BCIFV home > Overview of Family Violence > 9. What services are available in BC?

OVERVIEW OF FAMILY VIOLENCE

CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. What Do We Mean By Family Violence?
3. How Common Is Violence In The Family?
4. Familial Homicide
5. Criminal Harassment (Stalking)
6. Effects Of Family Violence
7. Is All Family Violence Criminal Behavior?
8. Application Of Civil And Legal Remedies
9. What Services Are Available In BC?
10. References
11. Resources

WHAT SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA?

Direct services to many victims of family violence have increased substantially over the past decade as awareness has grown regarding its prevalence and deleterious effects. A number of transition houses for women and children now exist, and some smaller communities have a designated "safe house". In most communities, there is some form of counselling or supportive service for abused women, although providers are not always specially trained and waitlists for services are not unusual.

Anyone having knowledge of a child being abused is required to report their suspicions to the Ministry for Children and Families (in BC), which will then undertake an investigation and, when risk of harm is considered high, remove the child from the home. Some communities have programs for children who have been abused physically or sexually, and also offer programs for children who have witnessed parental violence.

Male victims of family violence are currently not well served outside of metropolitan areas. Referrals for male and female victims of violence may be made across the province by contacting local hospitals, clinics, crisis lines and the Ministry for Children and Families, which oversees programs for victims of family violence. Their emergency services telephone contact line is available as a twenty-four hour referral resource. The Ministry of Attorney General's Victim Services Branch may also be contacted for assistance (you may call Enquiry BC from anywhere in the province to locate the nearest government office at 660-2421 in the Greater Vancouver area; 1-800-663-7867 from locations elsewhere).

Specialized services for the elderly, disabled, the mentally ill, substance abusers and some ethno-cultural groups are available in the Lower Mainland. Some specialized programs do exist for Aboriginal peoples, Indo-Canadians and a small number of other cultural groups.

Over 40 counselling programs exist for spouse abusers in locations across the province. Most offer services to males only, though some programs also serve female clients. Correctional and community programming is available, primarily in urban areas, for familial sex offenders. Some attention has been paid to training service providers who are in a position to detect the existence of family violence (health care workers, animal welfare workers, employee assistance programs, etc.) and some public educational efforts have been undertaken which have substantially raised the level of public awareness about the private suffering of many members of our community. Greater progress is sorely needed, however.

The BC Institute Against Family Violence can be reached at 669-7055 in the Lower Mainland, toll-free in Canada at 1-877-755-7055, via e-mail at reception@bcifv.org and on the Internet at http://www.bcifv.org.

Next: References

This page last updated September 20, 2000.
Copyright (c) 1996 BC Institute Against Family Violence.