Vis-a-vis - Spring 1996 - National Clearinghouse on Family Violence

Vis-à-vis, Spring 1996, Volume 13, Number 2: A National Newsletter on Family Violence
Canadian Council on Social Development

WORKING TOGETHER

News from the Family Violence Prevention Division (FVPD), Health Canada

by Barbara Merriam National Clearinghouse on Family Violence (NCFV)

Youth violence is an issue of concern for individuals, families, organizations and governments across Canada. There is an increasing recognition of the link between witnessing or experiencing abuse in families and committing violence. By working collaboratively, communities, organizations and governments can support both prevention and intervention programs to break the cycle of violence.

The NCFV has just released a series of new publications related to the prevention, intervention and treatment of family violence, including the prevention of youth violence.

An Examination of the Association Between Histories of Maltreatment and Adolescent Risk Behaviours, by Ian Manion and Susan Kaye Wilson. This report describes a study that examined the association between adolescent risk behaviours and five forms of childhood and adolescent maltreatment (physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, exposure to wife abuse, and emotional abuse).
Combining Voices: Supporting Paths of Healing in Adult Female and Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse and Combining Voices: Directory of Services for Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse, companion documents prepared by the Canadian Foster Family Association. The former introduces some of the research findings, issues, concepts, and controversies pertaining to the support and care of adult female and male survivors of sexual abuse. The latter provides a descriptive listing of Canadian programs available for these adults.
When Teenage Boys Have Been Sexually Abused and When Teenage Girls Have Been Sexually Abused, two booklets prepared by the Vancouver-Richmond Incest and Sexual Abuse Centre (VISAC) of Family Services of Greater Vancouver are written for teenagers who have been sexually abused.
Making a Decision to Care: Guys and Sexual Assault, a bilingual booklet by Fred Mathews, Central Toronto Youth Services. This booklet is for teen males who have committed a sexual offence or are thinking about doing it, and the professionals working with them.
Dating Violence, a revised fact sheet by Katharine Kelly. It introduces the issue of date violence, provides definitions of abuse, describes the extent of the problem and outlines possible causes.
The Impact of Violence on Mental Health: A Guide To The Literature, by Janice Ristock. This guide provides a systematic, descriptive overview of the breadth of literature on the mental health effects of violence. It examines the concepts of mental health and violence and the important role of health and mental health professionals.

As well, the Clearinghouse continues to work closely with the National Film Board of Canada to add new titles to our joint audiovisual collection and to increase the number of distribution sites across Canada.

Activities funded under the Family Violence Initiative

Programme d'intervention auprès des jeunes contravenants auteurs d'abus sexuels
With funding from Health Canada, the Centre d'intervention en violence et abus sexuels (CIVAS) de l'Estrie (Sherbrooke, Quebec) will evaluate its treatment program for adolescent sexual offenders. The program is committed to reintegrating offenders into the community and reducing the rate of recidivism. It is modelled after a similar program offered by the Institut Louis-Philippe Pinel in Montréal. For further information, contact: Josée Rioux
CIVAS de l'Estrie
C.P. 161
Sherbrooke, QC, J1H 5H8
Tel: (819) 564-5127, fax: 564-5049
Overcoming Violence in the Family: A Program for High Risk Youth
The John Howard Society of Ottawa is producing and testing training materials to assist professionals (e.g., teachers) and parents in helping adolescents who have been exposed to family violence and who exhibit delinquent behaviour or are likely to come into conflict with the law. This is the second phase of a Health Canada funded project aimed at minimizing the effects of exposure to interparental violence or abuse by parents in order to break the cycle of family violence. The original service models are described in two manuals, Overcoming Violence in the Family: Program Manual for Young Men Who Have Witnessed Violence in the Family and Program Manual for Young Women Who Have Witnessed Violence in the Family, that are available from the sponsoring organization. For further information, contact:
Dr. Marilyn Van Dieten
John Howard Society of Ottawa
550 Old St. Patrick Street
Ottawa, ON, K1N 5L5
Tel: (613) 789-7418, fax: 789-7431
Reports on the Costs of Violence Against Women
With funding from Status of Women Canada, the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women and Health Canada, the Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children (London, ON) produced two landmark research reports entitled Selected Estimates of the Costs of Violence Against Women and The Health-Related Costs of Violence Against Women in Canada: The Tip of the Iceberg. In four policy areas (social services and education, health and medicine, criminal justice, and labour and employment) the costs of violence against women are estimated at more than $4.2 billion annually. Copies of these reports are available from:
Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children
100 Collip Circle, Suite 240
UWO Research Park
London, ON, N6G 4X8
Tel: (519) 858-5033, fax: 858-5034
Resource Documents on Sibling Abuse Two resource documents on sibling abuse were recently released with the help of funding from Health Canada. The first, entitled Sibling Sexual Abuse: A Guide for Parents, was prepared by VISAC for distribution through the National Clearinghouse on Family Violence. Pre-test Report of the Frequency, Severity and Patterning of Sibling Violence in Canadian Families: Causes and Consequences is the first Canadian sociological study of violence between siblings. It was prepared by:
Desmond Ellis and Walter DeKeseredy
of the Lamarsh Research Centre on
Violence and Conflict Resolution
York University
North York, ON, M3J 1P3
Tel: (416) 736-2100, Ext. 22031
fax: 736-5512

For materials on family violence, contact:
National Clearinghouse on Family Violence
Health Promotion and Programs Branch
Health Canada
1st Floor, Finance Building
Postal Locator: 0201A1
Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa K1A 1B4
Tel.: (613) 957-2938
Toll-free: 1-800-267-1291
Fax (613) 941-8930
TDD: (613) 952-6396
TDD Toll-free: 1-800-561-5643
Resource Centre Internet Catalogue Access:
Telnet to: National Clearinghouse on Family Violence 198.53.18.21
login:hc1
userid:ncfv
no password required
Health Canada Library:
interlibrary loan: (613) 957-1545
access information: (613) 957-1547

The URL for this document is: http://www.ccsd.ca/v_ncfv.html

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