Spending on preventing domestic violence could save Albertans ...

Experts are calling on the province to ratchet up investment in preventing domestic violence in the wake of new research that shows the ongoing social problem costs Alberta up to $600 million every five years.

?Domestic violence is pervasive in Alberta, and it is costly,? said the report?s author Lana Wells, who is with the faculty of social work at the University of Calgary.

?It is not a private issue, but unquestionably a public issue. But we can do something to prevent it, and doing that is cost-effective.?

The U of C?s School of Public Policy released the report Tuesday, entitled Preventing Domestic Violence in Alberta: A Cost Savings Perspective, reiterating recent studies that show Alberta has the fifth-highest rate of police-reported partner violence and the second-highest rate of self-reported spousal violence in Canada.

But besides the devastating toll that domestic violence has on its victims and their families, the ongoing cost to Albertans is significant ? with over $600 million spent on the provision of basic supports, including health care, legal aid, social assistance, counselling and addictions treatment.

Much of those costs, the report says, are incurred even by victims who choose to flee. Years after the domestic violence began, many continue to be harassed, stalked and abused.

In fact, every hour of every day, a woman in Alberta will undergo some form of interpersonal violence from an ex-partner or ex-spouse.

But investment in quality prevention and intervention initiatives can be cost-effective, with up to $20 in cost savings for every dollar spent, the report says.

Wells says it?s important to identify ?where there is the best evidence to reduce rates.?

So far, that includes improvements to existing programs like in-home nurse visitations for new mothers and better educating nurses to identify the signs of domestic violence.

Wells said improved education curricula for high school students around healthy relationships is another way to reduce rates.

Recent examples include a new sports program in Edmonton asking coaches to educate young male athletes about domestic violence and healthy relationships.

And next year, more than 12,000 Alberta Grade 7 students will participate in a pilot project, a new health curriculum discussing healthy relationships. The program is called 4th R ? recognizing education around relationships is just as important as reading, writing and arithmetic.

Alberta Human Services spokeswoman Christina Bruce said the province is now working on a new strategy around prevention for domestic violence in conjunction with Wells? research and admits that may ultimately result in a larger financial investment in prevention.

?We?re reviewing all of our family violence policies, with a goal to look at how we can strengthen response in prevention and intervention.?

But New Democrat MLA Rachel Notley says the main reason the province spent so much on the outcomes of domestic violence is because preventative services have been significantly scaled back in recent years.

Notley points mainly to mental health supports, cut recently with the loss of a suicide prevention program for First Nations people and the scaling back of nurses, counsellors and psychologists in Alberta high schools.

And while domestic violence often stems from mental health issues, Alberta still provides half the national average of mental health beds, Notley said.

Among new immigrants, she added, men in particular often find it difficult to access mental health support.

eferguson@calgaryherald.com

? Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald

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