Over a quarter (29%) of Canadian women have been assaulted by a spouse.¹

Ignoring abuse is dangerous for you and your children!
Abuse gets worse over time.

In 1998, 67 women were killed by a current or ex-spouse, boyfriend or ex-boyfriend. That's one to two women per week. In 6 out of 10 spousal murders police were already aware that violence characterized the relationship.4

The lives of your children can be seriously damaged by living in a violent home.

Men who abuse their partners often abuse their children.

Does your partner abuse you in any of the following ways?

• Keep you from family and friends.
• Put you down by calling you names, making you feel stupid, crazy or worthless.
• Threaten violence against you or your children if you try to leave, tell or get help.
• Slap, trip, punch, burn, push, kick, choke or throw things.
• Refuse money for food, rent, clothes, bills.
• Destroy your personal things.
• Force or refuse sex.
• Harm or threaten to harm your pet(s).

A Man Who Abuses:

• Often expresses feelings of fear, hurt and helplessness as anger directed toward you, your children or both.
• Can control his anger in most situations but chooses not to control it with you.
• Often uses alcohol or drug problems as an excuse to continue abusing.
• Often expresses feelings of fear, hurt and helplessness as anger directed toward you, your children or both.
• Can control his anger in most situations but chooses not to control it with you.
• Often uses alcohol or drug problems as an excuse to continue abusing.

It is not your fault.

Women often blame themselves for their partner's abusive behaviour but nothing you do will change his behaviour.

Your abusive partner must accept responsibility for his behaviour and take action to find treatment and support.

You may be staying because:

• You fear your partner will take revenge against you or your children.
• You still love your partner and hope he will change.
• You believe your children are better off living with two parents.
• You have little or no money.
• You feel helpless and hopeless.
• You do not know where to find support.
• You believe you have no place to go.

¹ Statistics Canada, Family Violence in Canada (Ottawa: Minister of Industry, 1999) p. 18.
The data are from Statistics Canada's 1993 Violence Against Women Survey of 12,300
Canadian women aged 18 or over
² Statistics Canada, Family Violence in Canada, p. 12.
³ Statistics Canada, Homicide statistics 1998, The Daily, October 7, 1999.
⁴ Statistics Canada, Homicide statistics 1998, 1999.

"I feel a lot stronger now."
Former Women's Centre Client

"I needed a safe place to go where people understood,
and I got that and much more."
Former Women's Centre Client

"A word to the women: Never give up hope. You can do it."
Former Women's House Client

Copies can be ordered from:

English Version
Metropolitan Action Committee on Violence Against Women and Children
Phone: 416.392.3135 | Toll Free: 1.877.558.5570 | Fax: 416.392.3136
e-mail: info@metrac.org | www.owjn.org

French Version
Action ontarienne contre la violence faite aux femmes
Telephone: 613.241.8433 | Fax: 613.241.8435
aocvf@francofemmes.org | www.francofemmes.org/aocvf

Call 911 or your local police immediately if you are in danger.

The Assaulted Women's Helpline (24 hours)
1-866-863-0511 (toll-free)

Sexual Assault/Rape Crisis Centres
Go to www.sacha.on.ca/other.htm or look in your local telephone book.

Sexual Assault Treatment/Care Centres
Go to www.satcontario.com/centres/centres.shtml/
or look in your local telephone book.

Women's Shelters
Go to www.shelternet.ca or look in your local telephone book.

The views expressed herein ae those of the Grey Bruce Family Violence Coalition and do not necessarily reflect those of the government of Ontario. Reprinted with the support of the Ontario government.