Authors: Wells, Lana; Boodt, Casey; Emery, Herb

Date: June-2012

Recent studies show that Alberta has the second highest rate of self reported spousal violence in Canada. Rates of violence against women alone are 2.3 percentage points higher than the national average. In fact, every hour of every day, a woman in Alberta will undergo some form of interpersonal violence from an ex-partner or ex-spouse. Besides the devastating toll that domestic violence has on victims and their families, the ongoing cost to Albertans is significant. In the past five years alone it is estimated that over $600 million has been spent with $521 million coming directly from taxpayers. Fortunately, investment in quality prevention and intervention initiatives can be very cost effective, returning as much as $20 for every dollar invested.