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How do we prevent family violence from occurring?

BCIFV public education promotional materials warn, "the face of family violence may not be what you think". Accompanying images in these materials illustrate this point with a variety of visages of people young and old, and of many ethnicities. Just as there are many faces of family violence, so are there many means to prevent family violence.

Prevention is effected through numerous creative programs serving individuals, families and groups in all phases and from all walks of life - in parenting programs designed to provide support and education to stressed parents, in batterer treatment programs, support groups for children and adults exposed to violence,

school-based dating violence/relationship skills programs, and bullying prevention programs.

Locally and elsewhere in Canada, social service and community organizations rally their collective efforts to coordinate "Together Against Violence" month anti-violence activities (scheduled throughout November in the Lower Mainland). Across Canada, especially on university and college campuses, the tragic deaths of women L'ecole Polytechnique students are commemorated on Dec 6th. Some provincial governments, including BC's, sponsor media anti-violence campaigns.

We at the Institute, together with our community and university partners, strive to fulfill our mandate to work to eliminate family violence by keeping busy with a wide variety of projects and activities. A sample of our recent efforts is highlighted in Executive Director Penny Bain's overview of family violence prevention programs, found on page 5 (facing).

What can each of us, as individuals, do to prevent family violence?

We can recognize that family violence occurs in families of all colors, across all social strata and in all parts of the world. In doing so, we remain open to where and how family violence may appear, and are better able to help when it does occur.

We can challenge media and other stereotypes that try to dictate what women and men should be, and what relationships should be like.

We can keep the welfare of our neighbours in mind, and turn neither a blind eye nor a deaf ear to their suffering. This is particularly so if we are aware that a child is being hurt or neglected.

We can show our children love and respect, and teach them how to love and respect themselves and others.

We can turn off violent television programs and boycott violent video and computer games and movies. We, as they say, vote with our cheque book. And our feet.

We can examine outdated views concerning child discipline (please see Joan Durrant's discussion of the relationship between child abuse and corporal punishment in this newsletter).

We can strive to ensure the care our vulnerable friends and family receive is quality care.

And we don't accept that violence is simply "a way of life" for the human animal. It may have been, but it needn't be any longer.