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Tumbler Ridge Counselling Services |
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Violence in the Family
Some disturbing statistics:
- 2.65 million women in Canada have been assaulted by a marital partner at some time.
- 9,800 spousal assaults were reported in BC in 1997.
- In 81% of reports the accused was a male.
- In 10% of reports the accused was a female.
- According Statistic Canada (1993), one in four Canadian women were victims of assault by a spouse or partner.
- One in three Canadian women were victims of sexual assault at some time in their lives.
- According to the same 1993 research by Statistics Canada, one in two B.C. women were victims of sexual assault.
- The estimated cost of violence against women in British Columbia is $385 million per year (which includes the costs of policing, transition houses, incarceration, counselling, income assistance).
- If all the costs were added including health care, housing, legal, court costs and lost tax revenues, the monetary cost of violence against women would approach $1 Billion per year in British Columbia.
What is Violence Against Women?
It is any act of violence that results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual, or psychological harm or suffering to women. The most recognizable forms of violence include:
- Physical Assault - such as punching, hitting, kicking, slapping, shoving, choking, using a weapon, withholding medicines or medical treatment, or threatening to do any of the above.
- Sexual Assault - such as forcing any kind of sexual activity on someone without that person's consent, even in marriage.
- Emotional Abuse - such as making a person feel worthless, telling them that they are the problem, that they invite violence or they need psychological help; humiliating them in frount of others; not allowing them to visit friends of family; showing extreme jealousy; depriving someone of their freedom whether in their public or private life.
- Verbal Abuse - such as telling a person that they are stupid; yelling, screaming, name-calling, or using sarcasm and put-downs; threatening to hurt a person.
- Sexual Harassment - such as unwanted and suggestive comments or actions of a sexual nature; slurs, jokes, gestures regarding sexuality; unwanted physical contact; requests for sexual favours.
- Economic Abuse - such as controlling money or stopping a person from getting a job or education.
The Violence Wheel
This chart lets you see the kinds of behavior abusers use to get and keep
control over their partners. Battering is never an accident. It is an
intentional act used to gain control over the other person. Physical abuse is
only one part of a whole series of behaviors an abuser uses against his partner.
Violence is never an isolated behavior. There are other forms of abuse.
This chart uses the wheel as a symbol to show the relationship of physical abuse
to other forms of abuse. Each spoke represents a tactic used to gain control or
power, which is the hub of the wheel. The rim which surrounds and supports the
spokes is physical abuse. It holds the system together and gives the abuser his
strength.
Click here to see the Violence Wheel
Click here to see the Cycle of Violence
Here are some resources with more information:
| A great site with great information on the Domestic Violence Handbook for Women. | |
| Produced by the Government of British Columbia, it is a great site with information how to live without violence, how to prevent violence, how you create change within your workplace and social structures. | |
| Has information on violence within BC, the online version of their Newsletter, and publication materials. |
Other Related Sites:
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| BC Association of Specialized Victim Assistance and Counselling
Programs http://www.islandnet.com/bcasvacp/bcasvacp.html |
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| BC/Yukon Society of Transition Houses http://home.istar.ca/~bcysth |
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| YWCA http://www.7wv.com |
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| Freedom From Fear Campaign, Women's Policy Development Office,
Domestic Violence Prevention Unit http://www.freedomfromfear.wa.gov.au |
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| Agenda for Action, Ontario Women's Directorate http://www.gov.on.ca./owd |
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| Manitoba Women's Directorate, domestic violence prevention campaign http://www.gov.mb.ca/abuse |
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| BC Coalition for Safer Communities http://www.web.net/~bccsc |
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| The National Crime Prevention Centre http://www.crime-prevention.org/english/index.html |
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| Zero Tolerance of Violence Against Women The Corporation of the District of North Vancouver CORPORATE POLICY MANUAL Social and Community Services Planning Social and Community Services Planning, Issues http://www.dnv.org/planning/zero.htm |
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| No Safe Place Violence Against Women Teachers Guide and Videotapes available. http://www.pbs.org/kued/nosafeplace/about/program.html |
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| UNIFEM Campaign on Elimination of Violence Against Women Public Awareness Raising Artistic performances will be organized to promote A Life Free of Violence. http://www.unifem.undp.org/eseasia/VAWCamp/VAWacts.html |
| UNIFEM Global Videoconference - March 8th, 1999: "A World Free of Violence Against Women". http://www.unifem.undp.org/campaign/violence/videocon.htm |
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| SAIP: Related WWW Resources Communities Against Violence Network (CAVNET) information about violence against women, children, persons with disabilities, and gays and lesbians. http://www.cs.utk.edu/~bartley/index/relatedWWWResources |
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| Domestic Violence Magic Stream Domestic Violence: Family Violence Prevention Fund is a national non-profit organization that focuses on domestic violence education, prevention, and public policy reform. http://fly.hiwaay.net/~garson/domest.htm |
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| Special Initiatives Page Special Initiatives Family Violence domestic violence encompasses all acts of violence against women within the context of family or intimate relationships. http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/region4/special.htm |
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| Violence Against Women Web-sites that provide information on Violence Against Women http://www.radix.net/~mschelling/domesticviolence.html |
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| SAIP: Domestic Violence Advocates for Abused and Battered Lesbians (AABL) provides services for lesbians and their children who are or have been victims of domestic violence. http://www.cs.utk.edu/~bartley/index/domesticViolence |
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| WomensWeb An online resource for community groups. They will help organizations build a presence online, specifically related to campaigns an organization may be undertaking. http://community.web.net/womensweb/action/campaign.html |
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| United Nations Violence Against Women http://www.unifem.undp.org |
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| Research Paper The impact of internalized misogyny and violence against women on feminine identity. http://tsicaap.com/internalized-misogyny.shtml |
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| Coalition Against Trafficking in Women http://www.uri.edu/artsci/wms/hughes/catw |
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| FAVNET New Women-Owned/Women-Operated Management FAVNET Feminists Against Violence Network is a fully moderated email list dedicated to ending domestic violence and violence against women through networking and direct action for feminists and pro-feminists women and men within a feminist environment and based on a feminist perspective. http://www.inform.umd.edu/EdRes/Topic/WomensStudies/Computing |
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| Health Aspects of Violence Against Women A Canadian Perspective by Dianne Kinnon and Louise Hanvey, including physical assault, sexual assault, neglect, verbal attacks, insults, threats, harassment and other psychological abuses. http://hwcweb.hwc.ca/canusa/papers/canada/english/violence.htm |
If you have any comments or questions about our this article please feel free to email Russ Webb at trcs@spcs.bc.ca. We appreciate your feedback.
