
barriers to achieve results. To facilitate senior level support for this
Family Violence Initiative, in winter 2002, the Directors General Steering
Committee was established to strengthen the bridge between the working
level and the senior level.
Year Five Report
17
Insights: Horizontal Management
- Horizontal management is an appropriate way for the federal government
to effectively manage family violence issues, given the complexities
of the policy environment, the importance of intersectoral and interdisciplinary
partnership development, the diversity of pop ulations at risk and th
e differences in community aw areness and capacities to address family
violence across Canada.
- Horizontal management of family violence poses continuing challenges.
Effective leadership and coordination of family violence issues requires
time, ongoing commitment, resources, structures and processes. Vertical
lines of authority and accountability persist. The approach to funding
family violence, combined w ith the numbers of depa rtments and strategic
linkages required to address issues adds a layer of complexity to strategic
planning, accountability requirements and performance reporting.
- Central agency support is vital to refining mechanisms, processes
and tools to horizontally manage
the Family Violence Initiative.
- Stronger links between the working level and the senior public service
level within the federal
government would increase the effectiveness of the Family Violence Initiative.
- Ongoing efforts to strengthen links between the federal government
and its partners fosters
opportunities to build a federal approach through partnership development
and joint action.
Coordinated Policy and Program Development on Family Violence Issues
Several types of coordination are involved in the Family Violence Initiative,
including interdepartmental coordination to promote the Family Violence
Initiatives model of intersectoral, multidisciplinary partnership
and collaboration. In addition, coordination within each Family Violence
Initiative member department is required to ensure that each departments
policies and programming is coordinated with the mandate and objectives
of the Family Violence Initiative so that funds can be efficiently and
effectively utilized. Coordination also occurs between the Family Violence
Initiative and related provincial and territorial policies, programs and
services. Coordination is key to achieving the key results of the Family
Violence Initiative.
As understanding of the nature, extent, dynamics and consequences of
family violence has grown, the Family Violence Initiative has played an
important role in shaping federal policy and program and programming direction
on family violence issues. This includes a direct role in legislative
and policy areas that pertain to federal jurisdiction, such as criminal
law reform, as well as a facilitative and influencing role in policy areas
such as health and social services. As a result, the Family Violence Initiative
contributed to the development and implementation of policy and program
measures to strengthen both prevention and the response to family violence
incidents, particularly in areas such as health, justice and housing.
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Year Five Report
A review of the Department of Justice Canada component of the Family Violence
Initiative found that participants in the 37 key informant interviews
were largely supportive of having a coordinated interdepartmental approach
to family violence. The issue was characterized as being complex,
having a multitude of causes and consequences, and therefore requiring
a holistic response. Key informants also viewed the interdepartmental
approach as providing a way for the federal government to craft a strong,
coherent and consistent approach to family violence and as a means to
avoid duplication.77
The Family Violence Initiative maintains an ongoing policy dialogue
with key players and stakeholders. Between 1997 and 2001, this included
four consultations (all departments) at the working level with federal-provincial-territorial
counterparts which provided opportunities for knowledge transfer and fostered
complementary policy and programmatic approaches to family violence issues
across jurisdictions. Other examples include:
Health Canada hosted policy expert groups to obtain guidance on
approaches to addressing health issues associated with violence against
women, children and older adults.
Department of Justice Canada hosted two federal-provincial-territorial
spousal abuse forums that brought together senior criminal justice officials
from across the country to exchange and update best practices related
to policing, prosecutions, victims services, corrections and policy
on spousal abuse. Thirty-one of 34 participants responding to the second
forums feedback survey agreed that the materials and contacts were
very beneficial and that the forum met its objectives in terms of sharing
information on research, best practices and innovative ideas to address
the issue of spousal abuse.
The Family Violence Initiative has had success in building national
level collaboration, including collaboration that has levered resources
and thereby expanded federal capacity to address family violence. For
example, the 1999 General Social Survey Victimization Cycle (Department
of Justice Canada, Health Canada, Human Resources Development Canada,
Status of Women Canada and Statistics Canada) and the Transition Home
Survey (Statistics Canada) and a syndicated national baseline survey of
attitudes to family violence78 (Department of Justice Canada,
Health Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canadian Council on Social
Development and the Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare) were facilitated
by collaborative partnerships.
Efficiencies in federal monitoring of emerging issues and trends in
family violence prevention and responses across the country have also
been realized. This included coordinating federal-provincial-territorial
meetings on family violence as well as commissioning special studies on
information gaps, print media analysis and a public opinion survey on
family violence and an environmental scan of family violence activities
in Canada which have been used to inform policy and program development.
Year Five Report
19
Federal-provincial-territorial consultation, cooperation and collaboration
within the criminal justice sector on specific issues has also yielded
positive results. An Ad Hoc Federal-Provincial-Territorial Working Group
Reviewing Spousal Abuse Policies and Legislation, chaired by the Department
of Justice Canada and Nova Scotia Department of Justice, was established
in 2000. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Statistics Canada also
participate in this working group. The Working Group submitted its first
report to Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers Responsible for Justice
in September 2001. A second report reviewing spousal abuse policies and
legislation will be submitted in November 2002. The Final Report will
address the policies themselves. The results and recommendations of the
working group will provide a basis from which to further strengthen the
criminal justice systems response to family violence.
The Department of Justice Canada, in collaboration with its provincial
and territorial partners, also coordinated policy responses on a key issue,
criminal harassment which led to a new Criminal Code provision and a Handbook
on Criminal Harassment that provides practical support to police and Crown
prosecutors to investigate and prosecute criminal harassment cases. In
addition, the Child Victims and the Criminal Justice System Project, in
consultation with other federal, provincial and territorial officials
and experts, is exploring opportunities to strengthen the criminal justice
systems response to the exploitation and abuse of children, by examining
issues such as childrens testimony, age of consent to sexual activity,
and sentencing to protect children.
Federal-provincial-territorial collaboration focussed on populations
at risk has also advanced. In July 1999, the Federal-Provincial-Territorial
Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women (Status of Women Canada)
released a Strategic Framework on the Prevention of Violence Against Women
which sets out best practices and innovative anti-violence programs from
all jurisdictions. In September 2000, Status of Women Ministers further
agreed to develop, in collaboration with Statistics Canada, indicators
on violence against women that would provide benchmarks to track trends
in the prevalence and severity of violence against women.
Internationally, members of the Family Violence Initiative continue
to play a role in contributing to the Government of Canadas efforts
to eliminate violence against women and children. For example, at the
United Nations, Status of Women Canada works with the Commission on the
Status of Women (CSW), the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the General
Assembly on issues related to the elimination of violence against women
including the girl child. In 1998, at the 42nd session of the CSW, the
Government of Canada obtained agreement among member states on the need
to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of existing policies, programs
and legislation geared to eliminate violence against women. The Department
of Justice Canada also participated in negotiating the Optional Protocol
to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale
of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, which was adopted
in May 2000. Statistics Canada has provided substantive and technical
expertise
20
Year Five Report
to many countries who have subsequently adopted and implemented the methods
developed through the Violence Against Women Survey (1993). Currently,
the Family Violence Initiative (Statistics Canada, Justice Canada, Health
Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Status of Women Canada) is also
participating in and lending technical expertise to the first inaugural
International Survey of Violence against Women.79 This survey
will improve cross-country comparisons and Canadas contribution
will help to provide many developing countries with methods and tools
to estimate the prevalence of violence against women.
Insights: Coordinated Policy and Program Development on Family
Violence
- A continuing policy dialogue with provincial and territorial counterparts
including multilateral and bilateral efforts has proven
beneficial and can adv ance a national, integrated approa ch to family
violence an d streng then co llaboration and partnerships.
- A continuing policy dialogue with international players contributes
to an enhanced Canadian leadersh ip role and contribution in the area
of child sexual exploitation and violence ag ainst women.
Enhanced National Information Base
Policy relevant research, national data collection and analysis
From 1997/98 to 2001/02, the Family Violence Initiative made significant
advances in enhancing the national capacity for policy-relevant data collection
and analysis as well as research and evaluation. As a result, policy makers
are better equipped with timely, accessible and relevant information to
support policy and programming action on family violence. This enhanced
capacity has also addressed many of the information needs of other governments,
researchers, community groups and other stakeholders and has contributed
to public awareness.
Highlights include:
Family Violence Initiative departments conducted baseline research,
such as collecting, analysing and disseminating family violence benchmark
and trend data (Statistics Canada, Health Canada). They also commissioned
research studies on policy issues such as the health consequences of experiencing
and/or witnessing family violence (Health Canada), criminal harassment
(Department of Justice Canada), family violence and homelessness (Canada
Mortgage and Housing Corporation80) and other issues including
violence and the girl child (Status of Women Canada81). The
results of these studies have informed specific legislative reform (such
as criminal law) and program development on issues such as homelessness
(the National Homelessness Initiative, Human Resources Development Canada);
and on policy development concerning violence and the girl child (Status
of Women Canada) and personal security issues concerning women and girls
(Department of Justice Canada, National Strategy on Community Safety and
Crime Prevention).
Year Five Report
21
Of particular note, Statistics Canada, through the Canadian Centre for
Justice Statistics, in collaboration with its federal Family Violence
Initiative partners and other stakeholders, undertook concept and data
development, data gathering and processing, analysis, publication and
dissemination activities to strengthen national benchmark and trend data
on family violence issues. Since 1998, the key results of these efforts
have been published in the annual series, Family Violence in Canada: A
Statistical Profile. Since April 1998, through the National Justice Statistics
Initiative (NJSI), provincial and territorial governments partners in
the NJSI have been able to access this publication (and all other Canadian
Centre for Justice Statistics products) through the Statistics Canadas
Extranet site, a protected Internet site. NJSI member demand for family
violence data is high: they downloaded Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical
Profile 2000, 1,720 times. This publication as well as the Transition
Home Survey national-provincial-territorial fact sheets are also publicly
accessible through the Statistics Canada Web site. As of April 2002, the
public had downloaded Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile
2000, 45,755 times. In 2001, Statistics Canada undertook a performance
assessment consultation in which 96% of the consultation respondents indicated
that they were somewhat or very satisfied with
Statistics Canadas family violence activities and products. Almost
all (93%) of consultation respondents stated that it was very important
to them that these activities and publications continue. Almost half (44%)
stated that they have no alternative data sources to access quantitative
information on family violence. Each year, the release of Family Violence
in Canada also resulted in media coverage, which also contributes to broader
public awareness and understanding of the issues.
National information on child abuse and neglect has also improved. In
2001, in collaboration with its provincial and territorial counterparts,
and with the advice of child welfare organizations and researchers, Health
Canada released the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and
Neglect.82 This study provides, for the first time, national
estimates of child abuse and neglect as reported to, and investigated
by, child welfare services in Canada. It provides a foundation for a national
surveillance system on child maltreatment.
The Child and Family Services Information project, a joint federal-provincial-territorial
initiative co-led by Human Resources Development Canada, develops and
distributes comprehensive information on provincial and territorial child
and family services and programs. This is used in support of federal-provincial-territorial
policy development. Child Welfare in Canada 200083 provides
information on child welfare programs across Canada, with a focus on allegations
of child abuse.
The National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (Human Resources
Development Canada, Statistics Canada) provides a national data base on
the characteristics and life experiences of children and youth as they
grow up in Canada.
22
Year Five Report
Survey results and related studies on topics such as characteristics of
social environments (parenting styles, family income, child care) and
behaviours (such as aggressive behaviour, bullying) are being used to
inform the development of various policies and strategies related to youth.
Strengthened research infrastructure
The Family Violence Initiative has contributed to the development of
a cross-Canada research infrastructure on family violence and a critical
mass of research expertise of family violence84 to facilitate
policy and program development. In 1992, the Family Violence Initiative
and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council established five
Research Centres to stimulate and support research on family violence
and violence against women with applicability to policy development.
Since 1997, the Research Centres have operated as an Alliance,
conducting policy-relevant, integrated and participatory action research
of interest to a range of stakeholders. The Research Centres are affiliated
with over 600 government and community agencies across the country. The
Alliances work has contributed to national policy dialogue and direction
with regard to violence prevention and the girl child (Status of Women
Canada). A Research Centre partnership funded by the Department of National
Defence Canada and Status of Women Canada studied the issue of violence
within military families. It has provided policy-relevant information
on a variety of topics.85 The Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Council has used the Alliances partnership model to develop
its Community/University Research Associates Program.
Insights: Enhanced Information Base
- There is a continuing deman d for natio nal policy relevant resea
rch, data collection a nd analysis and evaluatio n. Th is information
is essential for sound decisio n ma king. Pub lic access to timely and
reliable quantitative and qualitative information abou t family violence
contributes to increased public awareness and understanding of family
violence issues among the Canadian population.
- Independent policy relevant research makes an important contribution
to community and national
level policy dialogue on family violence in Canada.
EXPECTED RESULT: ENHANCED PREVENTION AND IMPROVED COMMUNITY RESPONSE
AND THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF COMMUNITY
ACTIVITIES FOCUS ON COMMUNITY RESPONSE
Overview
Since its inception, the Family Violence Initiative has focussed on
enhancing the effectiveness of family violence prevention through research,
development and the evaluation of prevention and response strategies.
By improving access to state-of-the-art knowledge, resources and tools,
the Family Violence Initiative has helped to strengthen community capacity
to address family violence in ways that will help to sustain positive
Year Five Report
23
change. In Aboriginal and in other cultural communities, Family Violence
Initiative efforts have contributed to strengthened cultural identity
and practices that contribute to healing and positive development.
Performance Expectations
From 1997/98 to 2001/02, the Family Violence Initiative planned to:
- research, synthesize and disseminate state-of-the-art knowledge, that
can assist Canadian communities in preventing and responding to family
violence;
- develop and share with communities, a range of resources and tools
to facilitate community capacity building related to family violence;
and
- support community-driven efforts within Aboriginal communities to
prevent and respond to violence.
Performance Results
Research and Knowledge Synthesis to Inform the Prevention and Response
to Family Violence
The Family Violence Initiative supported a range of interdisciplinary
and intersectoral research and evaluation activities that provided Canadians
and their communities with information on the risk factors associated
with family violence, the systemic factors that underlie it, the consequences
of violence, and insight into good policies and practices that will improve
family violence prevention and better protect victims when violence occurs.
Evaluations of model interventions have helped to refine various aspects
of prevention practice and response. For example, in 2001 Health Canada
funded an evaluation of the Domestic Violence Program (Vancouver General
Hospital Emergency Department, St. Pauls Hospital and Mount Josephs
Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia), a hospital-based screening and
follow-up support program for victims of family violence,86
which found that the program had positive impact on raising awareness
of family violence among physicians, introduced appropriate protocols
for screening and disclosure, and provided support and assistance to a
diverse group of clients. The Department of Justice Canada produced a
range of research and evaluation products that contribute to improvements
in the effectiveness of the policy and programs related to family violence
and the criminal justice system.
The Family Violence Initiative investments have also contributed to
methodological innovation in community-based, participatory action research
for both urban and rural areas (Health Canada, Department of Justice Canada,
Status of Women Canada). These innovations have underscored the value
of community-based research approaches and provided appropriate methods
and protocols to respectfully engage individuals affected by family violence
and abuse with community researchers and other stakeholders in the research
process.
24
Year Five Report
The National Clearinghouse on Family Violence resources, which include
easy-to-read fact sheets, booklets and videos for victims of family violence,
also helped communities. Staff are also equipped to refer clients seeking
services such as counselling, advocacy, legal information, shelter and
treatment programs, to programs and services in their communities.
Federal support for community-driven and community-focussed workshops,
seminars and programs on family violence also stimulated community dialogue,
building networks and participation (Department of Canadian Heritage,
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Department of Justice Canada, Health
Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Status of Women Canada).
Insights: Research and Knowledge Synthesis to Inform the Prevention
and
Response to Family Violence
- The federal leadership and investment in family violence research,
knowledge synthesis and evaluation has provided valuable information
that can lead to improvements in policies, programs and practice.
Resources, Tools and Networks to Strengthen Community Capacity to Address
Family Violence
Community capacity is ... the combined influence of a community's commitment,
resources, and skills which can be deployed to build on community strengths
and address community problems.87
From 1997/98 to 2001/02, the Family Violence Initiative created a range
of resources and tools to help communities address family violence issues.
This included evidence-based practice guidelines, intervention models,
training curricula and other tools created for health care workers, social
workers, the police, prosecutors and victim support workers (Health Canada,
Department of Justice Canada, Correctional Service of Canada, Royal Canadian
Mounted Police). Evaluations of a number of these resources indicate that
many of these resources and tools are regarded as high quality products
andmost importantly they are being used to improve practices
and strengthen community prevention and responses to family violence.
In addition, a 2002 case study88 of sample projects funded
through the Family Violence Initiative showed that the Family Violence
Initiative has contributed to capacity building by fostering a strong
sense of ownership and commitment to addressing family violence, whether
the community is defined by geography or community of interest (linguistic,
cultural, ethnic). Local talent and leadership have been nurtured, and
in many cases, in-kind and financial resources have been leveraged.
Year Five Report
25
Several networks have emerged that are finding innovative and appropriate
responses to family violence prevention. Health Canada funded the Circle
of Prevention, a Network to Community Networks to Sustain Capacity &
Momentum
Prevent Family Violence in Atlantic Canada, an evaluation of which concluded
that the Circles Circle of Prevention - a Network to Prevent
Family Violence in Atlantic Canada
major impact was in forging and sustaining
Alliance of Five Research Centres on
networks and connections and in reducing
Violence
isolation among individuals involved in addressing National Committee
on Elder Abuse
National Link between Front-line Legal
family violence in the region.89 The Department
Educators/ Researchers on Anti-Violence
of Justice Canada also supported a project Centres undertaken by the
Canadian Association of Sexual National Aboriginal Circle Against
Family
Violence
Assault Centres which encouraged the development of communications and
computer linkages among womens shelters and assault centres to standardize
and improve services for victims.
Insights: Resources, Tools and Netw orks to Strengthen Community
Capacity to Address Family Violence
- The federal leadership an d investment in resources, tools and netw
orks contributed to strengthened community capacity to address family
violence and helped to mobilize Canadian communities for change.
Aboriginal Communities: Strengthening Family Violence Prevention
At its public hearings, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples listened
to many presenters who spoke of the breakdown in traditional Aboriginal
family structure and functions as a main factor in the social problems
that Aboriginal peoples and their communities are facing. The Commission
identified abuse and violence within the family as the tip of an
iceberg that formed when Aboriginal communities lost their independence
and Aboriginal families were deprived of authority and influence over
their children. The Family Violence Initiative assists Aboriginal communities
in their efforts to address family violence issues. It does so by providing
them with resources to undertake community-based family violence prevention
projects.
Over the past five years, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada has supported
335 community-based family violence prevention projects in First Nations
communities. Funds were used for workshops, information sessions and counselling
dealing with a variety of topics, including:
26
Year Five Report
- traditional teachings and healing, including smudging, traditional
thanksgiving, healing, elders teaching, cultural teachings, hoop dance,
culture camp, sweat lodges;
- anger/stress management, and conflict resolution and family violence/abuse;
- addiction/alcohol;
- children and youth, including Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol
Effect, parenting skills, youth/teen dating violence/violence in schools,
and bullying;
- grief/dying/dealing with violent death;
- cultural breakdown, including colonization and the residential school
effect; and
- suicide prevention.
The Family Violence Initiative component of the Aboriginal Womens
Program,
Department of Canadian Heritage, enables Aboriginal womens groups
in on- and off-reserve communities to address family violence. In so doing,
it recognizes the unique role that Aboriginal women play in shaping and
contributing to the health and vitality of their families and communities,
and recognizes that cultural distinctiveness and the preservation of cultural
identity are key to the prevention and reduction of incidences of family
violence. Many of these project activities incorporate traditional approaches,
such as holistic healing methods, as well as innovative approaches such
as the use of art. An evaluation of the Family Violence Initiative component
of the Aboriginal Womens Program found many positive, short-term
outcomes were realized.90
Above all, it is important that people recognize and understand that
Aboriginal ways of seeing and articulating the world are different from
mainstream Canadian culture. The recognition of this is critical to addressing
issues such as family violence. The use of holistic traditions and practices
and the need to strengthen connections between women, their families and
communities is essential. We are turning our communities into healthier
communities by viewing things through a holistic perspective.91
Many of the Aboriginal Womens Program family violence projects
that directly or indirectly addressed public awareness helped to heighten
awareness and knowledge of family violence issues and strengthen intergenerational
connections in communities. Others employed traditional healing methods
and supports that enabled women living in abusive situations, or coping
with abuse from the past, to strengthen their social connections, acquire
new skills, develop positive relationships with their partners, children
and families, and achieve self-sufficiency. Training and skills development
projects helped to enrich the assets available to communities to address
family violence, such as knowledge and skills (e.g. leadership, conflict
resolution, crisis management). Information gathering, planning and strategy
development projects contributed to community capacity to identify problems,
open up community dialogue, develop plans and solutions and mobilize.
Year Five Report
27
The evaluation also found that knowledge about Aboriginal approaches to
address family violence is growing and should be shared to build promising
practices. Information sharing and exchange can inspire, lend support
and motivate others, and foster ongoing innovation.
Insights: Aboriginal CommunitiesStrengthening Family Violence
Prevention
- Building a positive vision and holistic approach to addressing family
violence issues in Aboriginal communities, which emphasizes the importance
of teaching traditional values, culture and practices, is important.
- Flexible, community-driven approaches to addressing family violence
in Aboriginal communities can be a program strength as this allows the
possibility to adapt to and meet community needs and learn from community
experiences. It also fosters an innovative and creative learning environmen
t.
- Ongoing learning and sharing is important so that people can benefit
from others knowledge and practical experience. M ore emphasis
on ongoing learning and sharing would result in greater cross-fertilization
of ideas and approaches.
EXPECTED RESULT: ENHANCED PREVENTION AND IMPROVED COMMUNITY RESPONSE
AND THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
STRENGTHENED ABILITY OF THE SHELTER SYSTEM TO RESPOND TO FAMILY VIOLENCE
Overview
The shelter system is a vital part of the response to family violence
in Canada. Over the past 25 years, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
has, through various housing programs92, assisted in the acquisition,
construction and enhancements of family violence shelters. Since 1995,
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has provided financial assistance
for shelters and second-stage housing under the Shelter Enhancement Program
(SEP). The SEP provides capital funds to upgrade existing shelters for
women and children who are victims of violence and, in certain circumstances,
provides additional emergency units and second-stage housing where there
is a service gap and where sponsors have obtained operating funding. This
includes facilities in First Nations communities. Since 1999, with funding
provided through the National Homelessness Initiative, the SEP was expanded
to provide assistance for shelters and second-stage housing for youth
who experience family violence.
The SEP has contributed in significant ways to the development of a
more collaborative, coordinated and effective community response to address
family violence. Family Violence Initiative and other sources of funding
for the SEP have contributed to the development of partnerships and collaboration
with provincial and territorial governments and First Nations; facilitated
leveraging of other funding; and encouraged the combination of federal
funding with other sources of funding to strengthen community responses
to family violence.
28
Year Five Report
One of the continuing challenges is the lack of shelters and culturally
appropriate services for Aboriginal peoples living on-reserve or in rural
or remote communities who are victims of family violence. Consequently,
many Aboriginal victims of family violence living in rural or remote settings
(including on-reserve communities) still have had to leave their home
communities in order to escape from violent situations. Over the past
five years,
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation continued to partner with Indian
and Northern Affairs Canada to begin to address the ongoing need for shelters
and related support services within First Nations communities.
Performance Expectations
From 1997/98-2001/02:
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, with funding from the Family
Violence Initiative and other sources, planned to provide financial assistance
to upgrade existing shelters and second-stage housing, and in certain
circumstances, provide additional emergency shelter units and second-stage
housing, where there was a service gap. Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
planned to support the operational costs of on-reserve shelters and covered
the costs of off-reserve shelters and services used by First Nations people
who ordinarily reside on-reserve.
Performance Results
Additional Shelters and Enhancements
From 1997/98 to 2001/02, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation approved
50 additional shelters for victims of family violence (including First
Nations communities and youth), creating 677 new shelter spaces. During
the same period, through the SEP, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
made financial contribution commitments to enhance 75% of existing shelters
and second-stage housing (380 shelters with 2,100 units). From 1997/98
to 2001/02 Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation committed $51.34 million
($9.5 million funded from the Family Violence Initiative)93
on new shelters and shelter enhancements for victims of family violence
(including shelters for youth as well as shelters and shelter enhancements
in First Nations communities).
Partnerships
During this period, seven provincial/territorial governments (New Brunswick,
Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Quebec and
Saskatchewan) entered into cost-sharing agreements that contributed an
additional $4.458 million toward more shelters and enhancements. These
partnerships increased the reach of the SEP, and the Family Violence Initiative,
in terms of the number of shelters that have received funding and improved
community responses to family violence.
Year Five Report
29
Shelters and Access to Services for Residents of First Nations Communities
From 1997/98 to 2001/02, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation constructed
14 on-reserve shelters, which increased the stock to some 50 shelters.
Locating shelters within First Nations communities has improved First
Nations peoples access to culturally appropriate services and provided
a viable option for victims of family violence within their respective
communities. From 1997/98 to 2001/02, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
provided over $30 million in operating funding to these shelters. From
1997/98 to 2001/02 on-reserve shelters assisted 20,000 people from 176
First Nations communities. In addition, over the same period Indian and
Northern Affairs Canada provided $2.3 million in funding that enabled
1,000 people annually to access provincial/territorial emergency shelters
located off-reserve.
Following a meeting of managers of transition houses on reserve, sponsored
by the Family Violence Initiative in 1999, a National Aboriginal Circle
Against Family Violence was founded to address family violence issues
in Aboriginal communities. The Circle, including its Web site, is currently
supported by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted
Police, and Status of Women Canada.
Shelter Enhancement Program Evaluation Results
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporations Evaluation of the SEP94
found that from 1995/96 to 2000/01, over 70% of family violence shelters
applied for SEP funding for repairs and enhancements, and 93% of these
shelters had obtained SEP funds. SEP expenditures substantially improved
family violence shelter conditions from 20% rated good-to-excellent
by shelter staff in 1995, to 50% rated good too excellent
by shelter staff in 2001. As a result, 58% of shelters reduced their maintenance
costs and 50% of shelters had fewer physical breakdowns. Two thirds of
shelters that received SEP funding indicated that the repairs would not
have been possible without SEP funding. The evaluation further found that
the condition of shelters is a success factor for clients, in terms of
helping them address their family violence situations, including improving
their feelings of personal security and their sense of self-esteem and
well-being. Enhancements also enabled shelters to better meet the needs
of children and to improve access for persons with disabilities.
Surveys of provincial, territorial and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
partners conducted as part of the SEP evaluation found high levels of
collaboration and coordination among partners in addressing family violence
problems, including formal coordination committees. More than half of
those surveyed reported that the Family Violence Initiative had strengthened
partnerships and coordination and half reported that the SEP specifically
had contributed to the development and/or adoption of more effective family
violence policies and programs.
30
Year Five Report
The
Shelter Enhancement Program Contribution to Family Violence Initiative
Prevention
and
Improved Community Response: Key Highlights from the Evaluation
1997/98
to 2001/02 |
OUTPUTS |
• 50
new shelters with 677 additional units created
• 380
existing shelters with 2,100 units in family violence shelters repaired
or improved |
REACH |
• 75%
of family violence shelters received funding for repairs or improvements
• 14%
increase in number of family violence shelter units from 1995/96
to 2000/01
• 14
new shelters in First Nations communities from 1997/98 to 2001/02
• 65%
of SEP-funded repairs would not have occurred without the SEP |
SHORT-TERM
IMPACTS |
• conditions
have improved from 20% “good-to-excellent” in 1995 to
50% “good-to-excellent” in 2001
• 80%
of SEP shelters improved safety and security; 55% improved children’s
play areas; and 38% improved access for clients with disabilities
• 90%
of provincial/territorial and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
funders surveyed in the evaluation said that the SEP was a “significant
factor” in the development and/or adoption of more effective
family violence policies. |
LONGER-TERM
IMPACTS |
• 58%
of shelters reduced maintenance costs and 50% had fewer physical
breakdowns after receiving SEP assistance
• enhanced
family violence programs & policies, improved security for clients
• increasing
shelter use & improved responses to client needs & prevention
of family violence |
Estimated
Costs of Needed Repairs and Enhancements (in 2001 $million) |
Basic
structural and building repairs |
$10.9 |
Basic
building security |
$1.9 |
Accessibility |
$3.8 |
Additional
security enhancements |
$6.4 |
Indoor
and outdoor child play areas |
$4 |
Total |
$27 |
Although the SEP has had significant positive impacts over the past
five years, there is a continuing need for additional funding. Over half
of the family violence shelters in Canada indicate a need for basic repairs95
and other enhancements, such as improvements to security (45%) and childrens
play areas (45%). Ninety per cent of provincial, territorial and Indian
and Northern Affairs funders regard security improvements as the highest
priority. Improving access for persons with disabilities (58%) also remains
a high priority.96 In addition to the need for basic repairs
and improvements, there is a need for security enhancements (such as alarms,
surveillance equipment, intercom systems, access controlled doors, bullet-proof
glass) and improvements to indoor and outdoor child play areas.
31
The SEP evaluation also found that there is still a high need for additional
units or shelters in Canada. Of 391 shelters responding to the SEP evaluation
survey of shelters, 23% identified a need for more first-stage beds/units
and 35% identified a need for more second-stage units. Provincial/territorial
and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada partners also indicated that there
are significant needs for new shelters and shelter units (both
emergency housing and second-stage).
Youth homelessness in Canada has emerged as a significant issue. An
environmental scan of youth homelessness commissioned by Canada Mortgage
and Housing Corporation found that while the problems of homeless youth
vary regionally, family breakdown was identified as one of the first three
primary causes of homelessness nationwide.98 The SEP evaluation99
of the first two years of the youth component of the SEP found that most
youth shelters surveyed identified family violence as the primary presenting
problem of their clients, with 79% of their clients having experienced
some form of family violence. The evaluation of youth shelters found that
one quarter of SEP-funded youth shelters had increased their bed space;
over 90% improved the shelters physical condition; 80% made upgrades
to fire safety and other safety features; 40% had improved other security
features; and 20% had improved wheelchair accessibility. In some cases,
SEP funding helped to improve shelter capacity to obtain other program
funding dollars, by improving the amount of useable space and bringing
the spaces up to the standards required to access municipal funding.100
Although the need for youth shelters has not been quantified at this time,
the evaluation findings suggest that there is a continuing need for program
funding for additional shelters as well as improvements in existing shelters
to meet the needs of youth, including youth affected by family violence.
Insights: Strengthened ability of the shelter system to respond to family
violence
- The SEP has made a valuable contribution in strengthening and expanding
the shelter system and its ability to respon d to family violence problems.
New shelters have been fund ed especially in First Nations communities
and for youth.
- Shelter enhan cements have had positiv e impacts o n clients and helped
clients a ddress their family violence situation and improve their feelings
of persona l security, sense of self-esteem an d w ell-being. Shelter
enhancem ents have had positive impacts for clients children and
for persons with disabilities.
- There is a continuing need for repairs and enhancements in existing
shelters (in 2001, repairs and
enhancements w ere estimated to cost $27 m illion).
- The SEP has facilitated the developmen t of working partnerships betw
een family violence, youth shelters and other service providers to respond
to the needs of clients with family violence problems.
- There is a continuing need for additional units or shelters in Ca
nada in general and for many First
Nations communities and for youth.
32
Year Five Report
EXPECTED RESULT: ENHANCED PREVENTION AND IMPROVED COMMUNITY RESPONSE
AND THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF COMMUNITY
ACTIVITIES STRENGTHENED CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM RESPONSE TO FAMILY
VIOLENCE
Overview
Since its inception, the Family Violence Initiative has focussed on
strengthening the criminal justice system by working together with its
provincial and territorial counterparts and its partners in other sectors
and disciplines. The Department of Justice Canada is responsible for ensuring
that the Criminal Code of Canada effectively addresses family violence.
The Department of Justice Canada works in partnership with provincial
and territorial justice and law enforcement officials as well as the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police, the Correctional Service of Canada, and the Department
of the Solicitor General to improve the effectiveness of the criminal
justice system through legislative and policy review and reform, public
and professional education, research and support for programs and services.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police follows a collaborative and cooperative
approach to addressing family violence in the many communities it serves
in seven provinces and three territories. It links with local community
organizations, including victim support services and shelters, and frequently
leads or partners in community-based public awareness efforts. The Correctional
Service of Canada contributes to the reduction of family violence perpetrated
by federally sentenced offenders through risk assessment, case supervision
and programming. The Department of National Defence provides military
policing services as well as family and victim support services for Canadian
Forces personnel.
Performance Expectations
From 1997/98 to 2001/02, the Family Violence Initiative planned to:
- review criminal legislation and policy related to family violence,
and where supported, advance reform efforts;
- support public legal education and program and service development
to improve the responsiveness of the criminal justice system;
- refine and expand delivery of family violence prevention programming
to federally sentenced offenders, including the implementation of high
intensity treatment programming for male offenders;
- refine and expand delivery of family violence training within the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police; and
- refine and implement family violence training for Department of National
Defence personnel.
Year Five Report
33
Performance Results
Criminal Law Review and Reform
In the past five years, the Department of Justice Canada, working with
its provincial and territorial partners, effected important shifts in
how the criminal law addresses family violence. Key amendments to the
Criminal Code significantly improved the criminal justice legal framework
for addressing family violence by offering better protection for the safety
and security of victims; improving the protection of children from sexual
exploitation; strengthening sentencing provisions (such as including a
requirement that courts take into account the abuse of a spouse or a child
as an aggravating factor in sentencing); and in refining penalties related
to the anti-stalking legislation created in 1993 (offence of criminal
harassment).
Family Violence and Proclaimed Criminal Code Amendments: Key Milestones
July 2002
Bill C-15A
- increases the maximum penalty for criminal harassment (stalking) from
five to 10
years
- protects children from sexual exploitation (luring via the Internet;
transmitting, making available, or exporting child po rnography via
the Internet; or intention ally accessing child pornography via the
Internet)
- strengthens sentencing provisions, and
- makes it easier to prosecute individuals involved in child sex tourism.
- ensures the safety of the victim is taken into account in bail decisions,
and
- permits pub lication bans to pro tect the identity of any victim or
witness.
- makes murder, committed while stalking a victim, a first-degree murder,
where the
murd erer intended to instill fear for the victims safety
- ensures courts take the breach of a protective court order into account
as an
aggravating factor in sentencing an offender for criminal harassment
- amends the provisions on child sex tourism, and
- clarifies that female genital mutilation is prohibited in Canada.
December 1, 1999 Bill C-79
M ay 26, 1997
Bill C-27
Provincial and territorial support to improve the criminal justice response
to family violence is strong, although not all jurisdictions follow the
same approaches. Since 1995, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island, Manitoba,
Alberta, and the Yukon territory have proclaimed specific legislation
and measures to address family violence. Some jurisdictions have implemented
dedicated family violence courts and are exploring alternative measures
and restorative justice approaches.
34
Year Five Report
Family
Violence and Provincial Legislative Reform: Key Milestones |
1997 |
Alberta: Protection
Against Family Violence Act |
1998 |
Manitoba: Domestic
Violence Stalking, Prevention, Protection and Compensation Act |
1999 |
Yukon: Family
Violence Prevention Act |
Ontario
and Nova Scotia’s legislation is not yet proclaimed. |
Research and Evaluation
The Department of Justice Canada works very closely with its provincial
and territorial counterparts to research, assess and evaluate the effectiveness
of new legislative provisions and related measures that pertain to family
violence.101
Public and Legal Education and Information (PLEI) and Program/Service
Development
The Department of Justice Canada continued to support the development,
testing, translation and printing of family violence public and legal
education and information (PLEI) materials and also supported a number
of innovative projects that provided legal information relating to family
violence. One such project provided female victims of spousal abuse in
rural or small communities with relevant legal information in a lipstick
tube, providing them with access to information on how to safely get out
of a violent relationships without alerting the abuser. Twenty-two thousand
tubes were produced for distribution in Saskatchewan. The Department of
Justice Canada also supported the development of an interactive Web site
with tools that help youth assess their dating relationships and address
unhealthy relationships. To further promote access to family violence
law information, the Department of Justice Canada also developed an inventory
of strategies and methods used by PLEI providers to get appropriate family
violence related information to people living in rural areas. Intended
to help PLEI providers, this inventory categorizes the various methods
and makes recommendations regarding most promising practices.
A review of the effectiveness of some of the Department of Justice Canadas
own PLEI publications102 found that 96% of service providers
and 82% of potential end-users of the information materials said the booklets
were a useful way to get information across to those who may need help
with respect to family violence.
Prevention and Treatment of Family Violence within the Federally Sentenced
Offender Population
Over the past five years, the Correctional Service of Canada further
refined its approach to offender assessment and family violence prevention
and treatment programming. The Spousal Assault Risk Assessment Tool (SARA)
is now incorporated into the Services
Year Five Report
35
Offender Management System, which will improve the quality and availability
of accurate risk assessment to inform the case management, supervision
and treatment needs of offenders at risk for spousal assault. Correctional
Service of Canada also developed and implemented national High and Moderate
Intensity Family Violence Prevention Programs, which have been internationally
accredited. It has also developed a follow-up maintenance intervention
program. Preliminary evaluation results of the High Intensity Family Violence
Prevention Program suggest the program is successful at changing attitudes
associated with intimate partner abuse and in improving prosocial skills
use and relapse prevention planning; approximately 95% of the program
participants in both the high and moderate intensity programs said that
they would be able to use the skills learned in the program upon their
release in the community. In 2002/03 the Correctional Service of Canada
will begin a more comprehensive analysis of program outcomes, including
impacts on recidivism. The Correctional Service of Canadas family
violence expertise and programs have been shared with other jurisdictions
within Canada and internationally.103
Family Violence Training within the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
From 1997/98 to 2001/02, training remained a central focus of the Royal
Canadian Mounted Polices efforts to improve its capacity to respond
to family violence incidents and prevent its recurrence. In addition to
core cadet training on spousal assault, police sensitivity to victims
and problem-solving techniques, the RCMP trained police officers, victims
services coordinators and community volunteers on family violence issues
and related topics.104 It also created training resources,
including An Investigative Guide for Sexual Offences. From 1997/98 to
2001/02, 270 police officers and other community professionals were trained
in sexual assault investigations.105 The RCMP shared its expertise
with many visiting delegations. In addition, in 2002, the RCMP convened
a national workshop on spousal/partner abuse for police officers from
all RCMP divisions.
Family Violence Training within the Department of National Defence
The Department of National Defence established a Military Family National
Advisory Board, which includes the spouses of military personnel, to address
Canadian Forces policies that affect military families, including family
violence policy. The department conducted 18 family violence workshops
across the country, aimed at military police, social workers, chaplains
and Military Family Resource Centre staff. These workshops will enhance
the response capability when incidents of family violence occur. The department
has also developed a Victim Assistance Program and implemented a Canadian
Forces member assistance program with access to a 1-800 line that offers
confidential counselling services for members and their families.
36
Year Five Report
Insights: Strengthened criminal justice system response to family violence
- Enhanced cooperation, coordination and collaboration within the criminal
justice sector contributes to effective criminal law reform and the
development of appropriate instruments and measures to enhance the administration
of justice in family violence cases.
- Empirically-based family violence prevention and treatment programs
for federal offenders show
promise and are shareable across jurisdictions.
- Ongoing family violence awareness and training increases the capacity
of the criminal justice
system, and its intersectoral partners, to w ork to respon d effectively
to family violence.
EXPECTED RESULT: INCREASED PUBLIC AWARENESS OF FAMILY VIOLENCE ISSUES
AND
REDUCED TOLERANCE FOR FAMILY VIOLENCE
Overview
The Family Violence Initiative promotes public awareness of family violence
by providing Canadians with information about the risk factors associated
with family violence, the systemic factors that underlie it, the consequences
of violence, and insight into how to prevent violence and better protect
victims when violence occurs. Much of this information is disseminated
or made accessible to Canadians through the National Clearinghouse on
Family Violence (NCFV) which was created in 1982 to collect, develop and
disseminate resource materials and other information on behalf of the
Family Violence Initiative. The Family Violence Initiative also fosters
open dialogue, through support for presentations, national and international
conferences, workshops, training seminars and community programs. It creates
awareness and promotes the adoption of best practices. Public discussion,
including efforts targeted to specific population groups, helps Canadians
plan, establish networks and mobilize to address family violence.
Performance Expectations
From 1997/98 to 2001/02, the Family Violence Initiative planned to foster
public awareness of family violence and reduce tolerance for its occurrence
by:
- using the National Clearinghouse on Family Violence, to produce, disseminate
and increase public access to information about family violence issues;
and
- engaging Canadians by informing them about key family violence issues,
with a priority focus on increasing awareness among professionals and
service providers, immigrants, first generation Canadians, and Aboriginal
populations.
Year Five Report
37
Performance Results
National Clearinghouse on Family Violence
National
Clearinghouse on Family Violence
Client
Satisfaction
Over
90% of respondents agree that the fact sheets are accurate, up-to-date,
easy to understand and relevant (Impact Evaluation of the National
Clearinghouse on Family Violence Fact Sheets, SPS Research
and Evaluation, 1998)
99%
of respondents stated that they were satisfied or very satisfied with
the service they received (Report on a Client Satisfaction Survey of
Users of the National Clearinghouse on Family Violence, CPR Associations,
Inc. 1999)
95%
of clients rated service levels good or excellent; 95% rated staff knowledgeable
and helpful and materials useful, current and arriving on time (Report
on the National Clearinghouse on Family Violence Client Satisfaction Postcard
Survey, SPS Research & Evaluation, 2000)
The NCFV is the major national resource
centre for Canadians seeking information and resources on family violence.
It develops and maintains a resource collection of over 100 items such
as fact sheets, reports, discussion papers and information kits. Information
is available free of charge in English and French and in certain cases
in other languages and alternative formats (Braille and audiocassette).
It also offers an extensive reference collection, housed in the Health
Canada departmental library and on-line bibliographic searching of approximately
10,000 items on family violence. It partners with the National Film Board
and 34 libraries across Canada to offer over 100 family violence videos
and provides an information directory and referral service (available
through a toll-free line). The NCFV Web
site, launched in this phase of the Family Violence Initiative, links
to hundreds of local, provincial, national and international Web sites,
including Family Violence Initiative partner Web sites and to the Canadian
Health Network, facilitating easy access to federal information about
family violence. Since the inception of the Canadian Health Network in
1999, the NCFV has been an affiliate
partner that provides leadership, identifies, develops and reviews content,
and helps to build networks. An enhanced version of the Web site was launched
in August 2002, in compliance with Treasury Board Secretariat’s
Common Look and Feel Initiative. The enhanced site is more interactive,
with improved structure for files and a streamlined look within Health
Canada, and it is expected to further increase the public access to federally
maintained family violence information. NCFV
users include governments, professionals, social service workers,
educators, non-governmental organizations, researchers and the general
public. Information is used for research, policy and program development,
and education, training and awareness.
Performance review results
In 2002, a performance review of the National Clearinghouse on Family
Violence was conducted.106 Periodic client satisfaction surveys
demonstrate that the NCFV quality of service and products remains high.
While it has been successful in reaching out to all parts of the country,
additional promotional work (especially in Quebec, British Columbia and
Alberta) would further expand reach. Partnerships, for example with the
affiliates of the Canadian Health Network and with the National Film Board,
have been an essential component of the NCFV Clearinghouse. The NCFV has
also developed a framework for
38
Year Five Report
evaluating the production, dissemination, knowledge uptake and knowledge
transfer of family violence print materials. The performance review suggests
that additional interactive dissemination strategies could increase the
effectiveness of the NCFV in reaching intended audiences.
The National Clearinghouse on Family Violence requires Family Violence
Initiative departments to deposit all information materials funded by
the Family Violence Initiative with the NCFV. Many departments also disseminate
materials through their own mechanisms and distribution strategies. For
example, the Department of Justice Canada has created a Family Violence
Initiative Web site that provides the justice perspective on key family
violence issues and profiles the work that the department is undertaking
to address these issues. Web site links between the NCFV and the Family
Violence Initiative ensure access to all Family Violence Initiative materials.
These complementary links ensure that Canadians who access federal family
violence information via the Internet have multiple points of access.
At the same time, NCFV will continue to review its operations to ensure
it continues to provide cutting edge products and services.
Insights: National Clearinghouse on Family Violence
- Invo lving target audience stakeho lders in the design and development
of information materials
helps to build interest, commitment, awareness and uptake among the
target audience.
- A mix of information promotion, information technologies and dissemination
strategies can broaden reach and increase public awa reness and understanding
of family violence. Better results are possible when information dissemination
is comprehensive and actively promoted, targeted and shared through
interactive methods, su ch as group discussions, w orkshop s, training
sessions.
- NCFV s position as a national resource to coordinate access
to federal family violence information is its primary strength. The
diversity of methods to access free, bilingual family violence information
and resources including the toll-free line and TTY access, as
well as the ever-expa nding W eb site is crucial for ensuring
access.
Informing Professionals and Service Providers is Creating Changes in
Practice
From 1997/98 to 2001/02, the Family Violence Initiative supported the
research, development, production and dissemination of a range of professional
and public education and awareness print products on family violence for
professionals and service providers. For example, Health Canada undertook
a range of strategies to further engage the health care sector in responding
more effectively to violence. This included the development of resources
and tools as well as providing opportunities for information exchange
and networking, such as the March 2002 meeting that brought together representatives
from key medical associations and researchers involved in child abuse,
woman abuse and abuse of older adults to share information and network.
Evaluations of selected products suggests that information produced
through the Family Violence Initiative has had a positive impact on raising
awareness and changing practices. Survey respondents gave high ratings
to the clarity, relevance and usefulness or helpfulness
Year Five Report
39
that the resources provided in their everyday practices. The evaluations
suggest that expanded efforts to address diversity issues could be considered.
In addition more active and strategic dissemination strategies, such as
interactive marketing through focus groups, workshops, information sessions,
as well as the more commonly used dissemination methods (mail and Web)
could expand reach and increase uptake.
Evaluation highlights:
In an evaluation of a series of three handbooks for service providers
and educators that offer practical guidance in responding to children
exposed to woman abuse and family violence, abuse during pregnancy, and
woman abuse and the criminal justice system (Health Canada and the Department
of Justice Canada), respondents rated the handbooks as As one respondent
said, the comprehensive, accurate and important source handbook was a
great documents for both training and research. The learning tool...
I am better evaluation found that 28.7% of respondents able to assess
women and completed the survey. Of these, 49% said they understand the
problem were somewhat useful and 50% said they were better.
very useful. Overall, respondents were pleased with the high
quality, accuracy and usefulness of the materials and had, as a result,
incorporated the knowledge into their practices. Almost 50% said that
the handbooks had made some improvements to the better detection,
intervention and management of victims exposed to family violence and
at least 20% said that the handbooks had contributed quite a lot
to these three types of improvements.107
A five-year follow-up evaluation to the Abuse Prevention in Long
Term Care Project
(Health Canada),108 a cross-country effort to train trainers
to raise awareness and education on abuse prevention in long-term care
facilities, showed that this training had both immediate and long-term
success in raising awareness and education and is still in demand for
use as a companion training tool to new provincial legislation; as part
of in-service and orientation training programs within health and social
service-oriented education programs; and as part of presentations and
workshops.
Case study evaluations of handbooks for professionals and other
service providers on family violence topics, prepared by the Department
of Justice Canada are generally positive. The Handbook on Criminal Harassment,
produced in 1999, was a follow-up to the creation of the new offence of
criminal harassment in the Criminal Code in 1993 and its strengthened
amendments in 1997. It provides police and Crown prosecutors with guidelines
to assist them in investigating and prosecuting criminal harassment cases
and to promote an integrated and uniform approach to dealing with this
crime. The handbook was very highly rated by those who responded to a
feedback survey. Highest ratings are for the clarity of the document.
One third of respondents strongly agreed that the handbook is easy to
understand. Nine in ten agreed or strongly agreed that the overall quality
of the handbook is excellent. About 87% of respondents
40
Year Five Report
agreed that the overall quality was excellent. The family violence awareness
training kit, The Silence is Deep, produced by the Métis National
Council of Women, Inc. with the support of Department of Justice Canada,
Department of Canadian Heritage, Health Canada and Status of Women Canada
is a source of culturally appropriate effective, family violence intervention
information for Aboriginal communities and service providers.
Multi-faceted Public Education and Awareness Strategies to Inform Canadians
From 1997/98 to 2001/02, the Family Violence Initiative undertook and
supported a range of activities to raise public awareness of family violence
issues. At the national level, the
Statistics Canada series, Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile,
has become one of the Family Violence Initiatives major public education
tools, with extensive media coverage.
The Department of National Defence included family violence issues in
its Strengthening the Forces Campaign, an educational initiative focussing
on healthy lifestyles. The department also developed and distributed a
booklet, Canadian Forces Communities: Working Together to Prevent Family
Violence (Department of National Defence in collaboration with the National
Clearinghouse on Family Violence, Health Canada).
Department of Justice Canada provided support to Public Legal Education
organizations across the country to update and print booklets, brochures
or posters in languages in addition to English and French. These products
include Caring for Children110 and Abuse is Wrong in Any Language.111
Two key studies have suggested ways to improve the quality of and access
to public information materials, including balancing national and locally
relevant content; enhancing sensitivity to diversity issues; addressing
a range of forms of abuse and focussing on the positive aspects of taking
action and the use of effective presentation.112
Engaging the community in public awareness of family violence
The Family Violence Initiative also supported a range of community-driven
projects that have raised public awareness of family violence. This included
support for community demonstration or pilot projects, workshops and conferences
aimed at education and increasing public awareness, and the development
of guidebooks, community-based research and other resources (Department
of Canadian Heritage, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Department of
Justice Canada, Health Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Status of
Women Canada). Although most information on the effectiveness of these
activities is anecdotal, there is wide agreement among stakeholders that
such activities contribute to raised awareness, to partnership development
and capacity building, and to sustaining community momentum for action.
Year Five Report
41
The importance of community engagement as a public awareness strategy
is underscored by the work of the Department of Canadian Heritages
public awareness initiative carried out in partnership with ethnic broadcasters
across Canada. An evaluation113 of this initiative found that
it had produced outstanding results, notably:
A series of 97 original television programs and 174 radio programs
about healthy families and family violence prevention produced in Montreal,
Toronto and Vancouver for 48 ethnic/linguistic communities. The television
programs were aired 502 times and the radio programs were aired 261 times.
An award winning multilingual public service announcement (PSA),
Violence hurts us all, was produced by Rogers CFMT, Canadas
largest multilingual television station in partnership with the Shield
of Athena, Montreal. Rogers produced the PSA in 14 languages and distributed
it to 30 ethnic broadcasters and specialty channels across Canada. In
the nine months following production, the PSA had a minimum of 600 showings
by CFMT and 1,500 showings by key ethnic broadcasters across the country.
This resulted in an estimated 3 million viewers.
This initiative has had further positive spin-offs. Social service organizations,
including womens shelters, police and ethnic groups continue to
request the tapes for use in training. Six ethnic groups and one multi-ethnic
group have asked the Peoples Law School (Vancouver) to provide 18
seminars on a variety of family violence topics as a result of the schools
involvement in this public education initiative. These efforts have also
helped to improve community capacity to address family violence114
and underscored the evaluation findings that prevention messages for ethnocultural
communities are most effective when they are community specific, in the
first language of each community and when people who are known and respected
by the community deliver them. Ethnic media are an effective way to reach
specific communities and overcome the suspected denial factor concerning
the occurrence of family violence that persists in some communities. The
communication strategy, partnership approach and lessons learned from
this initiative can be used by other federal departments as a successful
way to reach beyond linguistic and cultural barriers when delivering sensitive
messages and information and is in keeping with the Department of Canadian
Heritages commitment to oversee cross-government implementation
of the Multiculturalism Act.
Citizenship and Immigration Canadas orientation resources and
educational materials continue to help newcomers understand Canadian values,
laws and societal expectations and to understand that family violence
in all its forms is against the law. The Canadian Orientation Abroad Program
for prospective newcomers also includes information on Canadas Charter
of Rights and Freedoms and highlights information on womens and
childrens rights.
42
Year Five Report
In 1996, the Immigration and Refugee Board updated Guidelines on Women
Refugee Claimants Fearing Gender-Related Persecution. These guidelines
provide for the protection of women who fear persecution, including fear
resulting from severe discrimination on grounds of gender or from acts
of violence at the hands of private citizens where the state is unwilling
or unable to provide adequate protection.
Canadas new Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, proclaimed
on June 28, 2002 reduces the sponsorship duration for spouses, common-law
and conjugal partners from 10 to 3 years to address concerns that domestic
violence is aggravated by the dependency implied by sponsorship. The Act
will also help to prevent domestic violence by banning individuals who
have been convicted of a sexual or domestic violence offence from serving
as a sponsor for a period of five years after completion of their sentence.
The new legislation also requires the department to report annually to
Parliament on gender impacts of the Act, which may provide future opportunities
for the government of Canada to assess progress in addressing violence
against immigrant and refugee women in Canada.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, through its community policing work
in Aboriginal communities, continues to increase awareness of family violence
in partnership with the communities it serves. In collaboration with the
Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada, the RCMP prepared a review of
family violence in Aboriginal communities.115 This partnership
is now focussing on the implementation of a National Action Plan and includes
a focus on raising public awareness.
Insights: Increased public awareness of family violence issues and reduced
tolerance for family violence
- Canadians continue to express the need for more information about
the warning signs for various
types of family violence, statistics on fa mily violence, and informa
tion about av ailable resources.116
- M ulti-faceted efforts to increase public awareness are having an
effect on public awareness of family violence issues and are contributing
to reduced tolerance for family violence in Canadian society.
Nationally driven efforts aimed at specific audiences, such
as professionals and at the general population, and community-driven
efforts, which engage community members in the design,
development and delivery of pub lic aw areness messag es are importa
nt.
At the community-level, working w ith comm unity members
to find and implement the most appropriate ways to reach intended pop
ulations increases effectiveness.
Prevention m essages for ethnocultural com munities are
most effective when they are community specific, in the first language
of each community and w hen people who are know n and respected
by th e com mun ities deliver them.
- Ethnic media are an effective way to reach large numbers of people
within ethnocultural communities and overcome the denial factor, because
they make the prevention message comm unity-specific and they broadcast
in the first lan guages of the communities.
Year Five Report
43
EXPECTED RESULT: REDUCED OCCURRENCE OF FAMILY VIOLENCE
Performance Expectations
Since its inception, the Family Violence Initiative has had a steady
focus on the implementation of an intersectoral, multidisciplinary approach
that will, over time, contribute to reduced occurrence in family violence
in Canada. Over the past five years, it was expected that the Family Violence
Initiative would continue to make steady, incremental progress toward
this overarching Key Result through the Family Violence Initiatives
efforts to realize effective, efficient and coordinated federal policy
development and programming on family violence issues, enhance prevention
and improve community responses to family violence as well as enhance
the implementation of community activities, increase public awareness
and reduce societal tolerance of family violence.
Performance Results
The Family Violence Initiative continues to make significant steps in
reducing occurrence of family violence. Over the past five years, together,
all of the Family Violence Initiative activities helped to raise public
awareness of family violence; improve the national information base; create
and ensure access to knowledge, tools and resources; and implement specific
reforms, programs and other measures to strengthen the justice and housing
systems response. Although it is not always possible to isolate
the impact of the federal investment, this five-year summary clearly indicates
that cumulatively, the federal investment is making a difference in Canadas
capacity to address this issue, from community to national levels. At
the same time, it is widely recognized that reducing occurrence of family
violence in Canada will take time and will continue to be a long-term,
incremental process requiring ongoing federal investment.
Insights: Reduced occurrence of family violence
- Overall, the performance results of the Family Violence Initiative
are moving in the positive direction of change. A t the same time, the
resu lts point to further w ork on public aw areness, prevention, and
coordina tion as continuing priorities.117
- Ongoing efforts in all of the above areas and particularly in ways
that will better address the
needs of specific populations, living circumstances and contexts are
needed.
44
Year Five Report
MOVING FORWARD: THE ROAD AHEAD
Issues and Challenges
The Family Violence Initiative the key element of the federal
strategy to address family violence in Canada remains on a steady
track and, according to survey findings, has continuing relevancy to Canadians.118
This Year Five Report shows that the Family Violence Initiative met its
performance expectations for the reporting period. As a result, there
have been advancements in the creation of an increasingly coordinated,
collaborative approach to family violence.
Horizontal management remains an appropriate orientation for the governments
activity on the issue. However, there is need to refine the horizontal
management process to ensure optimal efficiency and effectiveness and
to improve collective accountability for results. Efforts to create better
linkages with related federal initiatives, strategies and programs should
continue. Performance reporting and evaluation information is also needed
to refine the Family Violence Initiative strategy.
Although the Year Five Report clearly shows that progress has been made,
family violence continues to exact a heavy toll on Canadian individuals,
families and communities, and it continues to impose a high economic cost
on Canadian taxpayers. With increased knowledge about the dynamics and
consequences of family violence, new issues of concern have emerged
relating to the various forms, contexts and consequences of family violence.
This in turn reinforces the need to focus even more intensely on factors
that contribute to the problem and on effective strategies to prevent
and respond to it. The abuse and neglect of children, for example, as
well as the myriad consequences of childrens exposure to family
violence, are today seen as being of even greater concern than was the
case in the past.
Considerations Regarding Specific Populations
One of the most pressing challenges is finding ways to address family
violence issues in ways appropriate to the experiences, circumstances
and needs of Canadas diverse population and communities. The Family
Violence Initiative will continue to focus its attention on the unique
needs and circumstances of specific populations. The results of the past
five years underscore the need to address the family violence issues of
concern to Aboriginal peoples, people living in rural and remote communities,
persons with disabilities and ethnocultural populations. Diversity is
recognized as one of Canadas strengths and there is commitment to
building a stronger, more inclusive society.119 It is also
appreciated that Canadian communities whether distinguished by
geography, ethnocultural background or physical abilities face
diverse challenges and have very distinct needs.120
Year Five Report
45
Objective and Expected Results of the Next Phase
It is recognized that investment in families and children strengthens
Canadian society.121 This is why the federal government
through the Family Violence Initiative and related strategies has
been a key player in initiating and supporting efforts to address family
violence, an issue that erodes the integrity of the most basic unit of
Canadian communities the family.
The objective of the next phase is to:
# reduce the occurrence of family violence in Canadian Society.
The Family Violence Initiative will build on earlier accomplishments
and lessons learned. Given that aspects of the problem identified as requiring
attention are already reflected in the Family Violence Initiatives
base documents,122 the core activities, objective and strategy
of the Family Violence Initiative will be maintained over the next phase.
Expected Results
The Family Violence Initiative will continue to measure its achievements
according to the following Key Results:
- effective, efficient and coordinated federal policy development and
programming on family violence issues;
- enhanced prevention of and improved community response to family violence
and development and implementation of community activities to reduce
family violence; and
- increased public awareness of and reduced tolerance for family violence.
These will ultimately lead to a reduction in the occurrence of family
violence.
Strategy
The Family Violence Initiative proposes to meet its objective by continuing
to:
- enhance awareness;
- strengthen the ability of the criminal justice, housing, and health
systems to respond; and
- build on the knowledge base through data collection and research.
46
Year Five Report
While social services are a provincial responsibility, it is notable that
the social service sector accounts for the largest clientele seeking tools,
information and resources developed and/or disseminated by the National
Clearinghouse on Family Violence. The Family Violence Initiative will
continue to support the vital family violence prevention work of social
service providers through such means as resource development (e.g., training
manuals, inter-agency protocols, literature reviews).
Links
to Federal Themes and Priorities
Proposed
activities of the Family Violence Initiative are consistent with current
themes and priorities outlined in key government visioning and planning
documents: “Feeling secure in our homes and on our streets [is]
a fundamental right of Canadian citizenship...”
;
“...focussing on prevention
as much as punishment,...”
;
“...[helping] Canadians make their urban and rural communities safe,
liveable and self-sustaining”
;
“...[ensuring] that families are given the support they need for
the healthy development of their children”
;
“...[striving] to ensure that, wherever possible, [the Government
of Canada’s] actions and programs are coordinated....”
Departmental Responsibilities
Family Violence Initiative member department mandates for the next phase
are summarized in the chart below.
Family
Violence Initiative Member Departments and their Mandates |
Canada
Mortgage and Housing Corporation delivers the Shelter Enhancement
Initiative to provide funding for repairs and enhancements and in
certain circumstances provides capital funding for new emergency
shelters and second- stage housing.
Canadian
Heritage supports prevention projects for Aboriginal women
off-reserve and prevention activities for non-English/French speaking
Canadians and conducts research and evaluation activities.
Citizenship
and Immigration Canada promotes awareness of family violence
issues through citizenship and immigration policies and programs.
Correctional
Service of Canada addresses offender family violence issues
through research, treatment programs and staff training.
Health
Canada carries out research on the population health consequences
of family violence, develops resources and promotes policies, programs
and projects that contribute to family violence prevention. Serving
as the FVI secretariat, Leadership/Coordination
staff in Health Canada oversee the collection of information to
support reporting; facilitate horizontal activities in partnerships
among FVI departments and with other federal initiatives, provinces,
territories and NGOs; and maintains records of decisions and accomplishments.
National
Clearinghouse on Family Violence collects, develops, and
disseminates, toprofessionals and the public, knowledge gainedfrom
data collection, departmental research and theNCFVs own resource
development activities. Itprovides access to a comprehensive range
ofprofessional resources, referrals and an extensivebibliographic
reference collection. |
Human
Resources Development Canada collects and disseminates data
and research findings on abused and/or vulnerable children, assists
victims of abuse in changing identities, and supports the development
of transition homes.
Indian
Affairs and Northern Development Canada funds First Nations
emergency shelters, community-based projects on family violence
and projects on prevention, intervention, treatment and research.
Recognizing the needed services in First Nations communities, it
will take steps to meet the service requirements of these communities.
The
Department of Justice Canada reviews, researches and reforms
criminal legislation and policy, funds community-based family violence
projects, and provides public legal education and information support
on family violence issues.
The
Department of National Defence promotes awareness of family
violence issues, supports programming aimed at the stressors often
associated with family violence and provides support, counselling
and referral services for members and families who are victims of
family violence.
The
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
supports community-based workshops on victims’ issues, sexual
assault, and relationship violence, and assists communities in using
problem-solving approaches to family violence and delivers training
to its members.
Statistics
Canada works to improve the availability of national level
data on the nature andextent of family violence.
Status
of Women Canada supports initiatives thatlead to systemic
changes and alternative, long-termprevention strategies. |
Horizontal Management Approach: A Renewed Emphasis on Collaboration
Addressing family violence issues in a diverse and changing society
requires an organized, methodical approach. With a view to effective and
efficient programming and policy development, the value of a horizontally
managed and coordinated federal response continues to be recognized.
In 2000, the Auditor Generals report concluded that departments
participating in a horizontally managed Family Violence Initiative must
work together toward an overall objective and adopt a common vision for
success.128 Given that the issue of family violence is multi-faceted
and relevant to a wide variety of sectors in Canadian society, an integrated
and collaboratively organized response continues to be a prerequisite
to maximizing the effectiveness of the Family Violence Initiative.
The model established by the current Family Violence Initiative, as
captured through its Accountability Framework and Reporting Framework,
is recognized as one of the very earliest and most useful examples of
horizontal management. Those frameworks have been used as templates by
other Canadian initiatives and in fact by other countries of the world.
As the concept and practice of horizontal management have progressed,
a continuing need to refine the process, methods and tools has also been
recognized.
Over the next phase, the Family Violence Initiative will revitalize
its approach to horizontal management, moving beyond information-sharing
and networking to a greater emphasis on collective activity to produce
resources and results that reflect multi-departmental input and collaboration.
The Family Violence Initiative will work to expand multi-departmental
representation on a variety of coordinating and collaborative committees.
Such representation will add value within individual projects, avoid duplication
of effort, and nurture cross-fertilization of knowledge.
Each Family Violence Initiative member department will continue to carry
out activities specific to its own mandate. At the same time, all will
strive to maximize the benefits of horizontal management. Mechanisms that
will be considered include the following:
Development of mechanisms to enhance interdepartmental coordination
of research, evaluation and information-gathering activities
Development of information and data base management systems as
a foundation for a more sophisticated, ongoing process of information-sharing
among FVI members
Year Five Report
49
Regularization of mechanisms to ensure sharing of information on
activities carried out by member departments (e.g., regular and more frequent
meetings of the Interdepartmental Working Group, regular interdepartmental
electronic bulletins, periodic newsletters published by the National Clearinghouse
on Family Violence)
Improved interdepartmental activities for the coordination of
public information dissemination via conferences and the National Clearinghouse
on Family Violence, such as:
- Implementation of new and systematic mechanisms to obtain interdepartmental
guidance of and input to the content of NCFV publications
- Mechanisms to ensure one-stop shopping for Canadian information
on family violence
Development of selected multi-departmental projects
Development and implementation of more effective federal inter-initiative
collaboration (e.g., with the National Strategy on Community Safety and
Crime Prevention and the National Homelessness Initiative).
The Family Violence Initiative will advance collaboration with potential
partners and place renewed emphasis on strengthening existing links, including
those with provincial and territorial governments. Provincial and territorial
governments make an important contribution to efforts to reduce the occurrence
of family violence. The Interdepartmental Working Group will meet annually
with its provincial and territorial counterparts at the working level.
As well, Family Violence Initiative member departments will seek further
opportunities to work with relevant provincial and territorial partners
through formal federal-provincial-territorial fora (for example, through
meetings of the Ministers Responsible for Seniors) in the interest of
collaborating on various projects. They will also, where appropriate,
liaise bilaterally with selected provincial and territorial Ministries.
For example, Health Canada will expand its efforts to liaise with Ministries
of Health to promote recognition of family violence as a health issue.
Given the added emphasis on the family violence concerns related to
special populations (Aboriginal people, people living in rural and remote
communities, people with disabilities and ethnocultural populations),
the Family Violence Initiative will strengthen ties with national and
community-based organizations that represent those specific populations,
with the view to increase partnerships. These efforts will entail interdepartmental
collaboration, especially involving Family Violence Initiative members
with a special interest in these issues.
Since its establishment, the National Clearinghouse on Family Violence
has formed valuable partnerships (e.g., with affiliates of the Canadian
Health Network and with the National Film Board) to facilitate the dissemination
of research findings and other information on behalf of the Family Violence
Initiative. It will strengthen partnerships with the federal departments
on whose behalf it functions. As mentioned above, the Family
50
Year Five Report
Violence Initiative will establish mechanisms to facilitate ongoing member
department input to and guidance of National Clearinghouse on Family Violence
activities. Steps will be taken to increase use of the NCFV by all Family
Violence Initiative member departments as a vehicle for dissemination
of their publications related to family violence. The NCFV advisory committee
comprised of federal, provincial and territorial government officials
and representatives of NGOs will be revived, to ensure that the
NCFV has access to advice from external partners.
The challenges of horizontally managing an initiative that spans 12
very distinct departments are amplified by the fact that horizontal management
still remains largely in its infancy and there are no tested guidebooks
to follow. While not all of the steps suggested above may be developed
to perfection over the coming five years, the Family Violence Initiative
expects to make significant progress and learn valuable lessons for the
benefit of other multidepartmental initiatives.
Considerations for Continual Improvement and Responding to Diversity
While the Year Five Report confirms the continued relevance of the Family
Violence Initiative, it has also pointed to areas of core activities requiring
enhanced concentration to improve the operations and efficiencies of the
Family Violence Initiative.
The Family Violence Initiative will work to increase its responsiveness
to the diversity of the Canadian population by continuing to seek opportunities
to address the family violence concerns and needs of special populations
through programming, research and data collection.
The National Clearinghouse on Family Violence Dissemination
The National Clearinghouse on Family Violence will continue to build
on its success in response to the increasing demands of its clients and
the evolving opportunities for diversified dissemination through an electronic
platform. The Family Violence Initiative will regularly review NCFV operations
to ensure that it continues to provide leading edge products and services
and that it does so in the most effective and cost efficient fashion possible.
The public awareness research and evaluation presented in this Year
Five Report points to the need to refine information dissemination strategies
for particular audiences, especially within specific population sectors
and professional groupings. New ways of extending the reach of dissemination
tools will be developed. The Family Violence Initiative will also guard
against the fragmentation of federal government sources of information
on family violence. The NCFV will enhance its position as a single source
for one-stop shopping for information on family violence.
Year Five Report
51
Accountability and Reporting
In keeping with contemporary Treasury Board requirements regarding formats
and standards for reporting and accountability procedures, the Family
Violence Initiatives Accountability Framework and Reporting Framework
will be replaced with a Results-based Management and Accountability Framework
(RMAF). Appropriate reporting time lines will be established in consultation
with central agencies.
Evaluation
Family Violence Initiative member departments which receive funding
through the ongoing $7 million additional allocation will evaluate, with
portions of that funding, department-specific initiative programming.
As well, the Family Violence Initiative will evaluate selected interdepartmental
activities. This requirement and the evaluation strategy will be specified
in the RMAF.
Reconfiguration of Activities
One of the purposes of this Year Five Report, as specified when the
Family Violence Initiative was approved in 1996, is to recommend
whether a reconfiguration among activities is required to address what
may have emerged as priorities/gaps after five years. The review
and planning which Family Violence Initiative members have carried out
together in preparing this Year Five Report leads to the conclusion that,
for many sound reasons, a reconfiguration of activities would not be appropriate
at this time. Those reasons include the facts that member departments
act on the basis of given and appropriate mandates that will not change,
that there have been no indications that the activity being carried out
under those mandates is inappropriate or non-productive in addressing
family violence, and that there is no expectation of additional funding
for this Family Violence Initiative in the immediate future.
With regard to the related question of resource allocation, however,
the information on performance and the results of evaluations for the
19972002 period show that, with increased funding beyond the current
$7 million allocated to seven departments, the Family Violence Initiative
could have broader coverage and reach. The possibility of seeking additional
funding may be considered in the course of the next phase, depending on
the nature of productive developments and the enhancement to the business
case that may result.
In the meantime, the Family Violence Initiative will partially address
the needs identified in interdepartmental discussions through cooperative
cost-sharing arrangements between member departments. Discussions for
this purpose will be concluded in the near future so as to support projects
of mutual benefit.
52
Year Five Report
APPENDIX A
Family Violence Initiative: Coordination Mechanism, 19972002
Federal: Interdepartmental
Family Violence Initiative Directors General Steering Committee
Supports, advises and gives direction to the Interdepartmental
Wo rking Group
Family Violence Initiative Interdepartmental Working Group
Mana ges the Family Violence Initiative
Family Violence Initiative Interdepartmental Evaluation Working Group
Coordinates reporting requirements for the Family Violence
Initiative
Ad hoc Groups
Family Violence Initiative Interdepartmental Research Working Group
Coo rdinates the Fam ily Violence Initiative research ac
tivities
Family Violence Initiative Public Awareness Research Group
Deve lops and implements research strategy for Fam ily Violence
Initiative Key R esults
Family Violence Initiative Interdepartmental Child Abuse Working Group
Identifies common areas of interest and develops joint plans
Some departments also have coordinating mechanisms for their respective
activities. In addition, member departments of the Family Violence Initiative
address related issue activities through mechanisms such as the Interdepartmental
Working Group on Female Genital Mutilation, the Federal-provincial-territorial
Working Gro up o n New Id entities for Victim s in Life-threa tening Relation
ships (NIVA) , an d the Metropo lis Project.
Family Violence Initiative: Federal-provincial-territorial Mechanisms
Fed eral-provincial-territorial Ad Hoc Working Groups
- Add ress issues of mutual conc ern (e.g. criminal law reform , national
data collection, p ublic awareness) (established as required) for example,
the Ad Hoc Federal-Provincial-Territorial Working Gro up Reviewing Spousal
Abuse Po licies and Legislations mandate is to review the status
and effects of the spousal abuse police charging and prosecutorial policies
implemented across the country since 1983, as well as review a num ber
of pro posed legislative reforms.
Family violence issues intersect with and are addressed through many
other FPT mechanisms associated with other strategies and initiatives
and thro ugh FPT ministerial mechanisms such as m eetings of m inisters
responsible for sector or population specific issues, including the Status
of Women, Justice, and Health.
Other M echanisms that include External Members
National Clearinghouse on Family Violence Advisory Committee
Advises NCF V on strategic direction
National Mu lticulturalism Program Family Violence Advisory Committee
- Led b y the Department of Ca nadian H eritage, advises and assists
in the delivery of Multiculturalism
Program family violence prevention activities for ethnocultural communities
Departments consult and partner with a range of external players and
frequently establish working
com mittees.
Year Five Report
53
54 Year Five Report
1. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family Violence
in Canada: A Statistical
Profile 2000, edited by Valerie Pottie Bunge and Daisy Locke (Ottawa:
Statistics Canada, Canadian
Centre for Justice Statistics, 2000, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), p.11.
2. N. Trocmé, D. W olfe, Child Maltreatment in Canada: Selected
Results from the Canadian Incidence
Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (Ottawa: Minister of Public
Works and Government
Services Canada, 2001), pp. 11-13, 22.
3. N. Trocmé, D. W olfe, Child Maltreatment in Canada: Selected
Results from the Canadian Incidence
Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (Ottawa: Minister of Public
Works and Government
Services Canada, 2001), p. 19.
4. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family Violence
In Canada: A Statistical
Profile, 2002, edited by Catherine Trainor (Ottawa: Statistics Canada,
Canadian Centre for Justice
Statistics, 2002, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), p. 27.
5. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family Violence
in Canada: A Statistical
Profile 2001, edited by Catherine Trainor and Karen Mihorean (Ottawa:
Statistics Canada, Canadian
Centre for Justice Statistics, 2001, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), p. 29.
6. For ease of reference, the departments, agencies and corporations are
collectively referred to as
departments in this report. All of the above, except the Department of
National Defence, which rejoined
the Family Violence Initiative in 1998/99, are signatories to the Family
Violence Initiative
Accountability Framework and to the Reporting Framework established in
1997/98.
7. The other areas of focus are improving women’s economic status
and achieving social justice.
8. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family Violence
in Canada: A Statistical
Profile, 2002, edited by Catherine Trainor (Ottawa: Statistics Canada,
Canadian Centre for Justice
Statistics, 2002, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), pp. 8-9. In addition, because
women experience more severe,
injurious and frequent violence than men, there may also be a higher tendency
among women to report
to police than among men.
9. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family Violence
in Canada: A Statistical
Profile 2000, edited by Valerie Pottie Bunge and Daisy Locke (Ottawa:
Statistics Canada, Canadian
Centre for Justice Statistics, 2000, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), p.11.
10. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family
Violence In Canada: A Statistical
Profile, 2002, edited by Catherine Trainor (Ottawa: Statistics Canada,
Canadian Centre for Justice
Statistics, 2002, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), p. 7.
11. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family
Violence in Canada: A Statistical
Profile 2002, edited by Catherine Trainor (Ottawa: Statistics Canada,
Canadian Centre for Justice
Statistics, 2002, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), p. 6.
12. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family
Violence in Canada: A Statistical
Profile 2002, edited by Catherine Trainor (Ottawa: Statistics Canada,
Canadian Centre for Justice
Statistics, 2002, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), p. 7.
Year Five Report 55
13. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family
Violence in Canada: A Statistical
Profile 2002, edited by Catherine Trainor (Ottawa: Statistics Canada,
Canadian Centre for Justice
Statistics, 2002, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), p. 8.
14. Statistics Canada, “Homicides: 2001,” The Daily, September
25, 2002.
15. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family
Violence in Canada: A Statistical
Profile 2002, edited by Catherine Trainor (Ottawa: Statistics Canada,
Canadian Centre for Justice
Statistics, 2002, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), p. 9.
16. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family
Violence in Canada: A Statistical
Profile 2002, edited by Catherine Trainor (Ottawa: Statistics Canada,
Canadian Centre for Justice
Statistics, 2002, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), p. 9.
17. Statistics Canada, “Homicides: 2001,” The Daily, September
25, 2002. In 2001, police classified a total
of 183 homicides as family-related (52 more than in 2000). The 2001 figures
are only slightly higher
than the average of 175 family-related homicides per year from 1991 to
2000.
18. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family
Violence in Canada: A Statistical
Profile 2002, edited by Catherine Trainor (Ottawa: Statistics Canada,
Canadian Centre for Justice
Statistics, 2002, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), p. 11.
19. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family
Violence In Canada: A Statistical
Profile, 2002, edited by Catherine Trainor (Ottawa: Statistics Canada,
Canadian Centre for Justice
Statistics, 2002, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), p. 10.
20. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, “National
Trends in Intimate Partner
Homicides, 1974–2000,” Juristat, Valerie Pottie Bunge (Ottawa:
Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for
Justice Statistics, 2002, Cat. No. 85-002-X1E) 22:5, p. 10.
21. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family
Violence In Canada: A Statistical
Profile, 2002, edited by Catherine Trainor (Ottawa: Statistics Canada,
Canadian Centre for Justice
Statistics, 2002, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), p. 34.
22. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family
Violence In Canada: A Statistical
Profile, 2002, edited by Catherine Trainor (Ottawa: Statistics Canada,
Canadian Centre for Justice
Statistics, 2002, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), p. 34.
23. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family
Violence In Canada: A Statistical
Profile, 2002, edited by Catherine Trainor (Ottawa: Statistics Canada,
Canadian Centre for Justice
Statistics, 2002, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), p. 36.
24. N. Trocmé, D. W olfe, Child Maltreatment in Canada: Selected
Results from the Canadian Incidence
Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (Ottawa: Minister of Public
Works and Government
Services Canada, 2001), p. 19.
25. N. Trocmé, D. W olfe, Child Maltreatment in Canada: Selected
Results from the Canadian Incidence
Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (Ottawa: Minister of Public
Works and Government
Services Canada, 2001), pp. 11-13, 22.
56 Year Five Report
26. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, “Children
W itnessing Family Violence,”
Juristat Mia Dauvergne and Holly Johnson (Ottawa: Statistics Canada, Canadian
Centre for Justice
Statistics, 2000, Cat. No. 85-002-X1E) 21:6, p. 3.
27. Health Canada, Dating Violence and Dating Abuse: Information from
the National Clearinghouse on
Family Violence (Ottawa: Health Canada, forthcoming). See also Helene
Berman and Yasmin Jiwani, In
the Best Interests of the Girl Child: Phase II Report, January 2002; and
Yasmin Jiwani et al. Violence
Prevention and the Girl Child: Final Report, December 1999.
28. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family
Violence In Canada: A Statistical
Profile, 2002, edited by Catherine Trainor (Ottawa: Statistics Canada,
Canadian Centre for Justice
Statistics, 2002, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), p. 27.
29. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family
Violence In Canada: A Statistical
Profile, 2002, edited by Catherine Trainor (Ottawa: Statistics Canada,
Canadian Centre for Justice
Statistics, 2002, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), p. 29.
30. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family
Violence In Canada: A Statistical
Profile, 2002, edited by Catherine Trainor (Ottawa: Statistics Canada,
Canadian Centre for Justice
Statistics, 2002, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), p. 29.
31. Department of Justice Canada, Spousal Abuse: A Fact Sheet from the
Department of Justice Canada.
Available on-line: http://Canada.justice.gc.ca/en/ps/fm/spouseafs.html.Department
of Justice Canada,
Child Abuse: A Fact Sheet from the Department of Justice Canada. Available
on-line:
http://Canada.justice.gc.ca/en/ps/fm/childafs.html. Health Canada, Woman
Abuse: Information from the
National Clearinghouse on Family Violence (Ottawa: Health Canada, 2002).
Available on-line:
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ncfv-cnivf/familyviolence/femabus_e.html.
32. Department of Justice Canada, Spousal Abuse: A Fact Sheet from the
Department of Justice Canada.
Available on-line: http://Canada.justice.gc.ca/en/ps/fm/spouseafs.html.
33. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family
Violence in Canada: A Statistical
Profile 2001, edited by Catherine Trainor and Karen Mihorean (Ottawa:
Statistics Canada, Canadian
Centre for Justice Statistics, 2001, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), pp. 28-29.
34. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family
Violence in Canada: A Statistical
Profile 2001, edited by Catherine Trainor and Karen Mihorean (Ottawa:
Statistics Canada, Canadian
Centre for Justice Statistics, 2001, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), p. 29.
35. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family
Violence in Canada: A Statistical
Profile 2001, edited by Catherine Trainor and Karen Mihorean (Ottawa:
Statistics Canada, Canadian
Centre for Justice Statistics, 2001, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), pp. 30-31.
36. Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, Gathering Strength: Report
of the Royal Commission on
Aboriginal Peoples, Vol. 3 (Ottawa: Supply and Services, 199 6).
37. Statistics Canada, data tabulations using 2001 Census and OECD definition
of “rural.”
38. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family
Violence in Canada: A Statistical
Profile (Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 1998).
Year Five Report 57
39. Bridget Rivers-Moore, Family Violence Against Women with Disabilities:
Information from the
National Clearinghouse on Family Violence (Ottawa: Health Canada, 1993).
40. Dick Sobsey, Violence and Abuse in the Lives of People with Disabilities:
The End of Silent Acceptance
(Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., 1994).
41. Department of Justice Canada, Spousal Abuse: A Fact Sheet from the
Department of Justice Canada.
Available on-line: http://Canada.justice.gc.ca/en/ps/fm/spouseafs.html.
42. The Task Force on the Health Effects of Woman Abuse, The Health Effects
of Woman Abuse: The
Routine Universal Com prehensive Screening (RUCS) Protocol (London, Ontario:
Middlesex-London
Health Unit, 2000).
43. Department of Justice Canada, National Crime Prevention Centre, Personal
Security Issues Concerning
Women and Girls. Available on-line:
http://www.prevention.gc.ca/en/library/publications/fact_sheets/security/personE.pdf
Department of
Justice Canada, National Crime Prevention Centre, Policy Framework for
Addressing Personal Security
Issues Concerning Women and Girls. Available on-line:
http://www.prevention.gc.ca/en/library/publications/women/policy/index.html.
44. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family
Violence In Canada: A Statistical
Profile, 2002, edited by Catherine Trainor (Ottawa: Statistics Canada,
Canadian Centre for Justice
Statistics, 2002, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), p. 14.
45. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family
Violence In Canada: A Statistical
Profile, 2002, edited by Catherine Trainor (Ottawa: Statistics Canada,
Canadian Centre for Justice
Statistics, 2002, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), p. 15-16.
46. United Nations, Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women. Health
Consequences of Violence
Against Women, edited by Angela Hawke (Italy: UNICEF Innocenti ResearchCentre,
2000).
47. Health Canada, Responding to Abuse during Pregnancy - Information
from the National Clearinghouse
on Family Violence (Ottawa: Health Canada, 2001).
48. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family
Violence In Canada: A Statistical
Profile, 2002, edited by Catherine Trainor (Ottawa: Statistics Canada,
Canadian Centre for Justice
Statistics, 2002, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), p. 38. See also J. Latimer, The
Consequences of Child
Maltreatment: A Reference Guide for Health Practitioners. (Ottawa: Health
Canada, 1998). Available
on-line: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ncfv-cnivf/familyviolence/html/nfntsconsequencevio_e.html,
and M. Suderman and P.
Jaffe, A Handbook for H ealth and Social Service Providers and Educators
on Children Exposed to
Woman Abuse/Family Violence (Ottawa: Minister of Public Works and Government
Services Canada,
1999).
49. N. Trocmé, D. W olfe, Child Maltreatment in Canada: Selected
Results from the Canadian Incidence
Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (Ottawa: Minister of Public
Works and Government
Services Canada, 2001), p. 28.
50. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family
Violence In Canada: A Statistical
Profile, 2002, edited by Catherine Trainor (Ottawa: Statistics Canada,
Canadian Centre for Justice
Statistics, 2002, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), pp. 30-31.
58 Year Five Report
51. T. Day, The Health-Related Costs of Violence Against Women in Canada:
The Tip of the Iceberg
(London, Ontario: Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children,
1995); L. Greaves et
al., Selected Estimates of the Costs of Violence Against Women (London,
Ontario: Centre for Research
on Violence Against Women and Children, 1995); R. Kerr and J. M cLean,
Paying for Violence—Some
of the Costs of Violence Against Women in B.C. (British Columbia Ministry
of Women’s Equality,
1996).
52. L. Greaves et al., Selected Estimates of the Costs of Violence Against
Women (London, Ontario: Centre
for Research on Violence Against Women and Children, 1995)
53. EKOS Research Associates, Public Attitudes Toward Family Violence:
A Syndicated Study. Final
Report (Ottawa: EKOS Research Associates, 2002).
54. EKOS Research Associates, Public Attitudes Toward Family Violence:
A Syndicated Study. Final
Report (Ottawa: EKOS Research Associates, 2002).
55. SPR Associates, Inc., Family V iolence Initiative Environmental Scan.
(Toronto, 2002 revised version
September 16, 2002). Prepared under contract to Health Canada, on behalf
of the Family Violence
Initiative.
56. SPR Associates, Inc., Family V iolence Initiative Environmental Scan.
(Toronto, 2002 revised version
September 16, 2002). Prepared under contract to Health Canada, on behalf
of the Family Violence
Initiative.
57. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family
Violence In Canada: A Statistical
Profile, 2002, edited by Catherine Trainor (Ottawa: Statistics Canada,
Canadian Centre for Justice
Statistics, 2002, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), p. 18.
58. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family
Violence In Canada: A Statistical
Profile, 2002. Edited by Catherine Trainor (Ottawa: Statistics Canada,
Canadian Centre for Justice
Statistics, 2002, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), p. 18.
59. SPR Associates, Inc., Family V iolence Initiative Environmental Scan.
(Toronto, 2002 revised version
September 16, 2002). Prepared under contract to Health Canada, on behalf
of the Family Violence
Initiative.
60. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family
Violence In Canada: A Statistical
Profile, 2002, edited by Catherine Trainor (Ottawa: Statistics Canada,
Canadian Centre for Justice
Statistics, 2002, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), pp. 13-14.
61. SPR Associates, Inc., Family V iolence Initiative Environmental Scan.
(Toronto, 2002 revised version
September 16, 2002). Prepared under contract to Health Canada, on behalf
of the Family Violence
Initiative.
62. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family
Violence In Canada: A Statistical
Profile, 2002, edited by Catherine Trainor (Ottawa: Statistics Canada,
Canadian Centre for Justice
Statistics, 2002, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), p. 18.
63. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family
Violence in Canada: A Statistical
Profile 2001. Edited by Catherine Trainor and Karen Mihorean (Ottawa:
Statistics Canada, Canadian
Centre for Justice Statistics, 2001, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), p. 30.
Year Five Report 59
64. SPR Associates, Inc., Family V iolence Initiative Environmental Scan.
(Toronto, 2002 revised version
September 16, 2002). Prepared under contract to Health Canada, on behalf
of the Family Violence
Initiative.
65. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family
Violence In Canada: A Statistical
Profile, 2002, edited by Catherine Trainor (Ottawa: Statistics Canada,
Canadian Centre for Justice
Statistics, 2002, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), p. 18.
66. Federal, Provincial and Territorial M inisters Responsible for Social
Services, In Unison: A Canadian
Approach to Disability Issues (Ottawa: Human Resources Development Canada,
1998),
http://socialunion.gc.ca/pwd/unison/unison_e.html.
67. SPR Associates, Inc., Family Violence Initiative Environmental Scan
(Toronto, 2002 revised version
September 16, 2002). Prepared under contract to Health Canada, on behalf
of the Family Violence
Initiative.
68. SPR Associates, Inc., Family Violence Initiative Environmental Scan
(Toronto, 2002 revised version
September 16, 2002). Prepared under contract to Health Canada, on behalf
of the Family Violence
Initiative.
69. SPR Associates, Inc., Family Violence Initiative Environmental Scan
(Toronto, 2002 revised version
September 16, 2002). Prepared under contract to Health Canada, on behalf
of the Family Violence
Initiative.
70. Department of Justice Canada. Child Abuse: A Fact Sheet from the Department
of Justice Canada.
Available on-line: http://Canada.justice.gc.ca/en/ps/fm/childafs.html.
71. Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Gathering Strength; Canada’s
Aboriginal Action Plan. Available
on-line: http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/gs/index_e.html.
72. Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family
Violence In Canada: A Statistical
Profile, 2002, edited by Catherine Trainor (Ottawa: Statistics Canada,
Canadian Centre for Justice
Statistics, 2002, Cat. No. 85-224-X1E), p. 31.
73. David W olfe, Canadian Family Violence Statistics 2002: A Discussion
Paper on Current Findings,
Gaps and Future Directions. Unpublished discussion paper for the Family
Violence Initiative, 2002.
Canadian Family Violence Statistics 2002. SPR Associates, Inc., Family
Violence Initiative
Environmental Scan (Toronto, 20 02 revised version September 16, 2002).
Prepared under contract to
Health Canada, on behalf of the Family Violence Initiative.
74. Consulting and Audit Canada, Horizontal Management Issues Study. Prepared
for the Family Violence
Initiative Working Group, Health Canada (Ottawa: Health Canada, 2002),
p. 3.
75. Office of the Auditor General of Canada, “Managing Departments
for Results and Managing Horizontal
Issues for Results,” Report of the Auditor General of Canada —
December 2000, chapter 20. (Ottawa:
Office of the Auditor General of Canada, 2000). This chapter is based
on case studies of horizontally
managed initiatives, including the Family Violence Initiative.
60 Year Five Report
76. Consulting and Audit Canada, Horizontal Management Issues Study. Prepared
for the Family Violence
Initiative Working Group, Health Canada (Ottawa: Health Canada, 2002)
and Office of the Auditor
General of Canada, “M anaging Departments for Results and Managing
Horizontal Issues for Results,”
Report of the Auditor General of Canada — December 2000, chapter
20. (Ottawa: Office of the Auditor
General of Canada, 2000).
77. Department of Justice Canada, Evaluation Division. Summary of Evaluation
Studies and Performance
Information on the Department of Justice Component of the Interdepartmental
Family Violence
Initiative—Final Report. (Ottawa: 2002).
78. EKOS Research Associates, Public Attitudes Toward Family Violence:
A Syndicated Survey—Final
Report (Ottawa: Ekos Research Associates, 2002).
79. An International Project Team is developing and coordinating this
survey. It includes representatives
from UNICRI (the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research
Institute), HEUNI (the
European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control) and Statistics Canada.
80. For example, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has undertaken
a research program funded
through provisions of the National Housing Act to explore issues that
directly or indirectly relate to
family violence and homelessness. For example, published studies that
directly relate include: Children
and Youth in Homeless Families: Shelter Spaces and Services; Enhancing
Transition Shelters through
Renovations: Case Studies; and Documentation o f Best Practices addressing
Homelessness. Research
studies indirectly related to family violence included studies on Cases
and Conditions Contributing to
Family Homelessness and Approaches to Addressing Family Homelessness;
Effects of Urban
Aboriginal Residential Mobility.
81. Status of Women Canada supported the Alliance of Five Research Centres
on Violence to develop a
national strategy to address violence prevention and the girl child. An
in-depth description of the
research, its findings and recommendations are presented in the Alliance
report entitled In the Best
Interests of the Girl Child (January 2002). Status of Women Canada’s
Policy Research Fund supports
independent, nationally relevant policy research. Six publications on
issues of violence have been
supported; they addressed such topics as young women and homelessness
in Canada, trafficking in
women (the Canadian dimension), custody and access disputes, and access
to justice for abused
immigrant women in New Brunswick.
82. N. Trocmé, D. W olfe, Child Maltreatment in Canada: Selected
Results from the Canadian Incidence
Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (Ottawa: Minister of Public
Works and Government
Services Canada, 2001).
83. Child Welfare in Canada 2000, released May 2002.
84. SPR Associates, Inc. Family Violence Initiative Environmental Scan
(Toronto, 2002 revised version
September 16, 2002). Prepared under contract to Health Canada, on behalf
of the Family Violence
Initiative.
85. Research on such topics as civil legislation relating to domestic
violence (the results of this study are
being applied to the development of civil legal policies concerning violence
in Manitoba); sexual
exploitation of youth; as well as the viability of second-stage housing.
Health Canada,
Innovation/Knowledge Development: Alliance for Research Centres on Family
Violence Policy
Development among NGO’s and all Levels of Government (Ottawa: Health
Canada, 2002). Case study
commissioned on behalf of the Family Violence Initiative.
Year Five Report 61
86. Initially funded by the Family Violence Initiative in 1992. Janet
Currie, Evaluation of the Domestic
Violence Program (Ottawa: Health Canada, 2001).
87. Catherine Swift, The Family Violence Initiative Contribution to Community
Capacity Building through
Community-based Programming to Reduce Family Violence (Ottawa: Health
Canada, 2002).
88. Catherine Swift, The Family Violence Initiative Contribution to Community
Capacity Building through
Community-based Programming to Reduce Family Violence (Ottawa: Health
Canada, 2002).
89. Quoted in Catherine Swift, The Family V iolence Initiative Contribution
to Community Capacity
Building through Community-based Programming to Reduce Family Violence
(Ottawa: Health Canada,
2002). The network was originally funded through Health Canada; the 2001
evaluation was funded
through the Family Violence Initiative.
90. Department of Canadian Heritage, Aboriginal Women’s Program
Family Violence Initiative Evaluation
Study—Final Report (Ottawa: Department of Canadian Heritage, 2002).
91. Learning Circle participant, quoted in Department of Canadian Heritage.
Aboriginal Women’s Program
Family Violence Initiative Evaluation Study—Final Report.
92. This includes financial assistance for the construction and acquisition
of shelters and second-stage
housing under the Non-Profit Housing Programs of the National Housing
Act, and, since the late 198 0s,
through programs such as Project Haven, Next Step, and most recently,
the Shelter Enhancement
Program which also provides funding for repairs and improvements in existing
shelters and second-stage
housing.
93. Since 1999, through the National Homelessness Initiative (led by Human
Resources Development
Canada), an additional $43 million was provided to the SEP over four years
(1999/00 to 2002/03) to
expand support for shelters and second-stage housing for youth escaping
family violence situations. The
reported commitment was partially funded through the National Homelessness
Initiative’s enhancement
to the SEP . In addition, CMHC provided funding from its own resources.
94. SPR Associates, Inc., Shelter Enhancement Program Evaluation (Ottawa:
Canada Mortgage and
Housing Corporation, 2002). Note that this evaluation was completed in
2001 covering the period from
1995/96 to 2000/01 and does not include data from the 2001/02 fiscal year
of SEP program activity.
95. This information is based on inspections that used the standards for
the rental and rooming house
Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program as the basis for assessment.
96. The actual number of accessible shelters has doubled since 1994 from
146 to 305 shelters; this included
an increase from 44% in 1993/94 to 64% in 1997/98 to 68% in 1999/2000.
New shelters have been
designed for wheelchair accessibility; improvements in wheelchair accessibility
are a high priority for
the future.
97. This estimate includes additional repairs and enhancements for shelters
that have received SEP funding
in the past; it does not include additional repairs that might arise in
future years or increasing costs of
repairs over time related to inflation or any escalating costs associated
with delayed repairs and/or
deteriorating conditions.
98. D. Kraus et al., Environmental Scan on Youth Homelessness, Final Report
(Ottawa: Canada Mortgage
and Housing Corporation, 2001) p. 3. As cited in SPR Associates, Inc.,
Evaluation of the Youth
Component of the Shelter Enhancement Program (Ottawa: Canada Mortgage
and Housing Corporation,
2002).
99. SPR Associates, Inc., Evaluation of the Youth Component of the Shelter
Enhancement Program
(Ottawa: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, 2002).
100. For example, one shelter created usable space in a basement area
that could be used for a new skills
training program with funding for staff from Human Resources Development
Canada programs. Another
shelter used SEP funding for improvements that enabled them to meet municipal
community care
funding to hire more staff and improve their services for clients. Another
shelter used SEP funding in
combination with Indian and Northern Affairs Canada funding and provincial
solicitor general funding
to cover different aspects of its services.
101. See earlier references to the the Ad Hoc Federal-Provincial-Territorial
Working Group Review Spousal
Abuse Policies and Legislation. Research includes assessing the impact
of 1994 peace bond reforms;
collecting data from the Family Violence Court (Ottawa) to obtain demographic
information and
processing variables for approximately 500 cases; examining spousal homicide
trends through the
analysis of Statistics Canada data; and examining child victimization
data that provides information on
the extent of offences involving children, victim and accused characteristics
and case outcomes in terms
of dispositions and sentences.
102. Abuse is Wrong in Any Language (1995); Stalking is a Crime Called
Criminal Harassment (1996) and
Peace Bonds (1996).
103. This included the Iowa Department of Correction; Her Majesty’s
Prison Service in the United Kingdom
and consultations with the British Columbia Ministry of Corrections. Consultation
with the Ontario
Ministry of Corrections and Victims’ Services will take place in
fall 2002.
104. Topics included relationship violence; abuse of older adults; sexual
assault; shaken baby syndrome;
bullying; crisis intervention; trauma, grieving, victims issues; court
support; and suicide prevention.
105. Between 1999/2000 and 2001/02, approximately 180 officers and social
workers were trained in the
Sexual Assault Investigators Course.
106. Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research, Five
Year Performance Review of the
National Clearinghouse on Family Violence (Ottawa: Health Canada, April
2002).
107. Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research, Effectiveness
of Handbooks in
Addressing Issues of Family Violence (Ottawa: Health Canada, March 2002).
108. Health Canada, Evaluation of the Abuse Prevention in Long Term Care
Project (Ottawa: Health Canada,
March 2002).
109. Department of Justice Canada, Evaluation Division Summary of Evaluation
Studies and Performance
Information on the Department of Justice Component of the Interdepartmental
Family Violence
Initiative—Final Report (Ottawa: 2002).
110. Available in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.
111. Available in Hungarian, Serbian, Czech, and Romanian in addition
to English, French, Chinese, Punjabi,
Spanish, Albanian. The brochure is also available in Braille and on audio-cassette.
112. Department of Justice Canada, Evaluation Division (August 13, 2002)
Summary of Evaluation Studies
and Performance Information on the Department of Ju stice Component of
the Interdepartmental Family
Violence Initiative—Final Report which summarizes the findings a
PLEI needs assessment Department
of Justice Canada. Public Legal Education (PLEI) Family Violence Materials
Needs Assessment Report
and the Review of Effectiveness of the Department of Justice Canada Public
Legal Education
Publications.
113. Department of Canadian Heritage, Evaluation of the Fam ily Violence
Initiative—Multiculturalism
Program. Final Report (Ottawa).
114. Catherine Swift, The Family Violence Initiative Contribution to
Community Capacity Building through
Community-based Programming to Reduce Family Violence (Ottawa: Health
Canada, 2002).
115. Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada, Family Violence in Aboriginal
Communities: A Review
(2001).
116. EKOS Research Associates, Public Attitudes Toward Family Violence:
A syndicated Study—Final
Report, (Ottawa: EKOS Research Associates, 2002).
117. EKOS Research Associates, Public Attitudes Toward Family Violence:
A syndicated Study—Final
Report, (Ottawa: EKOS Research Associates, 2002).
118. EKOS Research Associates, Public Attitudes Toward Family Violence:
A Syndicated Study – Final
Report (Ottawa: EKOS Research Associates, 2002).
119. Speech from the Throne, January 30, 2001, http://www.sft-ddt.gc.ca.
120. Speech from the Throne, 2001.
121. Office of the Prime M inister, www.pm.gc.ca.
122. Family Violence Initiative Interdepartmental Accountability Framew
ork, 1997.
123. Speech from the Throne, 2001.
124. Speech from the Throne, 2001.
125. Liberal Party of Canada, The Liberal Plan (Ottawa: Liberal Party
of Canada, 2000),
http://www.liberal.ca/
126. Office of the Prime M inister, The Canadian Way in the 21st Century,
2000, www.pm.gc.ca.
127. Speech from the Throne, 2001.
128. Office of the Auditor General of Canada, “Managing Departments
for Results and Managing Horizontal
Issues for Results” Report of the Auditor General of Canada, 2000.
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