Alberta No. 3 in domestic violence
Women living in rural areas at greater risk
Women living in rural areas at greater risk
Albertans continue to report an alarming number of domestic violence incidents to police, but a new study indicates the territories - alongside Saskatchewan and Manitoba - have the highest rates in the country.
The Statistics Canada family violence report published Tuesday also reveals a divide between rural and urban areas. Canadians - more often than not women - living outside of the country's major cities are more likely to experience violence in their romantic relationships or at the hands of family members, according to police reports filed in 2010.
Among the provinces, Alberta ranks third after Saskatchewan and Manitoba, while Ontario has the lowest rates of police-reported family violence in the country.
The study notes that between 2000 and 2010, 245 Alberta deaths were classified as a family homicide - compared with 236 in more populous British Columbia.
Trailing only Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Alberta had the highest rate of family homicides (calculated per one million people).
This isn't the first time Alberta's high levels of domestic violence have commanded attention.
Aside from police reports, Statistics Canada said in 2008 Alberta women have the highest rates of self-reported spousal violence across the 10 provinces.
Calgary has lower rates of police-reported domestic violence than Edmonton, the only other Alberta city that was analyzed.
Alberta Justice Minister Jonathan Denis said the province's Safe Communities crime reduction programs, along with a number of private initiatives, are helping to prevent and stop domestic abuse.
Denis said his department doesn't know why the province continually sees higher domestic violence numbers, but it may be because Alberta has better reporting on incidents.
Still, the minister said it's an issue everyone needs to take seriously.
"If this is disproportionately a problem in rural Alberta, that's something we'll have to look at," Denis said in an interview Tuesday.
Jan Reimer, executive direc-tor of the Alberta Council of Women's Shelters, said it's difficult to say why the numbers are higher outside of the major cities.
She said Edmonton and Calgary shelters are more often full. "Women's shelters in Edmonton and Calgary just don't have the capacity to meet the need," Reimer said.
Liberal MLA Laurie Blakeman said Alberta's economic policies set many victims up for returning to a violent partner. She said the Tory government doesn't put enough emphasis on boosting minimum wages or supporting unions that help women hold onto stable employment.
"She just can't make it, so she goes back."
Blakeman added domestic violence rates might be higher in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta due to the "Western mentality" and the high number of First Nations communities.
"Violence on First Nations is absolutely through the roof," Blakeman said.
Overall the 107-page Statistics Canada study, which looks at police data collected in 2010, found women are more than twice as likely to be beaten as men, and are more likely than men to be killed because of their partner's jealousy.
The report also found the Western provinces consistently recorded the highest rates of family violence against seniors, "without exception."
The Statistics Canada family violence report published Tuesday also reveals a divide between rural and urban areas. Canadians - more often than not women - living outside of the country's major cities are more likely to experience violence in their romantic relationships or at the hands of family members, according to police reports filed in 2010.
Among the provinces, Alberta ranks third after Saskatchewan and Manitoba, while Ontario has the lowest rates of police-reported family violence in the country.
The study notes that between 2000 and 2010, 245 Alberta deaths were classified as a family homicide - compared with 236 in more populous British Columbia.
Trailing only Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Alberta had the highest rate of family homicides (calculated per one million people).
This isn't the first time Alberta's high levels of domestic violence have commanded attention.
Aside from police reports, Statistics Canada said in 2008 Alberta women have the highest rates of self-reported spousal violence across the 10 provinces.
Calgary has lower rates of police-reported domestic violence than Edmonton, the only other Alberta city that was analyzed.
Alberta Justice Minister Jonathan Denis said the province's Safe Communities crime reduction programs, along with a number of private initiatives, are helping to prevent and stop domestic abuse.
Denis said his department doesn't know why the province continually sees higher domestic violence numbers, but it may be because Alberta has better reporting on incidents.
Still, the minister said it's an issue everyone needs to take seriously.
"If this is disproportionately a problem in rural Alberta, that's something we'll have to look at," Denis said in an interview Tuesday.
Jan Reimer, executive direc-tor of the Alberta Council of Women's Shelters, said it's difficult to say why the numbers are higher outside of the major cities.
She said Edmonton and Calgary shelters are more often full. "Women's shelters in Edmonton and Calgary just don't have the capacity to meet the need," Reimer said.
Liberal MLA Laurie Blakeman said Alberta's economic policies set many victims up for returning to a violent partner. She said the Tory government doesn't put enough emphasis on boosting minimum wages or supporting unions that help women hold onto stable employment.
"She just can't make it, so she goes back."
Blakeman added domestic violence rates might be higher in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta due to the "Western mentality" and the high number of First Nations communities.
"Violence on First Nations is absolutely through the roof," Blakeman said.
Overall the 107-page Statistics Canada study, which looks at police data collected in 2010, found women are more than twice as likely to be beaten as men, and are more likely than men to be killed because of their partner's jealousy.
The report also found the Western provinces consistently recorded the highest rates of family violence against seniors, "without exception."
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