WELLINGTON COUNTY – It’s disheartening to know that violence against women has reached such a level that each year a month has been dedicated to creating awareness of this crime.
Throughout November, you will hear several agencies, including Crime Stoppers Guelph Wellington, talking about Woman Abuse Prevention Month. For the next few weeks agencies such as Guelph Wellington Women In Crisis will draw attention to the need for awareness and to offer supports for those who may require assistance as victims of this crime.
There are some rather profound statistics in relation to abuse of women.
According to the Canadian Women’s Foundation, every six days a woman in Canada is killed by her intimate partner.
About $7.4 billion goes into dealing with the aftermath of spousal violence alone.
Women are not the only victims of this crime. When children are present, the impact on them is profound. Children who witness violence in the home have two times the rate of psychiatric disorders as those in non-violent homes. We also know abuse can be generational and these children may go on to abuse their partners later in life.
These are just a handful of reasons why we want to draw attention to this crime.
If you are aware of someone who is being abused, please let us know. You will be completely anonymous, and no one will know you contacted us, including the victim and the accused. You will help stop a crime that is costly to society and devastating to a family.
To learn more about abuse against women and how you can get involved to help support agencies involved in supporting survivors, contact GWWIC or Victim Services Wellington. Both agencies are active in your community to provide the aid needed for women and families dealing with abuse.
To stop the crime, call 1-800-222-TIPS or go to www.csgw.tips.
For more information on CSGW, go to www.csgw.tips. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Sarah Bowers-Peter is program coordinator for Crime Stoppers Guelph Wellington