Professionals
Alberta has one of the highest reported rates of spousal abuse of all provinces in Canada1 yet only 28 per cent of spousal assault victims turn to the police for help2.
Your ability to recognize signs of family violence and respond appropriately can help people affected change the situation. You may even save a life.
In this section:
- Understanding Abuse
- How to Help
- HelpTV
- Alberta Environmental Scan
- Safe Visitation Environmental Scan
- Animal Cruelty
- Women's Emergency Shelter Program
- Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission
- Alberta Elder Abuse Awareness Network
- Safe Canada website
- Materials and Resources
Abuse is a pattern of controlling behaviour. In families, an abusive person can use many tactics to gain power over another family member. Read more
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, phone 911.
- If you suspect a child is being abused, neglected or exposed to family violence phone your local Child and Family Services Authority, the 24-hour Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-387-KIDS (5437) or the police.
- For more information about how you can help someone who is living with family violence, call the 24-hour Family Violence Info Line toll-free at 310-1818.
- What you can do as an individual
- How the law protects people
- The rights of children
Alberta Children and Youth Services and ACCESS TV partnered to produce a HelpTV episode on the prevention of family violence and bullying. The episode aired on Sunday November 23, 2008 at 4:00pm M.S.T. and featured guests from Children and Youth Services, Alberta Education, Prevention of Bullying Youth Committee, the Family Violence Info Line 310-1818 and students from Victoria School of Performing and Visual Arts.
The episode also includes a series of public service announcements developed by Children and Youth Services encouraging Albertans to “speak up for those who are silenced” by family violence. Watch the HelpTV episode. (Uses Windows Media Player.)
Alberta Children and Youth Services and the Alberta Council of Women's Shelters collaborated with RESOLVE Alberta to develop the environmental scan, Programs that Address Domestic and Sexual Violence: What's Working in Alberta? This scan identifies perspectives regarding the services available in Alberta communities for those impacted by family violence.
Alberta Children and Youth Services and Justice and Attorney General collaborated with RESOLVE Alberta to develop the safe visitation environmental scan, Supervised Visitation and Exchange Centres for Domestic Violence: An Environmental Scan. This scan is a valuable resource for jurisdictions considering developing visitation centres in order to safeguard all family members touched by domestic violence and support parents and children in continuing to have positive relationships.
The Alberta Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) has published an updated resource book on animal cruelty and its links to family violence. In a family violence situation, an abusive person may threaten to or actually harm a pet as a method of control.
Read the Alberta SPCA's resource book.
Visit the Alberta SPCA website.
In January 2006, Alberta Children's Services initiated a review of the Women's Emergency Shelter Program. The review, completed in June 2006, aimed to understand the issues, strengths and opportunities facing Alberta's women's emergency shelters and to propose recommendations to strengthen shelters, their partnerships and the program as a whole.
Read the report.
Read the executive summary.
Read the government's response.
Read the news release.
The October 24, 2007 issue of Alberta Human Rights Information Service (AHRIS), the electronic newsletter of the Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission, features the following topics:
- Chief Commissioner of AHRIS' support letter to Elections Canada on their decision allowing Muslims to wear burkas when voting
- Information and applications for the Diversity Leadership Award
Alberta's fastest-growing population is over the age of 65. AEAAN is a province-wide network of Albertans who work to increase awareness about and support a community response to elder abuse. To learn more or to find out how you can help, visit the AEAAN website.
The Government of Canada has developed this website, which features links to information about domestic violence for Aboriginal people, kids, parents, seniors, teachers and youth.
- Healthy Relationships - Information Sheet
- Child Abuse/Children Exposed to Family Violence - Information Sheet
- Women Abused in Intimate Relationships - Information Sheet
- Men Abused by Women in Intimate Relationships - Information Sheet
- Abuse in Same-Sex and LGBTQ* Relationships - Information Sheet
- Preventing Abuse of Older Adults - Information Sheet
- Abuse of Persons with Disabilities - Information Sheet
- Aboriginal Journey to Healing - Information Sheet
Professionals
- Know Your Rights: Alberta's Protection Against Family Violence Act (PAFVA) - Information Sheet
- Creating a Culture of Support: Alberta's Protection Against Family Violence Act (PAFVA) - Information Sheet
- Should you get Involved? - Postcard
- If you call, we can help - Postcard
- What Schools can do about Child Abuse/Children Exposed to Family Violence - Information Sheet
- What Faith Communities can do about Family Violence - Information Sheet
Employers and Co-workers
- Family Violence and the Workplace - Information Sheet
- Family Violence and the Workplace - Booklet
- Prevention of Family Violence and Bullying Calendar (2009)
- Hand Over Mouth: Young Female - Poster
- Hand Over Mouth: Young Male - Poster
- Hand Over Mouth: Aboriginal Female - Poster
- Hand Over Mouth: Métis Male - Poster
- Hand Over Mouth: Adult Female - Poster
- Hand Over Mouth: Immigrant Female - Poster
- Hand Over Mouth: Older Male - Poster
Health Care
- What the Health Care Community can do about Family Violence - Information Sheet
- What the Health Care Community can do about Family Violence - Booklet
- Family Violence "It's Your Business" - Community Resource Guide (2005)
- Health Care Provider - Wallet Cards
- Health Care Client - Wallet Cards
- Hand Over Mouth: Aboriginal Female - Poster
- Hand Over Mouth: Métis Male - Poster
- Hand Over Mouth: Adult Female - Poster
- Hand Over Mouth: Immigrant Female - Poster
- Hand Over Mouth: Older Male - Poster
Translated Resources
- Healthy Relationships - Arabic Information Sheet
- Healthy Relationships - Chinese Information Sheet
- Healthy Relationships - Farsi Information Sheet
- Healthy Relationships - Punjabi Information Sheet
- Healthy Relationships - Spanish Information Sheet
Please see the Materials and Resources webpage for additional publications to order free of charge.
1Measuring Violence Against Women: Statistical Trends (2006). Page 19. Commissioned by the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministries responsible for the Status of Women. Statistics Canada. Minister of Industry (www.statcan.ca/english/research/85-570-XIE/85-570-XIE2006001.pdf).
2Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile (2006). Page 6. Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada. Minister of Industry (www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/85-224-XIE/85-224-XIE2006000.pdf).
*LGBTQ: A commonly used acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, trans-identified, two-spirited and queer identities.
The Family Violence Info Line 310-1818 helps Albertans reach out to individuals and families affected by family violence. Help is available anytime, toll-free provincewide, in more than 170 languages.
