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This edition of the National Clearinghouse on Family Violence (NCFV) E-bulletin focuses on family violence and health. While historically family violence has been understood as a social issue (given the role of front line services in responding to violence, and the interpersonal dimensions of abuse) and as a criminal justice concern (given the criminal nature of the behaviour involved), increasingly violence is seen as a public health problem. Below are examples of how family violence and health intersect, and how the public health approach applies to violence prevention. The NCFV E-bulletin is a quarterly newsletter for those interested in family violence prevention. It is produced by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), on behalf of the Family Violence Initiative (FVI) of the Government of Canada. We want to hear from you – please send your comments and feedback to our editor at: ncfv-cnivf@phac-aspc.gc.ca. 
What is the impact of violence on health? The World Health Organization’s (WHO) World report on violence and health documents some of the health effects of violence. Specifically, the Report indicates that:
The Report also notes that the influence of the abuse can persist long after it has stopped; that the more serious the abuse, the greater its impact on a person’s physical and mental health; and in children and women who experience different and multiple episodes of abuse, the impact appears to be cumulative. All WHO publications and resources, including documents, fact sheets, newsletters, posters and resolutions related to violence and violence prevention, are available at: http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/publications/violence/en/index.html
The Public Health Approach to Family Violence and Violence Prevention In 2002, the World Health Organization released the World report on violence and health. This Report positions family and partner violence as public health issues through highlighting the connections between experiencing abuse and health (see Fast Facts above), and explaining the fit between the public health approach and the problem of violence. In short, the public health approach means using methods that: are population based; emphasize primary prevention; are multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral; and are evidence-based. This feature article illustrates how the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) applies this approach to family violence and violence prevention. In a public health framework, primary prevention-based approaches to family violence aim to prevent violence before it occurs. PHAC’s Centre for Health Promotion administers a number of programs which contribute to preventing family violence. For example:
PHAC’s Family Violence Prevention Unit (FVPU) advances the public health approach to violence prevention. In recognition of the fact that family violence is a complex problem requiring action by a wide range of sectors, PHAC’s FVPU leads and coordinates the federal Family Violence Initiative (FVI), a collaboration of 15 departments, agencies and Crown corporations. The FVI promotes awareness of risk factors of family violence and the need for public involvement in responding to it; strengthens the capacity of the criminal justice, health and housing systems to respond; and supports data collection, research and evaluation on effective interventions. To learn more about the public health approach to violence prevention, visit: http://www.who.int/violenceprevention/approach/public_health/en/index.html
The NCFV offers over 130 publications, including overview papers, reports, discussion papers and handbooks on family violence issues. To preview our most recent publications, please see our What's New page. NCFV publications are available free of charge, in hard copy or online, in English and French and in alternative formats. To order, please visit our Web site or contact us. New in the NCFV:
The NCFV provides an extensive library reference collection, housed in the Health Canada Departmental Library. The following books may be borrowed through an interlibrary loan through your local public, academic or institutional library: Resources on family violence and health: "Adverse health conditions and health risk behaviors associated with intimate partner violence --- United States, 2005" published in: MMWR 57, 05 (8 Feb 2008): 113-117. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2005, 7 p. The body never lies: the lingering effects of cruel parenting, by Alice Miller. New York: W. Norton, 2005, 214 p. British Columbia youth health trends: a retrospective, 1992-2003, by Roger Sheriff Tonkin; McCreary Centre Society. Vancouver, B.C.: McCreary Centre Society, 2005, 35 p. Child maltreatment: a public health issue, by Catherine McCourt, et al. Published in: Health Policy Research Bulletin, issue 9 (September 2004). An effective approach to intimate partner abuse in health care settings: a position statement developed by the Health Committee of the Woman Abuse Council of Toronto, by the Metro Woman Abuse Council (Toronto). Health Committee Toronto: Woman Abuse Council of Toronto, 2005, 3 p. Elder abuse: a public health perspective, by Randal W. Summers & Allan M. Hoffman. Washington, DC: American Public Health Association, 2006, 179 p. Health consequences of abuse in the family: a clinical guide for evidence-based practice, by Kathleen A. Kendall-Tackett.
Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2004, 289 p. Identifying and responding to domestic violence: consensus recommendations for child and adolescent health, by Betsy McAlister Grovesm et al. San Francisco: The Family Violence Prevention Fund, 2004, 94 p. Making the connection: domestic violence and public health, by Linda Chamberlain; Family Violence Prevention Fund. San Francisco: Family Violence Prevention Fund, 2004, 179 p. Preventing injuries and violence: a guide for ministries of health, by the World Health Organization. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2007, 35 p. Raven's children II: aboriginal youth health in B.C., by the McCreary Centre Society (British Columbia). Vancouver, B.C.: McCreary Centre Society, 2005, 53 p. Social work in health and mental health: issues, developments and actions, by Tuula Heinonen & Anna Metteri. Toronto: Canadian Scholar's Press, 2005, 429 p. Surviving in the hour of darkness: the health and wellness of women of colour and indigenous women, by Sophie G. Harding. Calgary: University of Calgary Press, 2005, 350 p. Violence and mental health in everyday life: prevention and intervention strategies for children and adolescents, by Daniel J. Flannery. Lanham, MD: Altamira, 2006, 218 p. WHO multi-country study of women's health and domestic violence: initial results on prevalence, health outcomes and women's responses, by Claudio Garcia-Moreno; World Health Organization Global Programme on Evidence for Health Policy. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2005, 28 p. World report on violence and health, by Etienne G. Krug, World Health Organization. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2002, 346 p. New to the Library Reference Collection: 2008 report card on the status of women in New Brunswick, by Wendy Johnston; New Brunswick Advisory Council on the Status of Women. Fredericton: The New Brunswick Advisory Council on the Status of Women, 2008, 74 p. Acting out: understanding and reducing aggressive behaviour in children and youth, by David A. Wolfe, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (Canada), Toronto : Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 2007, 116 p. 118 Assessing dangerousness: violence by batterers and child abusers, by Jacquelyn C. Campbell, New York : Springer, 2007, 174 p. Battered women and their families: intervention strategies and treatment programs, by Albert R.Roberts, New York: Springer, 2007, 652 p. The bullies: understanding bullies and bullying, by Dennis Lines, London, UK: Jessica Kingsley, 2008, 224 p. Fabricated or induced illness in a child by a carer: a reader, by Christopher Bools, Abingdon, UK: Radcliffe, 2007, 147 p. Growing up resilient: ways to build resilience in children and youth, by Tatyana Barankin and Nazilla Khanlou; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (Canada). Toronto: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 2007, 103 p. Improving children's services networks: lessons from family centres, by Jane Tunstill, Jane Aldgate, and Marilyn Hughes, London, UK: Jessica Kingsley, 2007, 158 p. Media violence and aggression: science and ideology, by Tom Grimes, James A. Anderson, and Lori Bergen, Thousand Oaks, Cal.: Sage, 2008, 278 p. The myth of media violence, by David Trend, Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2007, 145 p. Painting Caitlyn, by Kimberly Joy Peters, Montreal: Lobster Press, 2006, 189 p. People, politics, and child welfare in British Columbia, by Leslie T. Foster and Brian Wharf, Vancouver: UBC Press, 2007, 302 p. Protecting aboriginal children, by Christopher Walmsley, Vancouver: UBC Press, 2005, 192 p. Violence against women: an international perspective, by Holly Johnson, Natalia Ollus, and Sami Nevala, New York: Springer, 2007, 300 p. Working with adult abuse: a training manual for people working with vulnerable adults, by Jacki Pritchard, London, UK: Jessica Kingsley, 2007, 416 p. In collaboration with the National Film Board of Canada, the NCFV offers a vast collection of videos that address family violence. Videos may be borrowed through NFB partner public libraries across Canada or through an interlibrary loan through your local public, academic or institutional library. To obtain a complete list of videos, libraries and distributors, please contact us or vist our online video catalogue. Recent additions to the Video Collection: December 6th - Canada’s National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women Thieves of Innocence
November is: Family Violence Prevention Month in New Brunswick and Alberta: http://www.child.gov.ab.ca/home/834.cfm Woman Abuse Prevention Month in Yukon: http://www.stopviolenceinyukon.ca/ Woman Abuse Prevention Month in Ontario: http://www.citizenship.gov.on.ca/owd/english/resources/dates/prevention/index.shtml Domestic Violence Prevention Month in Manitoba: November 20, 2008 – National Child Day is celebrated every year on November 20th. The theme for National Child Day 2008 is the Right to Protection from Sexual Exploitation, which is reflected in Article 34 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The selection of this theme reaffirms the Government of Canada's commitment to protecting children from sexual exploitation in Canada and abroad. For more information on National Child Day 2008 and the various activities occurring across the country, please visit: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ncd-jne/index-eng.php December 6, 2008 – December 6 is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, marking the anniversary of what came to be known as the Montréal Massacre. On this day, events are held throughout the country to remember the 14 women who were murdered at l'École Polytechnique on December 6, 1989, and to support the development of concrete actions to prevent and eliminate violence against women. For more information, see: http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/dates/dec6/index_e.html November 5 to 7, 2008 – Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment (ODARA) Trainer Training, Penetanguishene, ON November 6 to 7, 2008 – RESOLVE (Research & Education for Solutions to Violence & Abuse) National Research Day 2008, Winnipeg, MB November 7, 2008 – Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment (ODARA) User Training, Penetanguishene, ON November 10 to 11, 2008 – Le Congrès de l’Association des centres jeunesse du Québec, Montreal, QC November 12 to 14, 2008 – ICPC (International Centre for the Prevention of Crime)’s 8th Annual Colloquium on Crime Prevention: Women’s Safety: A Shared Global Concern, Queretaro, Qro. Mexico November 13 to 14, 2008 – Nouvelles pratiques sociales. Le colloque – Le renouvellement démocratique des pratiques d’action et d’intervention sociales, Montréal, QC November 14 to 15, 2008 – The 1st International Conference on Survivors of Rape – A multi disciplinary approach, Aarhus, Denmark November 14 to 17, 2008 – The Power of Movements (World YWCA -- Young Women's Christian Association),Cape Town, South Africa November 16 to 18, 2008 – Family Violence Conference, Edmonton, AB November 17 to 21, 2008 – Ontario Provincial Strategy to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation on the Internet Multi-disciplinary Conference, “Working Together to Protect Kids", London, ON November 19 to 20, 2008 – Child Sexual Abuse: Advances in Specialised Interventions, Victoria, BC November 19 to 21, 2008 – 2008 BC Injury Prevention Conference: “Partnering with the Public for Injury Prevention“, Vancouver, BC November 20 to 21, 2008 – Reaching Out to Vulnerable Families: Achieving Better Outcomes for Children, Melbourne, Australia November 25, 2008 – It’s Not Easy Being a Teen: Pressing Issues Faced by Girls vs. Boys Today, Toronto, ON November 25 to 28, 2008 – World Congress III Against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents, Rio de Janiero, Brazil November 26 to 28, 2008 – 9th International Narrative Therapy and Community Work Conference, Adelaide, South Australia December 3 to 5, 2008 – International conference on homicide: domestic related homicide, Surfers Paradise, Queensland Australia December 7 to 9, 2008 - The Colorado Regional Conference on the Healthcare Response to Domestic Violence, Denver, CO January 12 to 13, 2009 - Establishing Expertise as an Ethical Expert Witness, Austin, TX February 5, 2009 – Rendez-vous Jeunesse « Les services aux jeunes en difficulté », Montréal, QC April 1 to 3, 2009 – XIIème Congrès International de l’Association Internationale de Formation et de Recherche en Éducation Familiale (AIFREF) : Précarités et éducation familiale,Université de Toulouse, Toulouse II-Le Mirail, France April 21 to 23, 2009 – 2009 International Family Justice Center Conference, Costa Mesa, California, USA April 24 to 25, 2009 - Sowing Seeds of Academic Change, Nurturing New Paradigms, Minneapolis, MN April 26 to 29, 2009 – JWI (Jewish Women International)'s Fourth International Conference on Domestic Abuse, Crystal City, Virginia, USA May 13 to 15, 2009 - Bridging Perspectives: Intervening with Men who Batter, Minneapolis, MN, USA May 18 to 20, 2009 – International Conference on Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence & Stalking, Anaheim, CA, USA May 20 to 22, 2009 – Précongrès et congrès 2009 de l’AQESSS (L’Association québécoise d’établissement de santé et des services sociaux), Montréal, QC June 1 to 4, 2009 - The Next National Summit: Exploring Effective Interventions in Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment, Jackson Hole, WY August 23 to 29, 2009 – 5th World Congress on Family Law and Children's Rights, Halifax, NS September 21 to 26, 2009 – 14th International Conference on Violence, Abuse & Trauma,
Beginning this issue, the NCFV E-bulletin invites provincial and territorial partners to highlight their initiatives as well as provide information, updates and other news. ONTARIO To ensure the campaign reaches all of Ontario, there is an Aboriginal adaptation called Kanawayhitowin (www.kanawayhitowin.ca), based on traditional Aboriginal teachings, and a Francophone adaptation called Voisin-es, ami-es et familles (www.voisin-esami-esetfamilles.ca). Campaign materials are also available in 12 other languages. By accessing the websites, communities and the general public can receive, free-of-charge, a broad range of materials, including brochures and safety cards, a training documentary, public service announcements and community action kits. MANITOBA
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
Federal Elder Abuse Initiative The Federal Elder Abuse Initiative is designed to help seniors and others recognize the signs and symptoms of elder abuse and to provide information on what support is available. Activities under the Initiative will be coordinated interdepartmentally and involve the Department of Justice Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, under the leadership of Human Resources and Social Development Canada. In support of the Federal Elder Abuse Initiative, the Department of Justice Canada will dedicate funds over the next two fiscal years for the creation/updating and distribution of brochures on the legal aspects of elder abuse. These resources will be managed under a contract with selected organizations. What Types of Activities will be Considered for Funding? This Call for Proposals will support projects that address the following activities:
To avoid duplication of existing initiatives and resources, proposed activities should build on or adapt existing materials, or develop new resources that address elder abuse. For information about existing resources and initiatives related to the abuse of older adults, please visit the NCFV web site, and provincial, territorial and other web sites related to the abuse of older adults. To submit a proposal, please complete this application form: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ncfv-cnivf/docs/application.doc. Limited funding per project (up to $25,000 over two years, including GST) will be available to support the goals of the Initiative. Undertaking collaborative projects that promote partnerships is encouraged. All activities must be completed by March 31, 2010. Please e-mail your application to fdumas@justice.gc.ca
Introducing Dr. Margaret Malone Dr. Margaret Malone is an Associate Professor at Ryerson University, Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing and co-leads the Nursing Centre for Research and Education on Violence against Women and Children. Her extensive community health nursing experience guides her research, teaching, community work and other related activities. A feminist nurse sociologist and health promotion activist, she has taught health promotion, sociology, women’s studies, and community, urban, population and global health. Dr. Malone was awarded the Ruth Wynn Woodward Post-doctoral Fellowship in Women’s Studies at Simon Fraser University before joining the Ryerson University faculty in 2001. Currently, her research focuses on violence against women and children – locally, nationally and globally – with a special emphasis on diverse, socially isolated, marginalized and at risk populations. In her work, Dr. Malone is developing a health promotion model that encompasses community and global perspectives with a view to encouraging participatory and empowering transformative processes for healthy social change. She has published peer reviewed book chapters, including ‘Violence in Families’ in Community Health Nursing: A Canadian Perspective (2008), and has presented at national and international conferences on violence against women and children. At present, Dr. Malone is involved in several funded research projects on family violence and health. These include:
She is also a member of Prevention of Violence Canada, which is grounded on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) World report on violence and health (2002) and its Preventing Violence (2004) implementation guide. Dr. Malone participates on the Steering Committee and Chairs the workgroup focused on promoting social and gender equality and equity to prevent violence. Organizational Profile: Women’s College Research Institute – Violence and Health Research Program The Women's College Research Institute (WCRI) integrates scientific and humanistic perspectives to research relevant to women's lives. The WCRI Violence and Health Research Program aims to be an international leader in health-based research about violence against women. This program focuses on the impact of violence on women’s health and the health system’s response to women’s needs. Researchers use a multidisciplinary view of health, encompassing psychosocial, biological and environmental determinants. More specifically, the WCRI Violence and Health Research Program aims to:
One of the Institute’s recent projects, commissioned by the WHO, reviews what we know and what we need to know to create sound policy for using medico-legal evidence in sexual assault cases. The report is available on the WHO’s Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) site at: http://www.svri.org/medico.pdf In The Next Edition: The NCFV’s January E-bulletin will focus on intimate partner abuse against men. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Content of the NCFV E-Bulletin is provided as an information-sharing service; inclusion does not represent endorsement by the PHAC or FVI member departments. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * PASS IT ON: Please feel free to forward this E-Bulletin to a friend or colleague. Past bulletins can be viewed and searched on our website. To subscribe or unsubscribe: |
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