A Focus on Family Violence in Canada

Nor do they all measure the same types of family violence.7,8 Emotional abuse and neglect are the most difficult types to measure because they are hard to define and identify.7,9 Family violence is difficult to measure:7,10-20 • Police and child welfare data only capture incidents that come to the attention of authorities. [...] For this report, family violence includes violence, abuse, unhealthy conflict or Healthy families are the backbone of strong and neglect by a family member toward a productive individuals, communities and societ- family member that has the potential to ies.21-25 They come in many shapes and sizes and lead to poor health. [...] About 23% of women and men experienced physical abuse in childhood and 18% of women and almost 8% of men said they had experienced sexual abuse in childhood.84-86 Beliefs that discriminate against women and children, that sup- port violence and that lead to power and control issues in relationships are some reasons why women and children are at high risk for experiencing violence.69 In Canada, add [...] Included in this violence is a mix of individual, family, social, report are the following sections: community and societal factors.e.g., 87-89 The • Impacts on Canadians explores the extent of complexity of family violence has made it difficult family violence in Canada and its impacts on to develop effective ways to prevent it. [...] Co-workers can also be being reluctant to seek help.234 affected by people experiencing intimate partner violence, most often by being stressed or con- cerned about the situation.244 A FOCUS ON FAMILY VIOLENCE IN CANADA 19 Factors that affect the health Frequency and severity of abuse: There is impacts of family violence evidence that the more types of abuse experi- enced or the more severe and fr