Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence
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The Brenda Strafford Chair in the Prevention of Domestic Violence created Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence. Shift's goal is to significantly reduce and prevent domestic violence in Alberta. The name Shift represents the spirit of this innovative project designed to create transformational change using a primary prevention approach to stop first-time victimization and perpetration of domestic violence. In short, primary prevention means taking action to build resilience and prevent problems before they occur.
The purpose of Shift’s research is: to contribute to building a primary prevention framework in Alberta; and to enhance the capacity of policy makers, systems leaders, clinicians, service providers and the community at large, to significantly reduce the rates of domestic violence in Alberta. We are committed to making our research accessible and working collaboratively with a diverse range of stakeholders, to inform and influence current and future domestic violence prevention efforts, through the perspective of primary prevention.
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Item Open Access Insights on Engaging Men and Boys in Creating a More Gender Equal Future in Canada(2023-10-03) Wells, Lana; Fotheringham, Sarah; Pascoe, LauraThis article presents findings from a national qualitative research study of 33 diverse and profeminist leaders who identify as men and are engaged in gender equality work with men and boys across Canada. Key findings include the need to meet men where they are at, moving away from the ineffective “all men are perpetrators” frame, and to evolve to new and more relatable narratives and approaches that get men committed to this work for their own liberation. Taking an intersectional approach and working in partnership with feminist and intersectional organizations are essential to advancing gender equality in the Canadian context.Item Open Access Strong women’s circle: Supporting Alberta’s primary prevention framework by mapping root causes of violence and identifying policy recommendations to stop violence against Indigenous peoples before it starts(2023-01) McLeod, Suzanne; Mahegun, Tails; Wells, Lana; Litviniuc, AnyaThis report informs the Alberta Primary Prevention Framework Collaborative project, a partnership between Shift, the Government of Alberta, and the IMPACT collective, focused on advancing upstream primary prevention efforts to stop violence before it starts. The research report centers Indigenous Peoples experiences and outlines primary prevention solutions that address the root causes of violence and promote systemic change. It builds on the rich work that has been accomplished by Indigenous researchers and activists from across Canada and reflects the expertise and lived experiences of three Indigenous researchers and eight Elders living in Alberta, who guided the research process. Created in ethical space, where Indigenous and Western worldviews came together to co-create sustainable anti-violence solutions, the report proposes five transformative changes to achieve Indigenous sovereignty along with a list of reforms for six systems that increase Indigenous Peoples’ vulnerability to violence: justice and policing, child welfare, health, education, housing, and transportation.Item Open Access Building a movement of men and boys committed to violence prevention and gender equality in Alberta: Informing the Alberta primary prevention framework collaborative(2023-01-12) Wells, Lana; Pascoe, Laura; Litviniuc, AnyaThis report informs Alberta’s next and exciting chapter of expanding work with men and boys to end violence and advance gender equality. It was written to support the Alberta Primary Prevention Framework Collaborative by providing clear and actionable strategies for Alberta’s anti-violence sector as well as the Government of Alberta. We have organized the information into three evidence-informed sections. The first section is the case for engaging men and boys along with foundational theories and approaches to help readers orient themselves in this work. The second section is directed towards the Government of Alberta, to whom we propose a much-needed provincial plan for investing in working with men and boys for a violence-free and gender-equitable Alberta. The provincial plan details how to support and advance this work in communities, organizations, and across Alberta, along with policy and legislative reforms needed to create the social conditions to enable more men and boys to prevent violence and advance gender equality. The final section is geared towards leaders and practitioners. Here, we clearly state what we aim to achieve through this work by articulating the specific change outcomes we seek and the behaviours that gender equitable, nonviolent men demonstrate. This is followed by concrete strategies, skills, and approaches for targeting men and boys, and the settings in which they live, learn, work, socialize, play, and worship to support and reinforce prosocial behaviours.Item Open Access The Calling in Men Project FAQs on the 9 Promising Approaches for Practitioners Engaging Men in Violence Prevention and Gender Equality(2022-10-01) Pascoe, Laura; Wells, Lana; Dozois, Elizabeth; Baker, Elizabeth; Akbary, Hamid; Hansen, BrianNeed a quick overview of the latest research on the bystander approach? Or ever wondered if innovative approaches like the nudge approach, virtual reality, or gamification have a valuable place in work to engage and mobilize men for violence prevention and gender equality? This document answers all your questions about key established and emergent promising approaches for working with men. Dive in, and see what is possible for getting men excited, onboard, and equipped with the necessary skills to end violence and advance gender and social equality!Item Open Access Building a Movement: Mobilizing more men for violence prevention, gender equality, and social justice in Canada: Recommendations for the Government of Canada(2022-10-01) Pascoe, Laura; Wells, LanaThe Government of Canada is committed to ending violence and advancing gender equality. To strengthen these efforts, a national strategy is urgently needed that will support the engagement and mobilization of more men and boys to stop violence before it starts and achieve gender and social justice. This report responds to Women and Gender Equality Canada’s interest in advancing this work and provides concrete and evidence-informed opportunities and recommendations to support the research, collaborations, partnerships, network-building, capacity building, processes, and funding needed to do just that. It was undertaken as part of the Calling In Men research project and builds on previous recommendations made to the Government of Canada and Women and Gender Equality Canada.Item Open Access Opening the Door Beyond the Legal System: Understanding the Use of Alternative Justice Approaches to Sexual Violence Prevention and Healing in Canada(2022-06-29) Claussen, Caroline; Goulet, Sharon; Wells, LanaVictimization surveys suggest that one in three women in Canada and one in six men will experience some kind of sexual violence in their lifetimes. Rather than turn to the police, most victims turn to family or friends or shoulder the burden in silence. For every 1000 sexual assaults in Canada, only 33 are reported, and only 3 result in convictions of the perpetrator. The reality is the current criminal justice responses to sexual violence are not serving victims. When presented with alternatives to the traditional justice system, victims routinely choose them and experience much better outcomes with alternative justice approaches. In 2021, with support from the Canadian Women’s Foundation, Shift conducted research to better understand alternative justice approaches to sexual violence healing and prevention in Canada. By alternative justice approaches, we mean those activities and interventions that are outside the criminal legal system, that are victim and survivor-centred, trauma-informed, and promote prevention, accountability, justice, healing, and repair. The research project involved reviewing academic and grey literature, conducting an environmental scan, and interviewing advocates and practitioners who engage in this work. Through these three data collection methodologies, principles, practices, training, and activities have been identified, along with a series of recommendations to continue to grow and support this area of practice.Item Open Access Calling in All Men: 26 Recommendations for Engaging and Mobilizing Men to Prevent Violence and Advance Equity(2022-05) Pascoe, Laura; Wells, Lana; Dozois, ElizabethThe purpose of the Calling In Men research project is to synthesize evidence-informed primary prevention approaches that engage and mobilize men to prevent and disrupt violence and inequalities, and to share these findings with those funding and working with men and male-identified people in Canada. As part of this project, nine rapid evidence reviews were conducted on promising approaches to motivating and engaging men in violence prevention and gender equality efforts. This report draws on findings from each of the rapid reviews to provide a high-level synthesis of emergent evidence for what works to engage and mobilize men to prevent violence and promote gender justice, equality, diversity, and inclusion. It includes a series of recommendations that were developed for a range of stakeholders, including governments, funders, researchers/evaluators, and practitioners. The findings also provide the foundation for identifying gaps in the field and formulating recommendations for the type and level of research, funding, learning, and action needed to make further progress in these areas.Item Open Access High-Level Summary of Nine Rapid Evidence Reviews: Innovative Approaches to Mobilize More Men to Prevent Violence and Advance Equity(2022-05) Pascoe, Laura; Wells, Lana; Baker, Elizabeth; Akbary, Hamid; Hansen, Brian; Esina, ElenaAs part of the Calling In Men research project, nine rapid evidence reviews were conducted on evidence-informed primary prevention approaches to engage and mobilize men to prevent and disrupt violence and inequalities, with the goal to share these findings with those funding and working with men and male-identified people to prevent violence and advance equity. To support and advance work to engage and mobilize men, both well-known and emergent approaches that show promise in engaging and mobilizing men were identified for review. This report is a summary of the findings from all nine rapid evidence reviews.Item Open Access Engaging Men Across the Violence Prevention Continuum: An Exploratory Study(2021-06) Hansen, Brian; Wells, Lana; Claussen, CarolineMen have a role to play in the prevention of violence against women; however, there is increasing awareness that the social service sector has failed to adequately engage men in violence prevention programming and advocacy. This study used semi-structured interviews to explore the challenges that a sample of Canadian violence prevention practitioners and organizations face in engaging men in preventing violence and generating practice recommendations for what is needed to better equip practitioners. At an organizational level, findings indicate that more capacity-building around emerging research, strategies, and tools in working with and engaging men in the prevention of violence is required. Challenges around recruiting male staff, in what is primarily considered a female-dominated profession, were also noted. Practitioners also discussed the role of masculine gender norms as barriers to men’s help-seeking and engagement in violence prevention advocacy. Recommendations include expanding social work curriculum and training to include information and resources on working with men, as well as increased research on best and promising practices to support organizations and practitioners in their engagement efforts.Item Open Access Predictors of Healthy Youth Relationships Program Implementation in a Sample of Canadian Middle School Teachers(2019-06) Exner-Cortens, Deinera; Spiric, Vanja; Crooks, Claire V.; Syeda, Maisha M.; Wells, LanaImplementation of evidence-based, Tier 1 social-emotional learning (SEL) programming that supports healthy relationships skills is recognized as a key mental health promotion and violence prevention strategy for youth. However, work specifically exploring how to support the high-quality implementation of such programming with Canadian teachers and schools is just beginning to emerge. Drawing on implementation frameworks that emphasize the importance of setting, provider and implementation process characteristics for understanding program implementation outcomes, this prospective, longitudinal study explores implementation of the Fourth R, a SEL-based healthy relationships program, in a Western Canadian province using a sample of middle-school teachers. The aim of this mixed-methods study was to illuminate relationships among teachers’ attitudes towards evidence-based programming, perceptions of organizational climate and training experience with program implementation outcomes (dosage, quality, fidelity). Findings of this exploratory study identified that these characteristics influenced implementation dosage, quality and fidelity in differential ways. Qualitative data drawn from teacher interviews supported quantitative findings, and highlighted the importance of organizational support for high-quality implementation. We discuss areas for further study, given that there are significant gaps in knowledge about teachers’ attitudes towards evidence-based programming, school climate and other systemic factors in the Canadian context, as well as relevance of study findings to the field of school psychology.Item Open Access Media Monitoring during COVID-19: Domestic violence, sexual violence, child abuse, women’s rights, gender equality(2020-07) Wells, LanaBetween December 1, 2019 and July 16, 2020, this document has been updated daily with the goal of compiling media updates related to domestic violence, sexual violence, child maltreatment, gender equality and women’s rights during COVID-19 in selected countries. The objective of this process was to monitor and understand media coverage of these issues to inform the development and implementation of policies, programs, and approaches to prevent and address domestic violence, sexual violence, child maltreatment, and gender inequality in the context of COVID-19. The collected data was not analyzed but can be used to explore a variety of research questions that centre around understanding predominant issues covered by the media in relation to domestic/sexual violence and child maltreatment in the context of COVID-19. Individuals, practitioners, organizations, and policy-makers may use this resource to inform prevention and intervention strategies during times of crisis and disaster.Item Open Access Building a Case for Using “Coercive Control” in Alberta: Discussion Paper(2020-09) Lee, Lianne; Wells, Lana; Gray, Shawna M.; Esina, ElenaAs part of Shift’s collaboration with IMPACT (a provincial collective impact initiative to eradicate domestic and sexual violence in Alberta), a series of papers and trainings modules are being developed to help build an evidence-informed primary prevention framework in Alberta. This particular report was focused on helping members of IMPACT better understand the coercive control model and examine the potential of adopting the model to inform the development of Alberta’s primary prevention framework. A presentation of the findings was also developed and shared with IMPACT members. Findings from this review suggest that the coercive control model has many strengths; however, adoption of the model in Alberta will require additional research to address its limitations and understand the usefulness of the model in advancing primary prevention.Item Open Access A summary of the public’s perceptions of domestic and sexual violence in Alberta(2020-09) Lee, Lianne; Wells, Lana; Esina, ElenaAs part of Shift’s collaboration with IMPACT (a provincial collective impact initiative to eradicate domestic and sexual violence in Alberta), a series of papers and training modules are being developed to help build an evidence-informed primary prevention framework in Alberta. This particular report was focused on helping members of IMPACT better understand existing public perceptions on the issues of domestic violence and sexual violence in Alberta. A presentation of the findings was also developed and shared with IMPACT members. Findings from this review suggest that there are many gaps in Albertans’ perceptions about domestic and sexual violence, particularly among Albertan men. Segmented and targeted campaigns are needed to support more Albertans to understand gender equality and behave in ways that reinforce this understanding in communities, workplaces, and homes.Item Open Access Summary of Findings From Interviews and Surveys With the Engaging Men Learning Collaborative Participants, Leaders and Key Stakeholders(2020-04) Innes, MelissaThe following report is part of the overall evaluation of the 2017-2020 Engaging Men Learning Collaborative and Shift’s efforts to track and measure changes of the project. This particular summary is focused on information gathered from stakeholders in early 2020 and does not include developmental evaluation findings from the project. Much of the learning and development that was surfaced through the developmental evaluation is captured in the engaging men practice framework and thus not duplicated here.Item Open Access Strengthening the Circle: An International Review of Government Domestic Violence Prevention Plans and Inclusion of Indigenous Peoples(2020-01) Fotheringham, Sarah; Wells, Lana; Goulet, SharonThis study describes the level of government commitment in preventing domestic violence (DV) towards Indigenous women in countries of the Global North. Seventy-two government-endorsed DV prevention plans across 11 countries were analyzed. While over half of the plans acknowledged Indigenous peoples, the main discourse reinforced a western DV paradigm, reproduced negative stereotypes, and ignored systemic factors. Little consideration for intersectionality, the impact of colonization, or Indigenous worldviews was evident. Targeted prevention strategies were found but were disjointed and culturally inappropriate. Taken together, these findings suggest minimal government commitment and absence of cultural understanding regarding DV in Indigenous communities.Item Open Access Changing Contexts: A Framework for Engaging Male-Oriented Settings in Gender Equality and Violence Prevention – Practitioners’ Guide(2020-04) Dozois, Elizabeth; Wells, LanaChanging Contexts: A Framework for Engaging Male-Oriented Settings in Gender Equality and Violence Prevention – Practitioners’ Guide is an approach that was designed in partnership with the Engaging Men Learning Collaborative (2017-2020). The ‘Changing Contexts” approach complements current ‘changing minds’ approaches (e.g., psychoeducational) to engaging men in gender equality and violence prevention by highlighting ways that contextual changes can be used to influence behaviour, including changes to social norms, organizational design, sociocultural and physical design. This practitioners’ guide outlines ways that human service professionals can collaborate with constituents of male-oriented settings to change the contextual dynamics within those settings so that the culture, norms, processes, and physical design of those environments cue more prosocial, gender-equitable behaviours.Item Open Access Les hommes de demain, aujourd’hui : Perspective d’hommes canadiens concernant l’engagement des hommes et des garçons quant à la création d’un futur égalitaire entre les genres(2019-10) Fotheringham, Sarah; Wells, LanaEn 2018, le gouvernement fédéral a lancé un appel d'offres pour mener une étude nationale de recherche avec des hommes. Cette étude servirait de base à l'élaboration d'une stratégie fédérale d'engagement des hommes et des garçons qui favorise l'égalité des genres et permettrait de développer une compréhension plus nuancée des masculinités dans la société canadienne en examinant les expériences des hommes qui résistent aux hiérarchies et aux préjugés sexistes. En novembre 2018, Shift a obtenu le contrat et a mené une étude qualitative pour révéler les motivations et les expériences des hommes pro-féministes actuellement engagés dans le travail sur l'égalité des genres au Canada et pour apprendre comment nous pouvons attirer, inviter, encourager et soutenir d'autres hommes et garçons à s'engager et à se mobiliser dans ce travail. Trente-trois hommes pro-féministes ont été interviewés d'un bout à l'autre du pays. Ce rapport de recherche souligne les thèmes, les leçons, et les recommandations sur la manière dont nous pouvons mieux soutenir les hommes qui sont promoteurs de l'égalité des genres et de la prévention de la violence sexiste.Item Open Access Tomorrow’s Men Today: Canadian Men’s Insights on Engaging Men and Boys in Creating a More Gender Equal Future(2019-10) Fotheringham, Sarah; Wells, LanaIn 2018, the federal government put out a competitive bidding process to conduct a national research study with men to inform the development of a federal engagement strategy for men and boys that promotes gender equality and to develop a more nuanced understanding of masculinities in Canadian society by seeking lived experiences of men who resist gender-based hierarchies and prejudices. In November 2018, Shift was awarded the contract and designed a qualitative study to reveal the motivations and experiences of pro-feminist men currently engaged in gender equality work in Canada and to learn how we can attract, invite, encourage, and support other men and boys to get engaged and mobilized in this work. Thirty-three male-identified gender equality advocates were interviewed from coast to coast to coast. This research report highlights themes, lessons learned and recommendations on how we can better support male-identified gender equality and violence prevention advocates.Item Open Access Advancing Healthy and Socially Just Schools and Communities: An Interdisciplinary Graduate Program(2019-08) Corcoran, Lynn; Exner-Cortens, Deinera; Wells, LanaAdvancing Healthy and Socially Just Schools and Communities is a four-course graduate certificate program collaboratively developed by an interdisciplinary team comprised of faculty from the fields of Social Work and Education at a Canadian university. The aim of this program is to facilitate systems-level change through enhancing the knowledge and skills of graduate students from disciplines such as social work, education, and nursing who work with youth in schools and communities. The ultimate goal of this systems-level change is promotion of healthy youth relationships and prevention of violence. The topics for the four courses in the program include the following: promoting healthy relationships and preventing interpersonal violence, recognizing and counteracting oppression and structural violence, addressing trauma and building resilience, and fostering advocacy and community in the context of social justice. The development and pedagogy of the certificate program are described, along with findings from a pilot study designed to examine the utility and feasibility of the initial certificate offering. Experiences with the program to date highlight the potential for improvements in graduate students’ attitudes, beliefs, and confidence regarding what constitutes violence and their role in responding to it.Item Open Access The Case for Reparative and Transformative Justice Approaches to Sexual Violence in Canada: A Proposal to Pilot and Test New Approaches.(2018-12) Boutilier, Sophia; Wells, LanaThe intention of writing this case and proposal is in response to the highly-visible #MeToo and #TimesUp movements that have provided an opportunity to think about processes for healing from sexual violence and social change. Sexual abusers and harassers are being called out, but where do they go? Where do the victims of sexual violence go if they do not want to pursue a traditional justice response? At Shift, we believe that we need to be working on strategies and initiatives that create hope, healing, and opportunities to transform gender relations and norms. We hope this case will inspire and rally key leaders in communities, government, advocacy, and justice to design, fund, pilot, and evaluate non-mandated programs outside of the criminal justice system. We call for a non-mandated model that integrates restorative, reparative, and transformative principles to respond to sexual violence. We believe that this approach has the potential to meet victims’ needs, rehabilitate offenders, address injustice, and prevent future acts of violence.