In the Family

Is a family member trying to control your behaviour by using intimidation, physical force, finances, manipulation or guilt? The following resources provide information on abuse and violence that occurs between family members who may or may not live in the same household. Some are specifically about child abuse, elder abuse or spousal abuse.

The resources on this page were hand-picked by the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta's staff as a good place to start.

 


CPLEA Suggested Resources

Not sure where to begin finding answers to your questions. Get started with our suggested resources. See additional resources below for more information.

Alberta Resources

The Centre provides group treatment, counselling, advocacy, and education to reduce the incidents of family violence and increase awareness and understanding of family violence and its impact.

Related legal topic(s): Advocacy, Family violence general resources

Elder abuse isn't just physical, it can also be sexual, emotional, and financial. These FAQs and booklet provide information on what elder abuse is, how to recognize different forms of elder abuse and what to do about it.
Related legal topic(s): Elder abuse

Families and the Law: Child Welfare Series

This series of plain language resources addresses the needs of individuals involved in the child welfare system. It includes a visual, low literacy guide to the child welfare court process as well as several “need to know” fact sheets. This special project was made possible by funding from the Alberta Law Foundation.

For a listing of all CPLEA family law publications see: www.cplea.ca/publications/family-law

Related legal topic(s): Family law general resources

This service is offered by the Government of Alberta, Family Violence Prevention Unit. Trained staff can help get you to safety and give you information on supports and financial aid. 

If you think someone you know is experiencing family violence, reach out by calling or texting the Family Violence Info Line at 310-1818, toll-free 24/7, or using the confidential online chat. Phone services are available in more than 170 languages.

Related legal topic(s): Child abuse, Family violence general resources, Protective orders, Relationship violence, Victim support and victim rights

This section of the Government of Alberta: Family Violence website is dedicated to the prevention of family violence and bullying. The page provides activities and resources to help prevent family violence and domestic violence, and support healthy relationships.

Related legal topic(s): Elder abuse, Family violence general resources

HomeFront is a non-profit organization that collaborates with the justice system, police and community partners to reduce domestic violence in Calgary and the surrounding area. The Domestic Violence Intervention & Resource Team (DVIRT) provide victims support through the court process. Their services are provided free of charge. You must be referred to them by the Calgary Police Services.

Related legal topic(s): Family violence general resources, Spousal abuse

This brochure is produced by Leduc Victims Services to prepare and assist parents in the event they are confronted with child sexual abuse or exploitation in their family.

Related legal topic(s): Child abuse, Sexual assault

In August 2016, the Residential Tenancies (Safer Spaces for Victims of Domestic Violence) Amendment Act, Termination of Tenancy (Domestic Violence) Regulation, and amendments to the RTA Ministerial Regulation, were proclaimed. These changes to the RTA allow victims of domestic violence to end a tenancy early and without financial penalty. This legislation applies in cases where if the tenancy continues: •  The tenant’s safety is at risk; •  A dependant child’s safety is at risk; or •  A protected adult’s safety is at risk.

Related legal topic(s): Child abuse, Landlord and tenant, Relationship violence, Spousal abuse

Responding to Child Abuse in Alberta: A Handbook , provides guidelines around the reporting and investigation of child abuse, with the goal of ensuring the safety and well being of Alberta's children. The handbook was jointly developed by the Ministers of Health and Wellness, Education, Children's Services, Justice and Attorney General, and Solicitor General and Public Security, in consultation with organizations and professionals that provide services for children.This handbook covers:     how to recognize abuse and neglect, how to respond to a disclosure of abuse or neglect from a child, how to report abuse and neglect and intervene, how investigations are undertaken and the role of service providers, the rules governing the sharing of information among service providers, and the importance of collaboration among all those working with children and families

Related legal topic(s): Child abuse

Sagesse assists women who have experienced domestic violence or are at risk of being abused. They empower individuals, organizations and communities to break the cycle of domestic violence by curating environments to heal and lead safe, healthy lives . The literal translation of Sagesse is wisdom.The agency encourages the wisdom to seek help, to support and connect, to share knowledge, to self-reflect, and lastly, to create space for healing, learning, and growth.

Related legal topic(s): Family violence general resources, Spousal abuse

The Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre (SKCAC) is a non-profit organization that, together with their partners, takes a leadership role to advance the way our country understands and addresses child abuse. They work with their partner organizations to provide wrap-around services to assess, investigate, intervene, and support survivors of child abuse while bringing offenders to justice.

Related legal topic(s): Advocacy, Child abuse

The Family Centre exists to foster healthy families in healthy communities. The Centre works to strengthen family wellness and build community capacity through innovative services and collaborative partnerships to engage our most vulnerable families in caring for our children. The Rainbow Pages Youth Resource Guide was developed by The Family Centre to provide LGBTQ+ youth and the youth-serving community a consolidated guide of the supports available in Edmonton.

Related legal topic(s): Sexual assault, Victim support and victim rights

Canada/Federal

Published by Canadian Centre for Elder Law, this comprehensive resource includes snapshots of the law in each of the thirteen provinces and territories, a comparative table that allows for quick reference, a set of guiding principles for working with vulnerable adults, and sections that discuss mandatory report ing of abuse and neglect, rules around confidentiality of personal and health information, and the relationship between mental capacity and elder abuse. The guide also contains a lengthy list of resource agencies. This PDF (71 pages, 2010) is available for free download.

Related legal topic(s): Elder abuse, Legal process, Relationship violence

CCAA is supports professionals, communities, victims and witnesses involved in the investigation of child abuse through the development and delivery of educational products and services; promotion of a coordinated, interdisciplinary approach to child abuse investigations; identification and response to key issues and concerns of child abuse investigators; advocacy for excellence and professionalism in the investigation of child abuse; promotion of the well-being of children and families going through the investigative process; provision of professional training and research. The CCAA produces many resources and tools to assist with court preparation, such as their Court Preparation Curriculum Package which provides court preparation facilitators with the knowledge and materials to successfully prepare children, teens, and parents for their day in court.

Related legal topic(s): Child abuse, Witnesses

Relationship violence can strike anyone, but teenagers are particularly vulnerable to misconceptions about what physical and emotional violence are, and what they mean. If it hurts, dominates or controls, it's not romance! This page from the Red Cross provides links to publications about relationship violence, what is is, what parents can do, and information about what is healthy and unhealthy in relationships.

Related legal topic(s): Bullying, Family violence general resources, Relationship violence

This website has information about elder abuse, with brochures and videos on these topics: What You Can Do When Abuse or Neglect Is Happening to an Older Adult in Your Life, How You Can Identify Abuse and Help Older Adults at Risk, and  What You Can Do to Keep Yourself Safe from Abuse

Related legal topic(s): Elder abuse, Family violence general resources

They're Canada's only toll-free, 24-hour, bilingual and anonymous phone counselling, referral and Internet service for children and youth. The service is completely anonymous and confidential - they don't trace calls, they don't use call display. You don't even have to tell them your name if you don't want to. (1-800-668-6868)

Related legal topic(s): Bullying, Child abuse, Gangs, Harassment, Relationship violence, School safety, Victim support and victim rights, Youth criminal justice

The Canadian Network of Women's Shelters and Transition Houses new online resource which provides women and their children with a one stop connection to help in their community.

Related legal topic(s): Elder abuse, Family violence general resources, Relationship violence, Spousal abuse

Developed by the Native Women's Association of Canada the toolkit provides Aboriginal women with community safety planning resources to address domestic violence. The toolkit also includes a Who’s Who: Domestic Violence Resource Guide of services available to Aboriginal women in every province and territory.

Related legal topic(s): Family violence general resources

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