Interventions for the Prevention of Family Violence in Indigenous Populations Policy Brief

This policy brief identifies interventions for the prevention of family violence in Indigenous populations, with a focus on intimate partner violence (IPV) and child maltreatment—two predominant forms of family violence. The issue requires attention for two central reasons. First, Indigenous peoples—particularly Indigenous women and children—are much more likely to experience some form of family violence than their non-Indigenous counterparts. A second reason why the issue of prevention strategies requires attention rests on demographic changes. Canada’s Indigenous population is young and growing. In 2016, the average age of Canada’s Aboriginal population was 32.1 years, almost a decade younger than the non-Aboriginal population (40.9 years). Population projections indicate that the Indigenous population will continue to grow at a rapid pace, reaching well over 2.5 million persons in the next two decades. 

Any approach to addressing and preventing family violence among Indigenous groups should take the following considerations into account in order to have the greatest impact. First and foremost, solutions and/or prevention strategies should be targeted so that they address the unique needs and circumstances of Canada’s diverse Indigenous peoples. This will require greater involvement and/or participation of Indigenous peoples themselves in all aspects of program development. Second, evidence showing that IPV and child maltreatment are intrinsically linked requires that these forms of family violence are addressed in tandem rather than in isolation from one another. Third, addressing inherit institutional biases and discrimination resulting from decades of government policies is critical to the success of a program and/or initiative. Frontline healthcare workers provide a key role in not only the provision of healthcare services to Canadians, but also the transfer of valuable knowledge that can help to dispel myths about Canada’s Indigenous peoples. Ensuring that healthcare workers are provided with the necessary funds, resources and training will require a commitment by decision makers to provide adequate and ongoing financial support for programs. Finally, although the focus of this policy brief is on prevention, it is important to note that prevention is not always successful. In such cases, measures to alleviate the effects of IPV and child maltreatment are necessary if the cyclical flow of violence is to be mitigated. 

The path towards reconciliation with Canada’s Indigenous peoples is a long and challenging one. Addressing the issue of family violence will help Canadians move one step closer to reconciliation by ensuring that future generations of Indigenous peoples do not experience the same degree and depth of pain and suffering inflicted by past policies and biases.