Education and awareness materials for clients and others who are dealing with family violence

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Access resources from the VEGA (Violence, Evidence, Guidance, Action) Project to assist providers in recognizing and responding safely to family violence. Online content is aimed at health care and social service providers, including students and those in practice.

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Family violence in general

Abuse is Wrong in Any Language (2012)
Department of Justice Canada
This booklet contains information about family violence and abuse. It is for anyone who is new to Canada and might be living with abuse in a relationship or in a family. This booklet can also help you if you know a person who might be living with abuse.

Abuse is Wrong (2009)
Department of Justice Canada
This booklet is for anyone who is suffering from abuse in a relationship or in a family.

The need for sex and gender analyses on family violence topics (CIHR-IGH) (2013)
As part of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Institute of Gender and Health fosters research that explores how sex and gender influence health, including family violence. (Video)

Intimate partner violence

Violence Against Women: Intimate Partner Violence and sexual violence against women (2013)
This fact sheet provides background, risk factors, health consequences, prevention and response and other information about intimate partner and sexual violence against women.

Understanding and addressing violence against women: Intimate Partner Violence (2012) (PDF document)
World Health Organization
This report provides an overview of intimate partner violence (IPV) and identifies possible individual, relationship, community and societal risk factors related to IPV as well as consequences associated with IPV.

Measuring violence against women: Statistical Trends (2012)
Status of Women Council and Statistics Canada
This report adds to the body of evidence on gender-based violence. It includes key findings on:

Sexual violence

Child maltreatment

Joint statement on traumatic head injury due to child maltreatment (THI-CM): An update to the joint statement on shaken baby syndrome
The purpose of this revised joint statement is to outline the key principles underpinning professional practice in traumatic head injury due to child maltreatment (THI-CM) in Canada.

Child Maltreatment Fact Sheet (2014)
World Health Organization
This fact sheet describes information about the scope of child maltreatment, consequences, and certain risk factors for child maltreatment.

Child Abuse is Wrong: What can I do? (2012)
Department of Justice
This booklet is for the parents or guardians of children. It talks about child abuse in families and answers questions about the law on child abuse in Canada.

The effects of family violence on children - where does it hurt? (2012)
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
This website provides information about different types of child abuse and the impacts family violence has on children. It also describes signs of abuse and family violence and ways to help children who report a problem.

What's Wrong with Spanking? (2015)
Public Health Agency of Canada
This publication provides information about child discipline in forms other than spanking and why spanking does not work.

Little eyes, little ears: How violence against a mother shapes children as they grow
Centre for Children and Families in the Justice System
This resource describes information for professionals and volunteers who help women and children. Topics addressed include what children might feel, think and do during violent incidents against their mothers, roles they might adopt before, during or after incidents, strategies of coping and survival, and how violence may be experienced by children of different ages, from infancy to adolescence.

Multidisciplinary guidelines on the identification, investigation and management of suspected abusive head trauma (2007)
Canadian Pediatric Society
These multidisciplinary guidelines help equip the health sector, law enforcement, child protection, and other involved disciplines or sectors with a tool to identify, investigate, and initially manage cases of suspected.

Elder abuse

What you can do to keep yourself safe from abuse
Public Health Agency of Canada
If you are being hurt or neglected and you aren't sure how to protect yourself, this brochure can help you to set limits and stay safe.

How you can identify abuse and help older adults at risk
Public Health Agency of Canada
If you are concerned that an older adult in your life may be experiencing abuse, this brochure can help you to recognize the warning signs so that you can help.

What you can do when abuse or neglect is happening to an older adult in your life
Public Health Agency of Canada
This document discusses elder abuse and where to seek help if you or someone you know is being abused.

Elder Abuse is Wrong (2011)
Department of Justice
This booklet is for older adults who may be suffering from abuse by someone they trust-it could be a partner or spouse, a family member, a caregiver, a service provider or another individual.

Elder Abuse Financial Fraud by Strangers (2010)
Department of Justice
This fact sheet provides information about financial fraud committed by strangers and how they commit this crime. It also provides and tips to elders from becoming a victim of financial fraud.

Aging and seniors
Public Health Agency of Canada
Health promotion and wellbeing, ways to stay active, fall prevention, emergency preparedness, mental health, substance use, and elder abuse.

Violence against Indigenous peoples

Assembly of First Nations: Ending Violence
This website provides latest news updates regarding Indigenous family violence and initiatives to support ending violence among Indigenous women and girls.

Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada: I'm Happy Because I'm Safe
The I'm Happy Because I'm Safe is an awareness campaign to promote the protection of Inuit children and reduce the incidence of violence and child abuse.

Abuse is Wrong in Any Culture: Inuit (2012)
Department of Justice
This booklet is for Inuit women and girls who are negatively affected because of violence in their relationship or in their family. This booklet is written for Inuit women and girls, but anyone-man or woman, young or old, Inuit or Qallunaat-who is being hurt or who is hurting others is encouraged to get help.

Forced marriage, "honour"-related and other harmful practices

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Fact Sheet (2014)
World Health Organization
This fact sheet provides information about the definition of FGM, the health risks, and describes cultural, religious and social causes.

Abuse is Wrong in Any Language (2012)
Department of Justice Canada
This booklet is for anyone who is new to Canada and might be living with abuse in a relationship or in a family.

Who, if, when to marry: It's a choice (2010)
This website lists the Network of Agencies Against Forced Marriages (NAAFM) and provides a range of resources related to forced marriage.

Answering your questions about female genital mutilation (FGM)
Plan Canada
This website provides information about female genital mutilation who it affects and why it occurs.

Engaging men and boys to prevent family violence

Be More Than a Bystander
This website provides information about Be More Than a Bystander which is a groundbreaking partnership that sees sports icons from the BC Lions football team create awareness and urge everyone to "Break the Silence on Violence Against Women".

Engaging Men & Boys to End Violence Against Women: An Annotated Bibliography of Online Resources (2013)

Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Woman and Children
This webpage provides links to publications and websites focused on intervention/prevention programs and initiatives, educational/training curriculum, guides or toolkits, public education campaigns/social marketing, and social media and other links related to engaging men and boys in preventing family violence.

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