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(NC)-There is a growing awareness that children who witness family violence experience severe emotional and behavioural problems. As they grow older, boys are at greater risk of abusing others, and girls are at greater risk of experiencing abuse in their relationships.

• In a sample of federal inmates who had a history of family violence, more than half (56%) reported that they witnessed some form of violence as children.

• Men who witnessed their mothers being physically abused by their fathers were three times as likely to be violent against their female partners than men who grew up in non-violent homes.

• In a one-year period, a total of 57,182 women, along with 39,177 children, were admitted to 448 shelters that provide residential services to abused women in Canada

• The majority of children accompanying their mothers to shelters were very young: three-quarters were under ten.

• The number of children under twelve whose parents separate or divorce has tripled over the past twenty years.

Sources: Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada, Canadian Council on Social Development.

In an attempt to break the cycle of violence, many communities across Canada have implemented programs designed to help affected children better deal with their experiences by providing them with safety and protection, self-esteem development and coping skills. Frequently these projects also help abused mothers who need assistance with parenting.

For more information on these and other innovative crime prevention efforts currently in place across Canada, visit the National Crime Prevention Centre Web site at www.crime-prevention.org or call toll-free 1-877-302-NCPC.