November marks Family Violence Prevention Month

November is Family Violence Prevention Month in Alberta, and the Calgary Police Service, along with other partner agencies, are bringing awareness to domestic violence in hopes of inciting meaningful conversations about reaching out for help and accessing available resources for those in need.

Calls for service pertaining to incidents of domestic violence increased in 2023, while domestic conflict reports received by the Calgary Police Service also continued to increase, which has remained consistent over the past several years.

Domestic conflict reporting refers to people recognizing a potentially dangerous domestic situation and placing a call for help. These non-criminal calls can include verbal altercations that escalated to the point police were called, or situations where one party asked police to be present during an interaction with an intimate partner or family member.

“In 2023, we responded to more than 23,000 calls for service related to domestic conflict,” says Staff Sergeant Glenn Andruschuk of the Calgary Police Service Domestic Conflict Unit. “Our statistics and reporting continue to show Calgarians are engaging police and looking for community support by reaching out to us. Attending these calls for service allows our officers to educate families around a variety of resources available to them within the community, and to ensure they are connected to organizations that offer wraparound supports for their needs.”

By the numbers:

Reported domestic violence occurrences:

Reported domestic conflict calls for service:

Domestic violence is a complex problem that can only be addressed when everyone in the community works together to end it. We encourage Calgarians to take time this month to:

·         Learn how you can reach out and support someone you know, or suspect might be in an abusive or violent relationship.

·         Be open and accepting, if someone discloses their experience with abuse – saying “I believe you” goes a long way.

·         Talk to your children about which behaviours are healthy in a relationship and which ones are not.

·         Donate or volunteer with organizations that work to support families affected by domestic and sexual violence.

Calgarians experiencing abuse or violence in an intimate or family relationship are always encouraged to reach out for help. There are countless agencies ready to offer support that can be contacted by calling 211.

The Domestic Violence and Abuse Helpline is available 24/7 at 403-234-SAFE (7233).

FearIsNotLove coordinates the Men& program offering a variety of resources for men available by calling 1-833-327-MENS (6367).

Calgarians can also call the Government of Alberta’s Family Violence Info Line at 310-1818 which is available 24/7 and in more than 170 languages from anywhere in Alberta. If phone calls are not available to you, we encourage you to use the Alberta Safety Chat Line, which is available between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. MST in English.

Victims of domestic violence can also contact the Calgary Police Service anytime by calling the non-emergency line at 403-266-1234, or 9-1-1 if you are in immediate danger.