Alberta's Prevention of Family Violence and Bullying Initiative
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. Exposure to family violence was the second most common form of maltreatment accounting for 23% of all substantiated cases in Alberta in 20033.
Family violence and bullying have devastating social, health and economic consequences for families, communities and society. That is why the Government of Alberta continues to take strong action against it.
In this section:
- Alberta Roundtable: Finding Solutions Together
- Taking Action: Report to Albertans
- A Cross-Ministry Approach: ICFVB
- International Policy Forum
- World Conference (2005)
The 2004 report, Alberta Roundtable on Family Violence and Bullying Finding Solutions Together, is the Government of Alberta’s Strategy for the Prevention of Family Violence and Bullying. This strategy supports the Government of Alberta’s priority to reduce crime and promote strong, safe and vibrant communities.
The Alberta Roundtable on Family Violence and Bullying was held on May 7, 2004 in Calgary. Over 3,500 Albertans participated in the Roundtable process and challenged us to work with them to put an end to family violence and bullying. Its goal was to develop recommendations for an action plan to address family violence and bullying in Alberta. The report, Finding Solutions Together, was developed by government, based on what was heard during the Roundtable. It outlines key areas for action and long-term objectives, and highlights activities that are currently underway or in development with community partners. There are five key areas for action in the report: social change; provincial leadership; a collaborative, coordinated community response; services and supports; and accountability.
Download the report (pdf) High resolution (3.7 MB)
Download the report (pdf) Low resolution (.4 MB)
The 2008 Taking Action on Family Violence and Bullying: Report to Albertans highlights priority recommendation implemented since the Roundtable and how government and communities have been working to address family violence and bullying.
Some highlights from the last four years include: amending the Protection Against Family Violence Act to provide better support to victims of family violence, increasing funding to women’s shelters (from $15 million in 2004-2005 to more than $25 million in 2008-09) and implementing the Provincial Family Violence Program including eight domestic violence courts, counseling for mandated offenders, enforcement and supervision of court orders, and community co-ordination and victim supports.
We made a commitment to Albertans in 1984 with the creation of the Interdepartmental Committee on Family Violence (ICFV) and renewed that commitment in 2004 with the Alberta Roundtable on Family Violence and Bullying.
Nine partnering ministries are working together to provide a coordinated provincial response to the prevention of family violence and bullying in Alberta.
- Children and Youth Services (coordination lead)
- Aboriginal Relations
- Education
- Employment and Immigration
- Health and Wellness, including Alberta Health Services (formerly AADAC and Alberta Mental Health Board)
- Housing and Urban Affairs
- Justice and Attorney General
- Seniors and Community Supports
- Solicitor General and Public Security
Partnering ministries continue to implement the five key areas of action in the Strategy for the Prevention of Family Violence and Bullying through shared strategies and in a cross-ministry Action Plan. Read the Cross-Ministry Action Plan 2009-2012. Over $59 million was provided across government in 2008-09 to address family violence and bullying issues.
To carry the momentum forward and build on the recommendations from the World Conference on Prevention of Family Violence 2005, the Government of Alberta, in partnership with the Alberta Centre for Child, Family and Community Research, hosted a Policy Forum to create a common framework for action.
The Policy Forum had over 80 participants integrating experts in the field of family violence, researchers, and policy makers. The objectives of the Policy Forum included:
- discussing the learning from the World Conference on Prevention of Family Violence 2005;
- identifying practical next steps in the prevention of family violence; and
- encouraging and promoting evidence-based practices and outcome-oriented research.
Two key themes emerging from the World Conference were the drivers of the Policy Forum:
- Development of a specialized response to address child maltreatment and family violence.
- Working across jurisdictions and sectors to build networks of effective, coordinated, collaborative responses to family violence.
Each theme was discussed in terms of policy, best practice, and surveillance and research. A summary of these discussions can be found in the Policy Forum Proceedings. To view selected discussions, please see the Policy Forum videos. A list of common terms related to the Policy Forum can be found in the Definition of Policy Forum Terms document.
The World Conference on Prevention of Family Violence held in Banff, Alberta, Canada on October 23-26, 2005 brought together a diverse group of international leaders, researchers, policy and program experts to share promising practice in family violence prevention, intervention, support and follow-up. The presentations focused on:
• primary prevention and intervention services for victim groups
• policy and/or legal frameworks
• new directions in partnership and leadership, and
• linkages between family violence and other social problems.
The topics were categorized into three main streams:
• Knowledge: research excellence and knowledge development
• Practice: strategic direction, innovative prevention partnerships, and promising intervention and treatment practices,
• Impact: demonstrated and/or measurable outcomes validating existing practices and/or pointing to new directions.
The World Conference on Prevention of Family Violence 2005 aimed to heighten global awareness of family violence, strengthen leadership networks and collaborative partnerships, and point the way for a generation free of family violence.
Visit the World Conference on Prevention of Family Violence 2005 webpage.
Read the Summary Report.
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).
3MacLaurin, B., Trocme, N., Fallon, B., McCormack, M., Pitman, L., Forest, N., et al (2005). Alberta incidence study of reported child abuse and neglect, AIS-2003: Major findings. Calgary: University of Calgary.
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.
