Index of Public Health Resources by Topic or Issue

• Online searchable database of violence prevention resources in Ontario

• Violence Prevention: Continued Call to Action for Ontario: A Position Paper by the OPHA Violence Prevention Workgroup, 2008.

• Reaffirming the Importance of Strict Firearm Regulation to Prevent Firearm Deaths and Injuries: A Position Paper by the OPHA Violence Prevention Workgroup, 2007

• Public Health and Violence Prevention: Maintaining the Momentum: A Position Paper by the OPHA Violence Prevention Workgroup, 2003

• A Public Health Approach to Violence Prevention: A Position Paper by the OPHA Violence Prevention workgroup, 1999

• New: Free On-Line Violence Prevention Course available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Injury Prevention and Control — One way CDC is helping the nation prevent violence is a free on-line course that's available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It's called Principles of Prevention. The course - which offers continuing education credits - teaches key concepts of primary prevention, the public health approach, and the social-ecological model. Participants complete interactive exercises to learn to help prevent five types of violence: Child abuse and neglect; Intimate partner violence; Sexual violence; Suicide; Youth Violence. For additional information on Principles of Prevention, contact Jennifer Middlebrooks.

• The Women's College Research Institute offers a free online, interactive, video gaming program on domestic violence. It was originally designed for hospital based practitioners but has been accessed by many others including social workers, nursing students, shelter workers etc. The program has been accredited for CME credits through the University of Toronto for some specialties.

• "A Public Health Approach to Preventing Violence", Deborah Prothrow-Stith and Rachel Davis.  In Prevention is Primary: Strategies for Community Well-Being, 2010.

• Best Practices of Youth Violence Prevention: A Sourcebook for Community Action Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC), Oct. 17, 2000. http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pub/YV_bestpractices.html

• Creating Safe Environments: Violence Prevention Strategies and Programs, Prevention Institute, 2006 - Discusses approaches to violence prevention with a focus on youth violence and intimate partner violence prevention.

• How parents can help youth date and relate safely, February 14, 2007, Canadian Red Cross: RespectED

• Investing in Youth: International Approaches to Preventing Crime and Victimization [PDF], International Centre for the Prevention of Crime

• Maternal Child Home Visiting Program Improves Nursing Practice for Screening of Woman Abuse. Public Health Nursing Vol. 27 No. 4, pp.347-352, 2010

• Moving From Them to Us: Challenges in Reframing Violence Among Youth, Berkeley Media Studies Group, a project of the Public Health Institute, commissioned by the Prevention Institute, August 2009.

• National Survey of Canadians' Knowledge of the Law on Physical Punishment of Children (Section 43 of the Criminal Code of Canada) Conducted by PR Exchange, January to March, 2006

• Poised for Prevention: Advancing Promising Approaches to Primary Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence. Prevention Institute Report, January 2007

• Preventing Child Maltreatment: A Guide To Taking Action And Generating Evidence. World Health Organization, 2006

• Preventing Violence: A Guide to Implementing The Recommendations Of The World Report On Violence And Health. World Health Organization, 2004

• Preventing Violence: A Primer, Prevention Institute 2009 - This document also describes a framework that incorporates public health, law enforcement, social service, and education perspectives.

• Report on Violence Against Women, Mental Health and Substance Use [PDF] - This report is the summary of a review conducted for the Canadian Women’s Foundation to enhance the grant making, analyze emerging trends, and understand the current philanthropic environment of services for women who have experienced violence and who have mental health and substance use concerns. Canadian Women's Foundation, BC Society of Transition Houses, February, 2011

• UNITY RoadMap: A Framework for Effectiveness and Sustainability, Prevention Institute, 200 - The UNITY RoadMap is a resource for cities to prevent violence before it occurs by mapping out solutions to effectively and sustainably prevent violence. The UNITY RoadMap 1) helps cities understand the current status of their efforts (starting point), 2) describes the core elements necessary to prevent violence before it occurs (milestones), and 3) provides information, resources, and examples to support cities in planning, implementation, and evaluation. As a framework, the UNITY RoadMap is most effective when tailored to the needs of a particular city.

• Reducing Violence: An Alliance for a Safe Future [PDF], Action on Violence in Scotland, March 2006

• Roots of Youth Violence: Poverty, Racism, The Lack Of Decent Housing, Culturally Insensitive Education Systems, And Limited Job Prospects Are Behind The Conditions That Lead To Violence Among Youth, in the Report of the Review of Roots of Youth Violence, November 2008

• Sexual Violence and the Spectrum of Prevention: Towards a Community Solution, Prevention Insitute, 2007 - Provides effective primary prevention activities to reduce the incidence of sexual violence, emphasizing the importance of changing social norms.

• Task Force on the Health Effects of Woman Abuse – Final Report Middlesex London Health Unit, 2000

• The Health Related Costs of Violence Against Women in Canada: The Tip of the Iceberg [PDF], 1995. T. Day. The Centre for Research on Violence against Women and Children, London, Ontario.

• The Joint Statement on the Physical Punishment of Children and Youth [PDF], 2004

• The Physician's Guide to Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse: A Reference for Health Care Professionals, April 2006

• Toronto Public Health News Release on the National Survey of Canadians' Attitudes on "Spanking Law", November 2005

• Transforming Communities to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse andExploitation:  A Primary Prevention Approach. Annie Lyles, MSW, Larry Cohen, MSW and Margot Brown, May 2009.  Prevention Institute.

• Violence in Society: A Public Health Perspective. 1994. Canadian Public Health Association, Ottawa, Ontario.

• World Report on Violence and Health: The Joint Statement on the Physical Punishment of Children and Youth. World Health Organization, 2002

• B.C. Institute Against Family Violence

• Canadian Council on Social Development: Canadian Children's Exposure to Violence:What it Means for Parents

• Centre for Children and Families in the Justice System

• Centre for Disease Control, National Centre for Injury Prevention and Control, Violence Prevention

  • Workplace Violence
  • Best Practices of Youth Violence Prevention: A Sourcebook for Community Action
  • Youth Violence

• Centre for the Prevention of School Violence

• Centre for the Study and Prevention of Violence, University of Colorado

• Centre for Children and Families in the Justice System- formerly the London Family Court Clinic. Thi is a non-profit social service agency helping children and families involved with the justice system as victims of crime, witnesses of crime, parties in custody disputes, subjects of child protection proceedings, litigants in civil suits for compensation, teenagers in therapeutic care settings, or youthful offenders. They are known especially for their grounded approach to understanding and helping children exposed to domestic violence.

• End Violence Against Women - Information and Resources

• Family Violence Prevention Fund

• Harvard Youth Violence Prevention Centre

• Institute for the Prevention of Crime, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa

• International Centre for the Prevention of Crime

• LaMarsh Centre for Research on Violence and Conflict Resolution

• Men Against Sexual Violence

• Minnesota Centre Against Violence and Abuse

• National Clearinghouse on Family Violence, Public Health Agency of Canada

• National Crime Prevention Centre (Canadian)

• Ontario Women's Directorate

• Prevention Institute - Violence Prevention

• Public Health Agency of Canada – Violence Prevention

• Springtide (formerly Education Wife Assault)

• U.S. Department of Justice: Office of Violence Against Women

• Violence Against Women: testing the effectiveness of screening
  This site describes a program of research which addresses the question "Is screening for violence against women effective in reducing violence and improving quality of life for women and their children". The research is sponsored by the Ontario Women's Health Council.

• Woman Abuse Council of Toronto

• World Health Organization: Department of Injuries and Violence Prevention

• Youth Violence

Other Recommended References

• A.S.A.P.: A School-based Anti-violence Program. 1996. London Family Court Clinic, London, Ontario

• Compendium of Practices and Policies on Women's Safety [PDF] - The Compendium of practices and policies on Women's Safety includes 69 examples from 32 countries. It is divided into four main sections:

  • Municipal strategies
  • Non-government initiatives
  • National government strategies and policies
  • Tools and resources

• Family Violence: Department of Justice Canada Overview Paper [PDF] - This overview paper provides introductory and statistical information about family violence that is relevant to all the other overview papers in this series, which cover the following topics:

  • spousal abuse
  • dating violence
  • child abuse
  • sexual abuse and exploitation of children and youth
  • abuse of older adults

• Global Campaign for Violence Prevention - The Global Campaign for Violence Prevention was launched following the release of the World report on violence and health, in October, 2002. The objectives of the campaign are to raise awareness about the problem of violence, highlight the crucial role that public health can play in addressing its causes and consequences and encourage action at every level of society. The Campaign serves as the main platform for implementing the recommendations of the World report on violence and health. World Health Organization (WHO)

• Helping an Abused Woman: 101 Things to Know, Say and Do - This resource, the first of the "Helping Hands" Guides on Skill Building and Tools for Helpers and Healers, can be used by anyone who supports women. Topics addressed give readers insight into how abuse affects women and gives concrete ideas to apply in their work with women. You'll find concrete "tool box ideas" for interventions with women, short summaries of the latest research, and handouts to supplement your one-on-one or group work with women. Linda Baker and Alison Cunningham (2008)

• Institute for the Prevention of Crime, University of Ottawa - This web site offers knowledge about the nature of criminal victimization as well as evidence on what works to reduce crime. It uses and provides access to authoritative sources and data. It is designed for policy makers, the public and others who want to see crime reduced.

• Little Eyes, Little Ears: How Violence Against a Mother Shapes Children as they Grow - A resource for anyone looking to understand how children experience violence against their mothers and how those experiences may shape them as they grow, from infancy to adolescence. Topics addressed include facts and figures, ten ways a child can be changed by living with violence at home, and some myths about woman abuse and children. This is a concise source of information for helping professionals, volunteers or students. Alison Cunningham and Linda Baker (2007)

• Media Violence, Policy Statement, American Academy of Pediatrics, Council on Communications and Media - Exposure to violence in media, including television, movies, music, and video games, represents a significant risk to the health of children and adolescents. Extensive research evidence indicates that media violence can contribute to aggressive behaviour, desensitization to violence, nightmares, and fear of being harmed. Pediatricians should assess their patients' level of media exposure and intervene on media-related health risks. Pediatricians and other child health care providers can advocate for a safer media environment for children by encouraging media literacy, more thoughtful and proactive use of media by children and their parents, more responsible portrayal of violence by media producers, and more useful and effective media ratings. Office counselling has been shown to be effective. Pediatrics, Vol. 124 No. 5 November 2009, pp. 1495-1503

• Media Violence, Position Paper, The American Academy of Family Physicians - Four key measures are recommended.

• Model Core Program Paper: Prevention of Violence, Abuse & Neglect [PDF] - This paper identifies the core elements that are provided by British Columbia health authorities to support prevention of violence, abuse and neglect. It is intended, as part of the BC Core Functions in Public Health, to reflect evidence-based practice and support continuous performance.

• Neighbours, Friends and Families- is a public education campaign to raise awareness of the signs of woman abuse so that those close to an at-risk woman or an abusive man can help.

• Responding to Domestic Violence in Clinical Settings - Online curriculum on Domestic Violence - has 17 units in the competency - based curriculum developed with the assistance of an expert panel. Its intent is to train emergency department, family practice and ob-gynies in better recognizing and responding to issues of woman abuse.

• Seventh Annual Report of the Domestic Violence Death Review Committee [PDF], Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, Office of the Chief Coroner - The Domestic Violence Death Review Committee is a multi-disciplinary advisory committee of experts that was established in 2003 in response to recommendations made from two major inquests into the deaths of Arlene May, Randy Iles, and Gillian and Ralph Hadley. The mandate of the DVDRC is to assist the Office of the Chief Coroner with the investigation and review of deaths involving domestic violence with a view to making recommendations aimed at preventing deaths in similar circumstances and reducing domestic violence in general.

• Shaken Baby Syndrome – The Joint Statement on Shaken Baby Syndrome - released in 2001 by Health Canada and was co-signed by: Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, Canadian Institute of Child Health, Canadian Paediatric Society, Canadian Public Health Association, Child Welfare League of Canada, The Canadian Bar Association, and the Saskatchewan Institute on Prevention of Handicaps.

• Woman Abuse: Screening, Identification and Initial Response, RNAO Implementation Guidelines on Partner Abuse [PDF]