Browsing by Author "Cooper, Merrill"

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
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    Domestic & Sexual Violence: A Background Paper on Primary Prevention Programs and Frameworks
    (2012-06) Wells, Lana; Claussen, Caroline; Cooper, Merrill
    This report provides an overview of domestic violence and prevention definitions, risk and protective factors, and focuses particular attention on the domestic and sexual violence primary prevention frameworks being developed locally, nationally and internationally. In addition, the report provides a brief overview of relevant evidence-based practices in violence reduction. Points of consideration are offered in each section, allowing further reflection of the information in consideration of Alberta’s local context.
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    Half the Equation - Why fathers are just as important as mothers in preventing domestic violence in the next generation
    (2014-01) Wells, Lana; Cooper, Merrill; Dozois, Elizabeth; Koziey, Lynne
    This issue brief is intended to highlight the value of fathers in preventing domestic violence for future generations, and illustrate the unique and important role they play in the lives of their children. Research shows that fathers who are positively engaged take an active role in caring for their child's social, emotional, cognitive, and physical health, and they promote their child's well-being and security. Positive father involvement also means taking on nurturing and caretaking roles, and modeling behaviours that promote gender equity and peaceful ways of resolving conflicts.
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    How Public Policy and Legislation Can Support the Prevention of Domestic Violence in Alberta
    (2012-06) Wells, Lana; Dozois, Elizabeth; Cooper, Merrill; Claussen, Caroline; Lorenzetti, Liza; Boodt, Casey
    This paper proposes specific, evidence-informed program and policy amendments and initiatives to enhance the Government of Alberta's family violence prevention strategy. The report suggests an increased focus on primary prevention in policy, legislation and resource allocations, will support the objective of significantly reducing rates of domestic violence in Alberta.
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    Informing a Government of Alberta Action Plan to Engage Men and Boys to Stop Violence Against Women
    (2015-12-29) Wells, Lana; Dozois, Elizabeth; Exner-Cortens, Deinera; Cooper, Merrill; Esina, Elena; Froese, Ken; Boutillier, Sophia
    At this moment in Alberta, Canada, we all have an opportunity to better support men and boys to play a positive role in the movement to end violence against women. For this reason, we have proposed recommendations specific to the Government of Alberta to inform the development of their Action Plan to positively engage men and boys to advance gender equality and promote healthy masculinities in order to stop violence against women. However, we envision this report as an interim strategy because once men have been invited into the movement in positive ways and they become true allies and leaders in stopping violence against women, they can then be included in a more general strategy to engage all genders in violence prevention. In this sense, engaging men and boys is a bit like preferential hiring or reverse discrimination policies – that is, something that is needed for a period of time to redress a particular oversight or injustice, but is relinquished once that issue has been addressed. As a result, this report was written with the following assumptions in mind: • That the work with men and boys must be done in partnership with women’s organizations. All genders must be engaged to achieve gender equality and stop violence against women. • Funds must not be taken away or diverted from existing women’s organizations in order to advance an engaging men and boys strategy. New funds and resources must be found. • Violence against women and girls is a human rights violation. As such, this work must be informed by a human rights based approach in order to empower all genders to claim their rights and to ensure accountability of individuals and institutions who are responsible for respecting, protecting and fulfilling rights. • Experiences of masculinity are affected by class, location, ethnicity, cultural background, sexuality and many other factors. We need to reflect this intersectionality in our analysis, funding, program design and evaluation strategies. • We live in a patriarchy that reinforces structural inequities and reinforces violence against women. We therefore must work towards dismantling the existing structures and norms that breed men’s sense of entitlement and maintain their privilege, power and control over women. • Gender equality is in the best interest of everyone. This report is written with the intention of: 1) changing the discourse on men and boys from perpetrators to allies and violence disrupters: 2) promoting the inclusion of men and boys in efforts from which they have been largely absent, and 3) promoting the use of research and evidence to inform our violence prevention approach. Shift believes that working with men and boys can have a positive, transformative impact, not only on the lives of women and girls, but also on the lives of men and boys. Shift is committed to advancing this area of research and invites you to contact us to continue the dialogue and learning. Lana Wells, Brenda Strafford Chair in the Prevention of Domestic Violence, Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary (lmwells@ucalgary.ca)
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    Men and Boys Violence Prevention Project: Informing a Government of Alberta Action Plan to Engage Men and Boys to Stop Violence Against Women
    (2015-12-29) Wells, Lana; Dozois, Elizabeth; Exner-Cortens, Deinera; Cooper, Merrill; Esina, Elena; Froese, Ken; Boutillier, Sophia
    Shift believes that working with men and boys can have a positive, transformative impact, not only on the lives of women and girls, but also on the lives of men and boys. As a result, we have been working over the past five years to advance this area of research, and in 2014 partnered with the Family and Community Safety Branch within the Ministry of Human Services-Government of Alberta (GOA) to build the first comprehensive government plan to engage men and boys in violence prevention. (This was undertaken as part of the GOA’s Family Violence Prevention Framework). Our research team (Lana Wells, Elizabeth Dozois, Deinera Exner-Cortens, Merrill Cooper, Sophia Boutillier, Elena Esina, and Ken Froese) conducted a literature review, consulted with leaders throughout Alberta and completed a provincial e-scan to understand both the evidence and current efforts in Alberta to advance a primary prevention approach with men and boys. From this, we identified specific recommendations to inform the Government of Alberta on an Action Plan to engage men and boys in violence prevention to advance gender equality and stop violence against women. These recommendations were compiled in the following report that was submitted to the Family and Community Safety Branch within Human Services in December 2015. The report is currently being reviewed by cross-ministry partners to explore opportunities to advance the findings. Follow the download link below to access a full report.
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    Preventing Child Maltreatment: A Critical Strategy for Stopping Intimate Partner Violence in the Next Generation
    (2014-09) Cooper, Merrill; Wells, Lana
    This paper makes the case for strengthening child maltreatment prevention efforts as a critical component of the Government of Alberta’s Family Violence Prevention Framework and the Early Childhood Strategy. A timely paper given the recent mandate letter to Minister of Human Services, Heather Klimchuk, which has a strong focus on early childhood development and poverty. The paper demonstrates the link between child maltreatment and domestic violence; provides an overview of the scope and consequences of child maltreatment; articulates the risk factors for child maltreatment; provides a description of programs and interventions that may prevent child maltreatment; and outlines key policy, research, and program recommendations to strengthen child maltreatment prevention efforts specifically in the Alberta context.
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    Promoting Positive Father Involvement: A Strategy to Prevent Intimate Partner Violence in the Next Generation
    (2013-09) Cooper, Merrill; Wells, Lana; Dozois, Elizabeth
    This research paper focuses on positive father involvement as an Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) prevention strategy, that is, a strategy to prevent IPV before those behaviors develop in the next generation. The report provides a rationale for new investments in positive father involvement strategies including specific recommendations in the areas of research, policy, and programming. This report is situated within a broader research agenda designed to build a comprehensive strategy to engage men and boys in violence prevention.
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    Supporting Young Fathers as a Prevention Strategy for Stopping Intimate Partner Violence in the Next Generation: Research and Recommendations for the Louise Dean
    (2014-01) Cooper, Merrill; Wells, Lana
    This report is situated within a broader research agenda designed to serve as a foundation for a comprehensive strategy to engage men and boys in violence prevention to reduce rates of domestic violence in Alberta. Positive fatherhood involvement was one of seven key entry points identified for engaging men and boys. Over the next two years, Shift will continue to produce research papers to support the design of a comprehensive strategy to engage men and boys in violence prevention. This research will focus on informing and changing policy and practices with the end goal of preventing domestic violence from happening in the first place. This particular report was designed to build the case for designing and implementing a best practice program to support teen/young dads at the Louise Dean Centre in Calgary, Alberta.