Public Safety Ministry showcases programs for victims of violence

Core funding for sexual assault centres across BC will be available for organizations as a procurement process is being developed.

But the Ministry of Public Safety addressed some of the programs currently available to victims of violence.

A statement was sent noting that some programs are gender specific.

“The Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General funds specific Violence Against Women programs in recognition of the fact that women continue to be disproportionately impacted by the most severe forms of domestic violence, including homicides. For this reason, our Stopping the Violence Counselling Programs and Outreach and Multicultural Outreach Services exclusively serve women.”

The Ministry added that men are eligible to access over 160 community based and police based victim service programs.

It said that children between the ages of three to eighteen who have witnessed abuse or violence at home have access to PEACE (Prevention, Education, Advocacy, Counselling and Empowerment) programs.

“This program helps children and their adult caregivers heal from trauma and learn about healthy relationships. These programs serve children and non-offending caregivers, regardless of gender.”

The Prince George Sexual Assault Centre noted that programs for men and youth are not well funded, adding that they’ve had to pull from Gaming grants and have been reliant on the United Way to fill in the gaps.

It was also noted that people in the 2SLGBTQ+ community are seeing high rates of sexual violence.

The 2022 US Transgender Survey is currently being put together, but the 2015 report showed:

• 47% of transgender people are sexually assaulted at some point in their life.
• 44% of lesbians, and 61% of bisexual women have experienced physical violence, stalking, or rape by an intimate partner.
• 26% of gay men, and 37% of bisexual men have experienced physical violence, stalking, or rape by an intimate partner.