November is Domestic Violence Awareness month in Canada. There are many forms of domestic violence, but no matter the nature of the abuse, it's important to know what can be done about it.

In order to ensure safety for individuals and families, the Weyburn RCMP detachment and the Weyburn Police Service are open 24 hours a day. Support is also available for victims at all hours.

The Weyburn Police Service, Estevan Police Service and the Carlyle RCMP detachment each have a full-time person on staff in the Victim Services department, along with a total of 10 volunteers who assist them.

Tara Busch with Victim Services at the Weyburn Police Service said some people come in to see how they might proceed. For those who aren’t entirely certain they want to involve the police, sometimes contacting Victim Services can help for understanding the process of what is involved with the judicial system and even what constitutes domestic violence.

“First and foremost, we want to make sure that they’re safe,” said Busch. “We do have the domestic Violence Act, though, so obviously if the police are called, and they are attending a scene, if they do attend that call and there is evidence that an assault or something has taken place, they do need to react and investigate that.”

She said many people have the basic understanding of what domestic violence is, but there is more to it than physical abuse.

“A lot of people think that it has to be physical to be domestic violence, and that’s not the case,” Busch explained. “There is the emotional, the psychological, the financial, the religious. So, there’s a lot more than people realize, and a lot of them don’t even realize that it is even domestic violence that’s happening.”

Religious domestic abuse could be someone not allowed to practice their religion, or being forced to practice a religion.

Financial domestic abuse, in particular, is likely the most insidious.

“It’s part of that isolation and keeping that control over somebody,” said Busch. “Not allowing somebody to work, to have their own financial means, and if they are working and have their financial means, it’s taking control of that money, keeping the bank cards, keeping all of that and allotting to you the money when I provide it to you, when you can have it. So that absolutely is definitely a form of control that happens.”

Individuals of any age are welcome to visit Victim Services to find out options for how to proceed with their less cut-and-dry situations. It may be referrals to counseling, or advice on what to expect with police proceedings.

For some, however, the situation is indeed truly violent in nature.

The Saskatchewan RCMP recently issued a statement for Domestic Violence Awareness regarding what victims of violent situaitons can do to seek help and get to safety:

The first step in a violent situation is to leave or call the police if possible. Police may be able to prevent future abuse and provide some immediate protection. In a crisis situation, it is important to tell the police whether your life is in danger, or if a weapon is being used. Ensure you provide a detailed description of your exact location and a call back phone number. Be as clear as possible.

When Police or RCMP are called to a domestic violence situation, they will conduct an assessment of the situation and, if necessary, they may also restrain the abuser. Victims may be asked to provide a statement in order to obtain a detailed record of what took place.

For more information, visit the following online resources: Government of Canada Stop Family Violence and Sexual Assault Services of Saskatchewan (SASS).