Author Archive

Part of the Keep Families Safe Porch Chat Series.

Posted on: August 14th, 2020 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council

Article Image: Intervention vital to change trajectory for abused children

WATERLOO REGION — Children are resilient, but abuse in the home can have long-lasting effects if not addressed early.

“It’s just so important that children are identified and get the support they need. It’s such an important time to change the trajectory,” said Jennifer Hutton, chief executive officer of Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region.

With intervention, children can overcome trauma or abuse and avoid serious issues that linger into adulthood.

“The good news is that they are quite resilient,” Hutton said. “They can bounce back from that.” Read More…

To learn more about #KeepFamliesSafe: Preventing Violence in Waterloo Region and our Porch Chat series click here.

Announcing funding to produce the Play Chelsea’s Story in Waterloo Region in 2020-21. 

Posted on: July 30th, 2020 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council

On this #WorldDayAgainstTraffickinginPersons 2020, we are thrilled and grateful to announce funding from The Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation’s  Community Fund and Weiland Family Foundation Fund to produce the Play Chelsea’s Story in Waterloo Region in 2020-21.  This play and surrounding activities will building awareness and developing skills to prevent Human Sex Trafficking in our community. Partnering with MT Space and The Sexual Assault Support Centre and guided by a working group of engaged citizens and community experts and we will again bring this powerful play the Waterloo Region.

More information on Chelsea’s Story and Human Sex Trafficking in Waterloo Region here

First Porch Chat in a series to #KeepFamilies Safe:

Posted on: July 29th, 2020 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council

Image: Emotional abuse typically builds, warns women's crisis centre

Emotional abuse and precursors to violence in the home are the focus of the first talk in a public-education series kicking off this week.

Preventing family violence is this year’s theme for the Porch Chats hosted by the Friends of Crime Prevention in partnership with the Keep Families Safe coalition — an initiative started by several agencies to raise awareness about the heightened risk of domestic violence due to the increased stress and isolation during the pandemic.

Click to read the article.

 

Agencies helping women, children at risk of violence seeing return to more normal levels

Posted on: July 14th, 2020 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council

Article Image: Agencies helping women, children at risk of violence seeing return to more normal levelsWATERLOO REGION — Agencies that help women and children experiencing abuse are seeing more people reaching out for help compared to when the pandemic started, but the worry remains that some are still at risk.

They urge everyone in Waterloo Region to watch out for each other to prevent a rise in family violence during this unprecedented and stressful time.

“There is so much that can be done just by reaching out to people,” said Karen Spencer, executive director of Family & Children’s Services of the Waterloo Region.

Read full Article

“We are collaborating with the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council to help influence policy at a local level and to help us disseminate our findings.

Posted on: July 10th, 2020 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council

Todd Coleman

Todd Coleman is an assistant professor of Health Sciences. His research is focused on population health and research methods. Coleman also explores health issues as they differ according to sexual orientation and gender identities.

“As someone who counts themselves as part of the broader LGBTQ2S+ community, I became aware early on of the differences in health outcomes depending on your identity. That became a driver for me to find out what we can do to change that.

“I was a collaborator on the OutLook Study and one of the findings that stood out was the notable differences in victimization between cisgender and trans individuals. On average, trans people felt higher levels of victimization and lower levels of safety.

“There is a concept we’re exploring called ‘anticipated discrimination.’ Some trans people are anxious about interacting and visiting places that most cisgender people take for granted. Fifty-seven per cent of trans respondents in the OutLook Study avoided public washrooms. Eighty-three per cent felt unsafe at gyms. Seventy-three per cent felt unsafe in medical offices, including their doctor’s office.

“We just wrapped data collection for a qualitative study looking in more depth at the discrimination that trans and non-binary individuals experience in the Waterloo Region. We are collaborating with the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council to help influence policy at a local level and to help us disseminate our findings.

“The more research on these topics that takes place, the more people become familiar with concepts and the health disparities that exist. We are encouraging more education for health-care providers so they understand the nuanced differences between patients and how to treat them effectively and respectfully.”

https://www.wlu.ca/news/spotlights/2020/june/pride-month-research.html#todd-coleman

Laurier Researchers in Their Own Words June is Pride Month and Wilfrid Laurier University is proud to highlight some of its students and faculty members studying issues that affect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, and two-spirit (LGBTQ2S+) individuals and communities.

 

Virtual Porch Chats 2020!

Posted on: July 2nd, 2020 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council

Image: Porch Chats

What are Porch Chats?

Porch chats are an opportunity for the community to come together and have conversations about what’s happening in our community. They are to promote understanding, build community connections and facilitate action among citizens and communities. Porch Chats are part or the Friends of Crime Prevention initiative and chat ideas are brought forth my members of our community. Some porch chats have been recorded and can be found below. 

Brought to you by the Friends of Crime Prevention, All 2020 Porch Chats are part of the #KeepFamiliesSafe Campaign. #KeepFamiliesSafe is rooted in raising awareness of family, friends, neighbours and people in the work place about family violence especially under the strain and isolation of the pandemic. It encourages community to pay attention and equips them with ways they can help.

Usually Porch chats are held on the porch and surrounding gardens of the historic Governor’s house, home of the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council at 73 Queen St. N. in Kitchener. But, adapting to Covid-19, we will meet on a virtual porch. BYOL (Bring your Own Lemonade) See you there! 

We have had four Porch Chats on Prevention Family Violence over summer all delivered in English. With the help of generous community members we have been able to offer Porch Chats in languages other than English. If you would like a Porch Chat facilitated in your language please contact Julie Thompson.

Upcoming Porch Chats :

Impact of Migration on Families and the added Risks During Covid 19

Recognizing that family violence takes place in all cultures, we have worked with the #KFS coalition partners to extend the conversation into languages other than English. Lucky to meet Asmaa Cober, she helped coordinate four of these Porch Chats, in four different languages starting with those she spoke. These are the first Porch Chats facilitated in languages other than English. We hope to extend the conversation into others of the rich and diverse communities that make up Waterloo region.

Image: Porch Chats Art

In this porch chat, we will build understanding how family relationships, mental health, and stress levels change after arrival to a new home and how is that connected to Covid 19 situation. We will have a dialogue about cross generational and cross cultural conflict that can lead to family violence. We will present signs of abusive relationships and discuss what we can do as community members in helping families stay safely together. We will explore some tips to help adults and children to use conflict resolution skills to solve problems. We will elaborate on some services that are available to help families improve  relationships and maintain family peace. Our main goal help communities come together to keep families together and safe.

We are a coalition of 18 organizations concerned about the impact of the Pandemic on families. Like the increased stress and isolation of the pandemic, family strain is universal and we need each other now more than ever.  Please help us get the word out.

In Farsi : عنوان این گفت‌وگو «تأثیر مهاجرت بر روابط خانوادگی» است

در این گفت‌وگو، ما به چگونگی تغییر روابط خانوادگی، بهداشت روان و بالارفتن سطح استرس پس از ورود به خانهٔ جدید (کشور میزبان) و نیز ارتباط آن با وضعیت همه‌گیری بیماری کووید ۱۹ (کرونا) خواهیم پرداخت.

همچنین ما درمورد درگیری‌های بین‌نسلی و میان‌فرهنگی گفت‌وگو خواهیم کرد؛ عواملی که هر یک یا با هم می‌تواند به بروز ناآرامی و خشونت در خانواده منجر شود.

ما نشانه‌هایی از روابط خشن یا دارای آزار را ارائه خواهیم داد و سپس درمورد آنچه می‌توانیم به‌عنوان اعضای جامعه انجام دهیم تا کمک کند خانواده‌ها در امنیت و آرامش کنار یکدیگر زندگی کنند به بحث خواهیم پرداخت.

نکات ما، برخی راه‌های برای کمک به هر دو گروه بزرگ‌سالان و کودکان در استفاده از مهارت‌های حل تعارض را در برمی‌گیرد و همچنین در مورد برخی خدماتِ روان‌شناختی و اجتماعیٍ دردسترس که برای کمک به خانواده‌ها در بهبود روابط و حفظ آرامش توضیح خواهیم داد. هدف اصلی ما حفظ خانواده‌ها در کنار یکدیگر در محیطی امن و آرام است.

Monday, November 30, 2020: Register Here

In Arabic :  تاثير الغربة على العلاقات العائلية

خلال الجلسة سوف نركز على النقاط التالية : التاثيرات والتغييرات في العلاقات العائلية والصحة النفسية بعد الهجرة الى مكان جديد، وارتباطها بوباء الكورونا. سوف نناقش الازمات المتعلقة بالاجيال والثقافات المختلفة والتي قد تؤدي الى عنف ضمن الاسرة. أيضا، سوف نتكلم عن مؤشرات العلاقات الغير صحية أو المسيئة وماذا نستطيع ان نفعله كاعضاء في مجتمعنا لمساعدة العائلات، لكي يشعروا بالامان مع بعضهم البعض. سنتطرق ايضا الى بعض المفاتيح الاساسية لمساعدة الاولاد والكبار بتطوير مهارات حل النزاعات. كما سنتكلم عن الخدمات المتواجدة لمساعدة العائلات بتحسين العلاقات فيما بينهم والمحافظة على السلام والسكينة. هدفنا الاساسي هو المحافظة على وحدة وسلامة الاسرة.

Dec 2; Register Here

In Turkish : Göçün Aile İlişkilerine Etkisi

Yeni bir yaşama başladığımız bu yeni ülkede, aile ilişkilerinin, akıl ve ruh sağlığının, ve kişisel stres seviyelerinin nasıl değiştiğini ve COVID19’un bu değişimdeki etkisini konuşacağımız bu sohbette, aile içi şiddete yol açabilen, nesiller ve kültürler arası çatışmalarla ilgili diyaloglar da kuracağız.

Kötüye kullanılan, suistimal edilen ilişkilerin izlerini sürecek, toplum olarak ailelerin nasıl bir arada huzur içinde ve güvende yaşamasını destekleyebileceğimizi ele alacağız.

Yetişkinlerin ve çocukların fikir ayrılıklarını nasıl çözebilecekleri ile ilgili bazı ipuçları paylaşacağız. Ailelerin ilişkilerini iyileştirmelerine ve aile huzurunu sürdürmelerine yardımcı olmak için mevcut olan bazı hizmetlerin üzerinde duracağız.

Bu sohbetteki ana hedefimiz ailelerin bir arada ve güvende olması için ne yapmamız gerektiğini bilmek, gerekeni yapmak ve iyileştirici adımlar atılmasını sağlamaktır.

Dec 8 Register Here

In Kurdish (Sorani and Badini): ‘ئه م دئ جاوه دانوستاندينئ دگه ل خو و خيزان و زاروكين خو كه ين’

ئه ف بابه ته دئ ل سه ر وئ جه ندئ بيت ئه م دئ جا وه خو و خيزانا خو دير كه ين ژ نه ئارام بونا ميشيكي و هزرا و هه ر نه ئارام بونه كي ده مئ دهيه وه لاته كئ ني و تايبه ت في وه ختئ ئه م هه مي تيدا دژين يئ كورونايئ دا (COVID 19)و هه روه ها دئ جاوه خو و خيزانا خو ژ في فايروسي پاريزين.و دئ جاوه كه لتوري خو كونجيني دگه ل كه لتوريت دي و سه ره ده ريئ و هاريكاري دگه ل ئيك كه ين دا پيكفه ده ستيت خو بكه ين ئيك بو ئارام بون ژ لايه نئ ميشكي ڤه و دلا.

Tuesday, Dec 15:  Register Here

 

More Porch Chats may be announced.

Some of our past Porch Chats have been recorded and posted below.

Past Porch Chats 2020:  

Understanding Emotional Abuse and Precursors to Violence in the Home  – Link to recording below 

Understanding the Impact of Trauma and Abuse on Children  Aug 12:

Resolving Conflict in Families – Aug 19

Becoming An Active Bystander Registration –   Click here to view recording.   Aug 24, 2020 

 

Stay Tuned!

Click here to visit our Events Calendar for more details.

Hats off to this amazing coalition!

#KeepFamilySafe Coalition’s launch

Posted on: June 20th, 2020 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council

 

We’re so proud to have launched the #KeepFamiliesSafe family violence prevention campaign on Father’s Day.

Image: Keep Families Safe: prevent family violence in waterloo regionEven the most resilient families need to know how to manage their stress and we all need to look out for one another. Research shows family violence increases in a pandemic. It also confirms that simple, early intervention can defuse tense situations before they escalate.

That’s why a coalition of local agencies and municipalities is asking you to help #KeepFamilies safe from home, work and in the community. Our friend David from Child Witness Centre tells you how.

Visit the #KeepFamiliesSafe Home Page

Infographic - Keep Families SafeHats off to this amazing coalition!

Pulse Check on Collaboration

Posted on: June 14th, 2020 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council

Help WRCPC get a sense of how our community is working together in responding to the pandemic. We are looking for individuals in various roles and from a wide range of sectors who have a sense of the workings behind our community’s pandemic response. Click the link provided for more information and to take the survey: https://chkmkt.com/pulsecheck

Working on the Frontline: Finding Beauty in a Time Of Coronavirus

Posted on: June 7th, 2020 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council

2 WRCPC staff have join 17 other ROW staff redeployed to the Emergency Homeless Men’s Overflow Shelter at the A.R.Kaufman YMCA. Here is a taste of what it is like: https://ywkw.ca/finding-beauty-in-a-time-of-coronavirus/

P.S. quick and creative collaboration within Waterloo region has meant that so far only one confirmed Covid-19 case in the shelter population of 400 across the whole region. Wow- well done!

YWCA KW

Thresholds Homes and Supports Inc.

The Working Centre

A.R. Kaufman Family Y.M.C.A

House of Friendship

Pandemic creates urgent need to flatten the violence curve

Posted on: May 5th, 2020 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council

Preventing the spread of a virus drove us into our homes. Preventing the violence that can emerge from that very isolation is our next challenge.

The research linking pandemics to violence in the home is very clear. Quarantine and physical isolation — the very measures that prevent COVID-19 — provide ideal conditions for violence by eliminating opportunities to temporarily escape an abusive partner. Economic insecurity brought on by record job losses and financial uncertainty create added stress as people struggle to pay their bills and put food on the table. Even in the most resilient homes, new stressors, close quarters and uncertainty can be precursors to conflict and violence.

Not only are families subjected to new or more intense stressors, they’ve lost vital mechanisms that help de-escalate stress: a visit with a friend, physical activity, a change of pace and location. In homes where stress is escalating, it can be a spark. In homes where violence is already present, it’s a powder keg.

This is urgent. Individuals, communities and agencies must act immediately to flatten the rising violence curve. Despite mounting stressors, some community services are eerily quiet. We know that people who need help are likely not accessing it.

Everyone can help. You can:

  • Foster positive relationships in your own home and reach out if you need help. Here 24/7, your company’s employee assistance program or the federal government’s new Wellness Together portal — https://ca.portal.gs/ — all offer credible information and confidential, professional help.
  • Reach out to someone who is isolated. A quick call or message that breaks isolation lets someone know they’re not alone and can help de-escalate a volatile situation.
  • Provide tangible help where you can. Listen. Provide food. Share information about free mental health supports or community services that help alleviate financial or food insecurity.
  • Watch for signals. If you’re part of a group that meets by video conference, let people know that if they curl four fingers over their thumb and raise it to the camera, it’s a call for help. Let your network know that if they post an incongruous message like “I’ve always liked elephants” you’ll know they need help.
  • Share this information with everyone you know.
  • If you suspect that someone needs help contact police, Family and Children’s Services or your local shelter.

Agencies such as Family and Children’s Services and domestic violence shelters are essential services. They’re open 24 hours a day, seven days a week to support families at risk through counselling, conflict resolution, the development of safety plans or by offering connection to community supports. In the minority of cases where emergency housing is needed, shelters are observing COVID protocols. Safe support is available.

Over the past six weeks, we’ve grown to appreciate the proactive, preventive role of public health. Extraordinary measures are in place to prevent an unprecedented outbreak. We have a clear understanding of the role of front-line agencies and how critical individual actions are. The same public health principle must apply to prevent family violence.

That feeling that we’re in this together — that social solidarity that calls us to enhance the lives of those around us, even from a distance — is vitally important in building strong, supportive, safe and caring communities. It’s free. It’s easy and it’s powerful. Small actions when multiplied by millions of people can transform the world.

The Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council is a national leader in tackling the root causes of violence and oppression. Our members work toward policies and programs that drive social and economic equity such as basic income, housing first, and food security programs. At the same time, just as with the pandemic response, we need individuals to contribute to safe, caring and compassionate communities. Take care. Reach out. Stay connected. Watch for signs. Offer support.

We‘re focused on preventing a virus. Let’s also focus on preventing violence. The time to flatten the violence curve is now.