Calls for holistic approach to addressing intimate partner violence in Toronto

The Toronto Police Service (TPS) is laying out initiatives to tackle the epidemic of intimate partner violence in the city, but advocates are still calling for authorities to do more.

“City Hall has declared it [an epidemic], so what does TPS believe?” asked Carla Neto, executive director of the Women’s Habitat of Etobicoke.

At a police board meeting on Tuesday, officials acknowledged that the city is seeing an uptick in calls for intimate partner violence. Officers have responded to over 15,200 intimate partner violence incidents so far this year. That’s compared to around 15,000 calls in all of 2023.

“Intimate partner violence goes beyond only physical abuse, and can include financial, emotional or spiritual abuse, along with coercive control,” Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw told reporters. “Unfortunately, many victims suffer in silence.”

Toronto police have recognized November as Intimate Partner violence awareness month and  pledge to do more through a comprehensive education and enforcement approach.

“To assist in prevention by advancing available community resources, to stop victimization, to increase the public’s awareness of the resources in collaboration with community partners, to provide internal training to our service members,” said Toronto Police Acting Supt. Anthony Paoletta.

Police strategies include sending out educational pamphlets and posters, and podcasts focusing on intimate partner violence. Next year, the service will launch a program called Project Hope which will provide resources for new Canadians in the city. Advocates appreciate the plans being tabled, but also said they don’t go far enough.

“This means we meaningfully engage the community, survivors, and the sector that works with survivors in a conversation about what engaging in strategy looks like for survivors,” said Neto from Women’s Habitat.

Organizations working with victims and survivors add that police should adopt some of their strategies and look at the root causes of intimate partner violence.

“We’re addressing patriarchy, we’re addressing entrenched gender norms about boys and girls and women and men and how both are supposed to act.  We’re talking about sexism, we’re talking about rape culture,” said Mary Kokkoros, executive director of Aura Freedom.

Advocates are also pushing police to apply a holistic approach.

“All of these great agencies that are funded by the city can stop working in silos and can coordinate for a more cohesive plan,” Kokkoros added.

She also mentioned that attention should be drawn towards the way gender-based violence is addressed in the media.

“It affects how we talk about violence against women around our dinner tables, about the way we address it within our own families and communities,” She added. “If we can work with the police to look at the ways they’re writing the news releases, the language they’re using, the way they’re framing intimate partner violence.”

While intimate partner violence may not end tomorrow, advocates say putting the right steps in place can begin to change the problematic culture. 

“We have to be in it for the long haul, we have to be able to say I’m going to die and violence against women might still be happening, but we’ve put the gears in motion to steer this ship around,” said Kokkoros.