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The University of Calgary Faculty of Social Work is the largest school of social work in Canada. We are consistently ranked among the top 15 schools in north America in terms of research productivity. Our research contributes to a greater understanding of complex social issues while making a difference in the lives of millions of people local, nationally and internationally.
Our faculty’s research agenda often has a dual focus. Some of our researchers look to influence policy by addressing the social determinants that underlie so many social issues. Other researchers search for impactful solutions to advance the profession right now.
Our innovative, interdisciplinary research demands meaningful community engagement with a focus on social justice and human rights.
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Browsing Social Work by Department "Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence"
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Item Open Access Building a Provincial Positive Fatherhood Involvement Strategy: Results from the Nov 21, 2013 Consultation in Red Deer, Alberta(2013-12) Hansen, Brian; Wells, Lana; Dozois, ElizabethThis report summarizes the information gathered from a consultation session conducted on Thursday, November 21st, 2013, in Red Deer, Alberta. Participants included academics whose research areas include involved fathering, as well as service providers, and leaders in the community who work with fathers in a variety of capacities. Prior to the consultation, the report “Promoting Positive Father Involvement: A Strategy to Prevent Intimate Partner Violence in the Next Generation” was sent to each participant. This research paper focuses on positive father involvement as an Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) prevention strategy, that is, a strategy to prevent IPV before those behaviors develop in the next generation. The report provides a rationale for new investments in positive father involvement strategies including specific recommendations in the areas of research, policy, and programming. This report is situated within a broader research agenda designed to build a comprehensive strategy to engage men and boys in violence prevention. The goal of this full day session was to disseminate knowledge about new research and trends in positive father involvement strategies in Alberta, as well as to explore recommendations and next steps in the areas of research, policy, and programming in Alberta.Item Open Access Building capacity in Alberta to prevent domestic violence: Results from a community of practice project(2015-02) Wells, Lana; Claussen, Caroline; Aspenlieder, LauraIn 2011, Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence entered into a formal partnership with the Government of Alberta to rebuild the recently released (November 2013) family violence prevention framework. Both partners agreed on the importance of ensuring that the research on which the prevention framework was based was accessible for practitioners, service providers, policy makers and system leaders throughout the province. Shift also realized that local communities would need to develop the capacity to implement the primary prevention strategies being proposed in the new provincial prevention strategy. As a result, Shift explored evidenced-informed models on knowledge translation, mobilization, and integration and (through a SSHRC Partnership grant and Canadian Women’s Foundation grant) engaged in a pilot project to test a particular Community of Practice (CoP) model in two regions in Alberta. The CoP model piloted was designed with the understanding that the best way to build community capacity for domestic violence primary prevention would be to work through the current research and support practitioners and system leaders to understand how it applies to their local context and communities. We believed this approach would support changes, not only at the individual practitioner level, but also support shifts in decision-making at the organizational, systems, and policy level.Item Open Access A Case and Recommendations for Building Punjabi Community Health Services in Calgary, Alberta(2014-06) Abboud, Rida; Wells, Lana; Esina, ElenaA small steering committee of individuals (see Appendix 1) in Calgary is interested in exploring the feasibility of a community-service organization that would target South Asian communities. Coupled with interest from the Minister of Human Services, the Honorable Manmeet Bhullar, this group is interested in understanding the best practices of the Punjabi Community Health Services (PCHS) organization based in Toronto, Ontario, which delivers a comprehensive service delivery model. This model, developed by PCHS-Toronto, implements culturally appropriate interventions in the South Asian communities in the areas of addictions, mental health, aging, health promotion, domestic violence, and parenting (Punjabi Community Health Services, 2010). PCHS started in 1990 by delivering one service – a support service for men with addiction problems – and continued to build its service model by including research and community-level assessments.Today, the organization delivers 24 programs, to various South Asian communities, including public events, educational workshops, and cultural competency training. Shift is interested in supporting community organizations in their pursuit to prevent domestic violence in their communities. This report will support the Calgary committee to understand the essential components of PCHS-Toronto that are required to build a similar organization in Calgary. The model proposed in this report draws on PCHS-Toronto, but does not attempt to replicate it in its entirety because any organization in Calgary needs to be sensitive to, and borne of, the Calgary context.Item Open Access The connection between professional sporting events, holidays and domestic violence in Calgary, Alberta(The School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, 2017-06) Boutilier, Sophia; Jadidzadeh, Ali; Esina, Elena; Wells, Lana; Kneebone, RonThere are some days in Calgary, Alberta when domestic violence is more likely to happen than other days. There is a statistically significant connection between higher rates of domestic violence and certain Calgary Stampeders’ football games as well as the arrival of the Calgary Stampede. During the 10-day-long Calgary Stampede, domestic violence calls on the seventh, ninth and tenth day of Stampede, were up 15 per cent compared to an average day. Weekends and summer months were also generally associated with the highest rates of domestic violence reports in Calgary. When it came to Calgary Stampeders’ football games, calls were higher only when the Stampeders faced off against the rival Edmonton Eskimos – with a 15 per cent increase in domestic violence reports. Grey Cup games in which Calgary played were associated with a 40 per cent increase in reports of domestic violence. However, games played by the Calgary Flames seemed to have no relationship to domestic violence calls, even those against the rival Edmonton team. Also, New Year’s Day appears to be associated with a significant spike in domestic violence, going by a four-year count of phone calls reporting domestic violence to both police and a local help line for those experiencing domestic and sexual abuse. There are also increases in calls associated with Good Friday, Easter, Canada Day, Labour Day, Valentine’s Day and Halloween. Meanwhile, the 2013 catastrophic floods in Calgary resulted in an increase in reports of domestic violence to police and the Connect help line, averaging an additional 6.6 reported incidents of domestic violence per day during the flood, 14 per cent higher than average.Item Open Access Consulting the Community on Advancing an LGBTQ Alberta Framework on the Prevention of Domestic Violence(2015-10) Hansen, Brian; Wells, LanaThis report contains the findings from a series of six consultations that Shift conducted throughout Alberta to better understand risk factors related to domestic violence victimization and perpetration within lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) communities, as well as barriers to help-seeking. A total of 81 individuals from across Alberta were involved in the consultations, including representatives from the LGBTQ communities, the domestic violence sector, health services, school systems and law enforcement. Participants agreed that there is a need for improved capacity among government and community-based organizations to provide better services to LGBTQ victims and perpetrators of domestic violence. In particular, many participants noted that a lack of appropriate and informed services presents a significant barrier to LGBTQ individuals who are trying to exit unhealthy relationships and/or violent circumstances. Domestic violence service providers themselves acknowledged the limitations of their knowledge about the unique experiences of LGBTQ individuals; however, these providers also demonstrated a genuine desire to learn about, and improve, the provision of care to prevent domestic violence within the LGBTQ community. Specific recommendations directed at the Government of Alberta and community-based agencies are included.Item Open Access A Context of Domestic Violence: Learnings for Prevention from the Calgary Filipino Community(International Journal of Child, Youth and Family Studies, 2013) Wells, Lana; Hurlock, Debb; Antonio, Marichu; Lantion, Vic; Abboud, Rida; Claussen, Caroline; Lorenzetti, LizaThere is a lack of interpretive research in the domestic violence literature and, in particular, within an ethnocultural context. Interviews were held with four Filipina women in Calgary, Alberta who had previously been in violent relationships, in combination with a referral group of key informants with leadership and knowledge of community issues related to domestic violence. By adopting a phenomenological approach to the research, it was hoped that new understandings of what is identified in clinical paradigms as the “risk” and “protective” factors associated with domestic violence would be unearthed. This research study is at once exploratory and informative and is intended to contribute to the development of a province-wide plan to address and prevent domestic violence through the Brenda Strafford Chair in the Prevention of Domestic Violence at the Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary.Item Open Access Developing a Strategic and Coordinated Approach to Violence Prevention Programming for Children and Youth in Calgary(2013-01) Wells, Lana; Claussen, Caroline; Abboud, Rida; Pauls, MonicaThe purpose of this research is threefold: 1) to provide an overview of research pertaining to best and promising practices in the area of violence prevention programming for children and youth; 2) to provide an analysis of children- and youth-focused violence prevention programs currently offered by non-profit organizations in Calgary, Alberta; and 3) to provide recommendations to inform subsequent phases for developing a strategic coordinated community approach to violence prevention programming for children and youth in Calgary.This research identified various types of violence prevention programming offered throughout Calgary, specifically identifying the differences between school and community-based programs and universal/targeted approaches.Item Open Access Developing domestic violence primary prevention capacity through a community of practice project: Learnings from Alberta, Canada(Cogent Medicine, 2017-05-23) Claussen, Caroline; Wells, Lana; Aspenlieder, Laura; Boutilier, SophiaDomestic violence practitioners and community organizations often lack the capacity to engage in primary prevention activities. In part, this limited capacity exacerbates the gap between evidence-based research and practice, necessitating innovative initiatives specifically aimed at user uptake. Using a community of practice (CoP) model within two distinct communities in Alberta, Canada, we sought to translate research knowledge on domestic violence prevention and build primary prevention capacity with practitioners. One hundred twenty professionals from various sectors attended CoP sessions, with 20 attending all six sessions. Data was collected using in-depth semi-structured telephone interviews. Interview findings include that face to-face learning was effective for deeper understanding and building networks across sectors, as well as supporting new aspects of prevention work that had not been previously considered. Findings also indicate that skilled facilitation increased CoP effectiveness, particularly where community context was considered in relation to the topics presented. Impacts include changes to discourse, priorities, and resource allocation to support primary prevention. Areas for improvement include a slower pace of information delivery, and increased focus on policy and system changes. Overall, using a CoP model seemed to support knowledge translation and practitioner capacity building in the area of domestic violence prevention. Considerations for future utilization of this model are explored.Item Open Access Developmental Insights and Observations from Calgary’s Shift Project: What We’ve Learned about Social Change Initiatives(2014-03) Dozois, ElizabethThis report draws on selective findings emerging from Shift’s retrospective study to highlight key learnings about social change efforts and is intended for anyone who is working on large social change initiatives. This paper draws on Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence as a case study to illustrate some of the dynamics involved in social change efforts. It presents learnings in seven key areas: Managing complexity reactions Building in time for learning and preparation Building a knowledge structure that supports development Developing multidimensional strategies Identifying a niche Changing practice Changing policy We hope that by sharing our learnings, we can support the efforts of others to create positive change.Item Open Access Domestic & Sexual Violence: A Background Paper on Primary Prevention Programs and Frameworks(2012-06) Wells, Lana; Claussen, Caroline; Cooper, MerrillThis report provides an overview of domestic violence and prevention definitions, risk and protective factors, and focuses particular attention on the domestic and sexual violence primary prevention frameworks being developed locally, nationally and internationally. In addition, the report provides a brief overview of relevant evidence-based practices in violence reduction. Points of consideration are offered in each section, allowing further reflection of the information in consideration of Alberta’s local context.Item Open Access Domestic Violence in Alberta’s Gender and Sexually Diverse Communities: Towards a Framework for Prevention(2015-02) Lorenzetti, Liza; Wells, Lana; Callaghan, Tonya; Logie, CarmenThis report provides an overview of domestic violence within gender and sexually diverse communities, with a focus on Alberta and Canada. Included are specific risk factors for gender and sexually diverse communities, as well as information about barriers to accessing safe and appropriate services. The report highlights areas for prevention, including promising practices aimed at decreasing rates of violence, promoting attitudinal and norms change, and providing safe, welcoming and appropriate domestic violence services. The findings from this report are currently being shared across Alberta with the objective of catalyzing a much-needed discussion about how discrimination, stigma and systemic barriers negatively impact the lives of gender and sexually diverse communities. Pam Krause, President and CEO of the Calgary Sexual Health Centre and Brian Hansen, Shift Research Associate have been leading a series of consultations across Alberta, sharing the research findings and trying to identify solutions at the local and policy levels. If you would like more information, please contact bhansen@ucalgary.caItem Open Access Domestic Violence in Ethno-Cultural Communities: Risk and Protective Factors(2011-06) Wells, Lana; Abboud, Rida; Claussen, CarolineThis literature review identifies the risk and protective factors for domestic violence with women in ethno-cultural communities in Canada.Item Open Access Engaging Men and Boys in Domestic Violence Prevention: Opportunities and Promising Approaches(2013-02) Wells, Lana; Lorenzetti, Liza; Carolo, Humberto; Dinner, Tuval; Jones, Clay; Minerson, Todd; Esina, ElenaThis report outlines seven ‘entry points’ for engaging men and boys in domestic violence prevention: 1. Engaging fathers in domestic violence prevention; 2. Men’s health and domestic violence prevention; 3. The role of sports and recreation in domestic violence prevention; 4. The role of the workplace in domestic violence prevention; 5. The role of peer relationships in domestic violence prevention; 6. Men as allies in preventing domestic violence; and 7. Aboriginal healing and domestic violence prevention. This research provides an analysis of the literature and highlights 67 promising approaches in the areas of policy, programs and practices, and citizen-led initiatives.Item Open Access Engaging the News Media to Influence Attitudes, Norms and Behaviours and Reduce the Rates of Domestic Violence(2012-04) Wells, Lana; Koziey, Lynne; Ferguson, JanayThis document is the first step in a larger exploration of how best to engage the Canadian media to influence societal attitudes, norms and behaviours around the prevention of domestic violence. Research shows that the vast majority of the public receives information regarding social issues and world affairs through news media channels. Further, it is suggested that the Canadian news media inappropriately reports on instances of domestic violence, thereby influencing attitudes of the general public and policy makers. This paper suggests that if news media professionals were better educated about domestic violence and how to appropriately report on instances of domestic violence, and legislation encouraged the media to report on domestic violence in a particular way, public opinion and attitudes may be influenced.Item Open Access Estimating costs and benefits associated with evidence-based violence prevention: Four case studies based on the Fourth R program(The School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, 2017-05) Crooks, Claire V.; Zwicker, Jennifer; Wells, Lana; Hughes, Ray; Langlois, Amanda; Emery, J.C. HerbTeen violence in dating and peer relationships has huge costs to society in numerous areas including health care, social services, the workforce and the justice system. Physical, psychological, and sexual abuse have long-lasting ramifications for the perpetrators as well as the victims, and for the families involved on both sides of that equation. An effective violence prevention program that is part of a school’s curriculum is beneficial not only for teaching teenagers what is appropriate behaviour in a relationship, but also for helping them break the cycle of violence which may have begun at home with their own maltreatment as children. The Fourth R program is an efficacious violence prevention program that was developed in Ontario and has been implemented in schools throughout Canada and the U.S. Covering relationship dynamics common to dating violence as well as substance abuse, peer violence and unsafe sex, the program can be adapted to different cultures and to same-sex relationships. The program, which gets its name from the traditional 3Rs — reading, ’riting and ’rithmetic — offers schools the opportunity to provide effective programming for teens to reduce the likelihood of them using relationship for violence as they move into adulthood. The federal government has estimated that the societal costs of relationship violence amount to more than $7 billion. These costs can continue to be incurred through the legal and health-care systems as the ripple effects of violence play out over the years, even after a relationship has ended. Other types of violence are also costly to society and not just in terms of dollars, but in young lives diverted into criminal activity. Up to 15 per cent of youth who become involved with the justice system grow into serious adult offenders who develop lengthy criminal careers. Yet, research shows that if prevention programs such as the Fourth R can deter just one 14-year-old high-risk juvenile from a life of crime, up to $5 million can be saved in costs to society.Item Open Access Evaluation Findings and Recommendations for a Strategic, Coordinated Approach to Violence Prevention Programming for Children and Youth in Calgary, Alberta: 2012-2015(2016-01) Dozois, ElizabethViolence prevention programming in schools has proven an effective means of reducing interpersonal violence such as bullying, sexual violence and domestic violence. In Calgary, these types of programs are currently offered by over a dozen different service providers, each having developed or adopted a different approach. The need to coordinate these efforts has long been recognized in this city, with coordination initiatives extending back as far as 2002. To date, however, attempts to develop a more cohesive and strategic approach in Calgary have been unsuccessful. In 2012, Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence approached two funders – the United Way of Calgary and Area and the City of Calgary’s Family and Community Support Services – to support renewed efforts to coordinate violence prevention programming in this city. The need for coordination was heightened by the fact that Fourth R (Relationship), a teacher delivered evidence-based violence prevention program for youth in grades 7-9, was going to be scaled by Shift across Alberta. Having been alerted to this change in the programming landscape, service providers were eager to come together to consider the implications for their programs. While the project produced a number of good resources for educators and service providers, stakeholder engagement in VPP steadily declined, and the initiative began to lose momentum. As a result, the project was placed on hold in the Spring of 2015, and an evaluation consultant was contracted to gather feedback on the initiative, document learnings, and develop recommendations for next steps. This report offers a brief summary of the findings and recommendations arising from the VPP evaluation.Item Open Access Family Violence Hurts Everyone: A Framework to End Family Violence in Alberta 2013-‐2018(2012-11) Wells, Lana; Strafford, Brenda; Ferguson, Janay; Government of Alberta, Interdepartmental Committee on Family Violence and BullyingIn 2011, Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence, was engaged by the Government of Alberta to bring forward research in prevention science and contribute to the redesign of their family violence prevention framework: Family Violence Hurts Everyone: A Framework to End Family Violence in Alberta. A significant portion of the content within the Framework is based upon research conducted by Lana Wells, the Brenda Strafford Chair at the Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary along with Janay Ferguson, Elizabeth Dozois, Caroline Claussen, Liza Lorenzetti, Casey Boodt, Merrill Cooper and Elena Esina. The strategies are rooted in evidence and incorporate primary prevention approaches to move “upstream” and prevent violence from happening in the first place. The Brenda Strafford Chair submitted a source document to the Government of Alberta in November 2012. Highlights of the source document include: Promoting gender equality, reducing poverty, strengthening Albertan’s connections and social networks, and building parenting skills all contribute to preventing and reducing family violence. Investing in evidence-based programs such as Home Visitation, Violence Prevention and Healthy Youth Relationship programs, and Parenting programs is key to healthy relationships Ending corporal punishment and supporting parents to use positive discipline is a key strategy in prevention Working with men and boys as leaders and allies in family violence prevention with an explicit role in supporting positive father involvement is key to significantly reducing rates of violence Focusing on preventing dating violence because of the escalating rates Supporting the supporters – investing in helping friends, families and neighours recognize, respond and refer as the majority of Albertans go to them first Recognizes the diversity of Albertans (e.g., Aboriginal peoples, immigrants, refugees, newcomers and ethno-cultural communities, disabled people, GLBTQ, victims of sexual violence), thus recommended a targeted approach that must be in consultation with key leaders from these communities Identified a need for a sexual violence action plan and more resources in this area as a key prevention strategyItem Open Access Fatherhood Involvement Reference Report for No Man Left Behind: How and Why to Include Fathers in Government-Funded Parenting Strategies(2016-05) Wells, Lana; Exner-Cortens, DeineraIn December 2015, Shift released the Men and Boys Violence Prevention Project: Informing a Government of Alberta Action Plan to Engage Men and Boys to Stop Violence Against Women. One of the key priorities identified within this action plan was the need for new funding and support to increase positive fatherhood involvement as a key prevention strategy for domestic violence. To meet this need, Shift produced No Man Left Behind: How and Why to Include Fathers in Government-Funded Parenting Strategies (to download report, click on PDF below). This report draws on five different research methods to provide findings and recommendations specific to the Government of Alberta. It is our hope that this report will lead to a robust discussion along with policy, practice and investment changes throughout Alberta. For the details of the research that supported the development of this report, please see the Fatherhood Involvement Reference Report. Shift welcomes any feedback and would be pleased to present the research and recommendations to groups throughout Alberta.Item Open Access Half the Equation - Why fathers are just as important as mothers in preventing domestic violence in the next generation(2014-01) Wells, Lana; Cooper, Merrill; Dozois, Elizabeth; Koziey, LynneThis issue brief is intended to highlight the value of fathers in preventing domestic violence for future generations, and illustrate the unique and important role they play in the lives of their children. Research shows that fathers who are positively engaged take an active role in caring for their child's social, emotional, cognitive, and physical health, and they promote their child's well-being and security. Positive father involvement also means taking on nurturing and caretaking roles, and modeling behaviours that promote gender equity and peaceful ways of resolving conflicts.Item Open Access Home Visitation as a Domestic Violence Prevention Strategy: A Discussion Paper for the Government of Alberta(2012-06) Wells, Lana; Claussen, CarolineShift was asked to research existing Government of Alberta programs and initiatives that could be enhanced or modified to support a reduction in domestic violence rates. As a result of this research, enhancing the Government of Alberta's home visitation program was identified as a key tactic in the prevention of domestic violence.
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