09:16
05 december 2024

Looking to prior encounters with the police can help prevent domestic violence

Looking to prior encounters with the police can help prevent domestic violence

New research from the University of Calgary shows that three-quarters of men charged with domestic violence (DV) have already interacted with police at least once, with two thirds showing a clear trajectory of increasing police interactions in the lead up to their DV charge; Associate Professor Lana Wells believes this data around perpetrators offers an opportunity to intervene early and prevent the escalation of violence.

Most sexual violence and domestic violence crimes in Canada are male-perpetrated. Data from Statistics Canada shows that men commit 99% of sexual assaults against women and are significantly more likely to offend criminally, including violent crime.

Recent data indicates that nearly nine in 10 victims (89%) of police-reported sexual assaults were women and girls between 2015 and 2019.


We need to remove the burden from survivors by focusing our attention and resources on the people and systems that cause harm – because the cost of raising perpetrators hurts everyone.

These statistics paint a grim picture. However, the key to ending domestic violence is hiding in plain sight.

According to new research we are spearheading at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Social Work and School of Public Policy, 73% of men charged with domestic violence have already interacted with the police at least once. In addition, nearly two-thirds of the men saw a clear increase in police interactions in the previous two years before a domestic violence-related charge in 2019.

Lees verder via policinginsight.com

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