SEASON CREATES EXTRA PRESSURE FOR SOME FAMILIES
Domestic conflict must be addressed as a community, writes Roger Chaffin.
Spending quality time with my family is a highlight of the holidays every year. It is one of the few times the pace of life slows down enough that we can all get together without any distractions.
But sadly, not every family in Calgary feels the same way about family time during the holidays.
Domestic conflict in our city has spiked in the last few years and we see a small uptick during the holidays. Seven of every 100 calls we attend each day are for domestic conflicts, of which one in five involve some form of violence. We see more domestic conflicts than break and enters and vehicle thefts combined.
There are many reasons that domestic conflict can become worse at this time of year. Likely the added emotional and financial pressures of the season as well as the extra time people are spending at home together all contribute.
However, these things only contribute to problems in the home. The cause of domestic abuse and violence is always rooted in unhealthy relationship patterns. When a family is healthy, it can handle the usual stresses of life. But when it is unhealthy, controlling or abusive behaviours only get worse with added stress, and families hit their breaking point.
Early in my career, I responded to countless domestic conflicts and quickly realized that those families needed far more help than I could offer. Police protection is important, but unhealthy families also need counselling, financial assistance, education and other supports to get to a healthier place.
Calgary is fortunate to have a strong network of community organizations working to end domestic abuse and violence by offering these supports. We have organizations that teach about healthy relationships, that support families in crisis and help those affected by violence.
When families can access both law enforcement and organizations like these, it gives them the best shot possible at breaking the unhealthy cycles in their lives. We have seen this in our partnership with Home Front, where over 80 per cent of the families we help together see a reduction or end to domestic conflict in their lives.
Calgary’s domestic conflict rate will only drop if we address it as a community. All Calgarians have a role to play by talking about the issue, and donating or volunteering with those who support families in crisis.
If we all work together, we can help make the holidays happier for countless Calgarians!