About
Domestic Violence
Breaking the cycle of domestic violence is not easy. That’s why the YWCA of Calgary is committed to helping women, children and men move toward recovery and wellness.
Domestic violence is at epidemic proportions. Violence against women is the world’s largest and most persistent human rights violation, and Canada is no exception. The federal government estimates the economic costs of violence against women at $1.1 billion per year in direct medical costs, rising to $4 billion a year with costs of criminal justice, social services, and lost productivity factored in (Statistics Canada 2006).
Domestic violence is also one of the most misunderstood crimes in our community because of the nature of the relationship in which the violence occurs amongst intimate partners. While often intensified by anger, intimate partner violence is not so much about anger as it is about power and control in the relationship. Physical violence—kicking, punching, slapping, grabbing, strangling—as well as forced sexual activity and rape, are behaviours that are used by abusive individuals to gain and maintain power and control over their partners. In addition to physical abuse, domestic violence includes emotional or psychological abuse (i.e. name-calling, isolating the victim, threatening to harm children or pets), financial abuse (i.e. controlling money), sexual abuse (i.e. making partner perform degrading sexual acts), and spiritual abuse (i.e. forbidding partner to attend religious services).
Making the decision to leave an abusive partner is not an easy one and many women return to the abusing spouse with their children, even after seeking help through a crisis shelter or counselling agency. Among the reasons cited are fear of increased violence, fear of losing children through custody or welfare agencies, embarrassment and shame, lack of emotional support, or lack of affordable housing and financial stability.
Leaving the abusive partner may be the only way out, but breaking the pattern without support is often difficult.
The YWCA of Calgary works with women, children and men — no matter their role in domestic violence — to make positive changes to break the pattern of violence and find recovery and wellness. Our priority is safety for all members of the family.
The YWCA Sheriff King Home is a 38-bed emergency shelter where abused women, with or without children, can stay up to a maximum of 21 days. We provide shelter, food, individual & group counselling, follow-up services and referrals at no cost to clients.
The immediate goal of the shelter is to move the family out of crisis into safety.
For more details please visit the YWCA of Calgary
Join us and "Walk A Mile In Her Shoes" to help women and their children as they take steps to walk away from domestic violence.