Monarch Place is once again shining a light on domestic violence.
Monarch Place is a transition home in New West that helps women and children who are fleeing domestic abuse. To raise awareness about domestic violence, Monarch Place is holding its sixth annual Purple Light Nights campaign from April 12 to15, which is Prevention of Violence Against Women week.
Community members are invited to attend a Purple Light Nights vigil on Monday, April 20 at 5:30 p.m. at New Westminster City Hall. Residents and businesses that want to support the campaign can obtain strings of purple lights (for a $20 donation) or a single purple bulb (for a $5 donation).
Family violence refers to a range of abusive behaviours that occur within relationships, including physical, sexual, emotional and financial abuse, as well as neglect. Domestic violence and child abuse are two predominant forms of family violence.
Here are a few facts about domestic violence from Monarch Place:
* In 17 per cent of family violence cases, the accused was a parent. In 11 per cent of cases, the accused was the victim's child.
* In 2011, family violence accounted for approximately 25 per cent of all violent crimes reported to police. (It’s believed that this figure is underestimated, given that many incidents go unreported.)
* Nearly half of all victims of family violence were victimized by a current or former spouse.
* In Canada, almost seven of 10 family violence victims are female and 30 per cent of Canadian women experience intimate partner violence at some point in their lifetime.
* In 2009, the estimated total economic impact of spousal violence in Canada was $7.4 billion. This figure includes costs to the justice system and the costs borne by victims and their family members.
To purchase purple lights, call Monarch Place at 604-521-1888.
