Accessibility of IPV-related Services in the Prairies

Special thanks to Élyse LeBlanc, Social Work student at the University of Manitoba for her work on developing the databases for this project. Acknowledgments also go to the RESOLVE research team members Olivia Giacobbo, Stefan Kurbatfinski, Susanne Marshall, and Jason Novick at the University of Calgary, Kayla Arisman at the University of Saskatchewan, Bright Thorsteinson and Lauren Bresch at the University of Manitoba.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a prevalent form of gender-based violence and can include multiple forms of harm caused by a current or former intimate partner or spouse, including physical abuse, emotional /psychological abuse, sexual violence, criminal harassment (stalking), financial/economic abuse, spiritual abuse,  coercive control , and domestic homicide (Government of Canada, 2021). Women living in rural areas face one of the highest levels of IPV in Canada. Police reports for 2018 indicate that IPV in rural areas is 1.8 higher than in urban areas (Burczycka, 2019). The rate of domestic homicide is also higher in rural areas when compared with urban areas (Dawson et al., 2018).

Even though rural women face numerous barriers to help-seeking and experience higher levels of IPV, there has been limited research that explores women’s experiences of IPV and their help-seeking in rural areas of Canada (DeKeseredy et al., 2016). Existing studies do not provide a clear picture of the unique circumstances of rural women who experience IPV or the obstacles and barriers they face when seeking safety for themselves and their children (Faller et al., 2021). This study addressed this knowledge gap through a qualitative examination of rural women's experiences of IPV. We conducted semi-structured interviews with survivors and service providers who work with rural women. In addition to the qualitative study, we have also conducted a geospatial analysis using ArcGIS online to assess the accessibility of IPV-related services to our research participants and rural communities at large. This story map presents the findings of this segment of our study.

The databases were developed based on the RESOLVE  environmental scan  that describes the IPV-related services available throughout the three provinces, data from  DMTI  Spatial,   Statistics Canada , and widely available information on the internet. The project was conducted by the RESOLVE Centres in  Alberta ,  Saskatchewan , and  Manitoba . Our community partner was  Western Manitoba Women’s Regional Resource Centre  in Brandon, Manitoba. In addition, we have also worked with other community-based organisations across the three Prairie provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. The project was generously funded by the  Prairieaction Foundation  (PAF).

Qualitative data was collected by the RESOLVE staff and academic partners in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. Purposive sampling was used to recruit research participants. Rural women 18 years of age and older and who had experienced IPV were recruited through notices posted at agencies that provide services to rural women, on RESOLVE social media (Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook), newsletter, as well as community agencies’ websites and social media. In total, we conducted 41 interviews with IPV rural women from rural areas. In Alberta - 11; in Manitoba - 17; and, in Saskatchewan – 13. Out of these research participants, we have selected six participants in each province to look at the distances they had to travel to access services. The participants were selected to ensure geographical representation across the provinces. Participants' locations are approximate estimates, not exact locations.   

 _{Note: Some women's shelters prefer to hide their exact physical location due to security and safety concerns. Therefore, these are approximate estimates based on publicly available information.}  

Nearest Crisis and Second-Stage Shelters to Participants in Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan:

Shelters were the most helpful resource for women. Nine of our research participants in Manitoba accessed shelter. Five of the women in Alberta described accessing services at shelters. One woman in Saskatchewan accessed a women's shelter. The most important support provided by the shelters across the three provinces was providing necessities - women felt that when they reached the shelter, they did not have to worry about their basic needs, such as housing, food, and water. They were able to access counselling and gained a better understanding of resources. Safety planning was useful. Crisis shelters helped women with a protection order and other things, such as accessing medical help. Women expressed that building community and social support were important aspects of accessing services at a women’s shelter.

The map below shows the distance our participants have to travel to access crisis and second-stage shelters (locations of research participants were selected based on their geographic location and not whether or not they accessed a women's shelter).

• Red flags indicate the approximate location of our research participants.
• White flags in the green circle indicate crisis shelters and second-stage shelters. Not all crisis shelters, however, can provide second-stage housing.
• The Green area around our research participants indicates a driving area of 15 minutes. Research participants indicate that this is the safest distance they can manage to travel on their own or with the help of others.
• Brown area around research participants indicates a driving area of 30 minutes. This is the best distance to travel for research participants with access to personal transportation.
• The red area around research participants indicates a driving area of 1 hour. This distance makes it difficult for research participants to access shelters, even if they have an access to personal transportation.

 _{Note: For further guidance, please, check legends on the left-hand side.} 

Out in the rural communities? I would be thinking a shelter would be a good place for the women to go out to in the rural communities. I have never been aware of any shelters around that area – like in the surrounding area, I don’t believe there’s one. There’s a couple of surrounding areas – like maybe a half an hour drive, 45-minute drive – [place name] is maybe 50 minutes from where we are. I think the closest where we would find a shelter is Winnipeg. (MB Participant 10)

So, yeah, creating a safe space to tell my story is what the women’s shelter did... (AB Participant 10)

One of the shelters I was on the waiting list for, finally had an opening so I had packed some suitcases and, the crappy thing was, like he was having a huge house party at the same time I was packing my clothes and everyone just watched me do it. (SK Participant 11)

Assessing the Accessibility of Counselling Services in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba

Despite counselling being an important support service for our research participants, not all of them could access counselling. For example, rural service providers in Manitoba emphasized that waiting lists to get into counselling can take up to two months in rural areas if these are available. Children's counselling is often unavailable across the three provinces. Women who experienced serious mental health challenges, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as a result of their experience of IPV were often unable to access these services due to high costs and/or distances across the three provinces. Counselling services also require personal compatibility: survivors need to have more choices rurally to find the service that suits them best. As you can see on the map, counselling services are concentrated in urban areas across the three provinces.

Out here we don’t have a… First of all, the money is involved right? We don’t have a large selection. We have Christian counselling out here. Nothing [emphasis] against Christian counselling but sometimes they just don’t get to the root of the problem. (MB Participant 7)

I also think that if there was, if there was more affordable and accessible therapy, I would have accessed it for sure. (AB Participant 12)

For me, because I already had somebody in place, it wasn’t that difficult for me, but I know if I didn’t have who I had, it would be very difficult, because the only services that we have available in [place name] is through the hospital like through public health and the way that they do therapy is very robotic, it’s, there’s no emotion or I didn’t feel comfortable opening up to because who I was talking to they were constantly typing into a computer and not even looking me in the eye or it was, it wasn’t warm- at all, like, to talk to a therapist you want to have that, that warmth and that trust and then, but in a hospital setting it's, it’s really hard to do and because we’re in a small town, everybody knows everybody and you’re really, really afraid to talk. Because you’re afraid well who do they know, or like are they going to tell somebody, which happens here because some of the nurses aren’t afraid of telling other people’s stories. (SK Participant 14)

Parenting-related Services in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba

Concern for children, as expressed by our research participants, is often one of the main reasons why women decide to leave abusive relationships and/or seek help from service providers. At the same time, women also expressed fears about reaching out to Child and Family Services (CFS). Several research participants had younger children, and in this case, research participants had shared custody with their abusive ex-partner. Shared custody often meant that they either had to go to a paid visitation site (which was located in urban centres) or had to supervise visits of their children with the abusive ex-partners. This was a safety concern and women had to strategize about how to ensure their safety when supervising visits of their abusive ex-partners with their children.

And my kids need it so much too. But I can't provide for them because I just don't have the funds for it. I mean it's $250 a session you know. (MB Participant 3)

And, more times than not when there’s children involved, almost all of the women in rural Manitoba have to supervise the visits with their abuser… Because we don’t have mediation services, we don’t have services available here where we can get a third party to go on the supervised visit, and you don’t want to get CFS involved. (MB Participant 11)

She [child] didn’t know what had happened entirely but she witnessed all the violence over the years, but there was no support for her. (AB Participant 6)

Free daycares help. I guess if there was somewhere, if there was somewhere that [name] could have, I could have gotten a job. Everything would have been okay. But there wasn’t.  It took me, I entered university at twenty-five. I think, I’ve been in abusive relationships on and off with different peoples since I was about fifteen, I became a mother at 16. And the cost of daycare makes it so hard. (SK Participant 6)

The Accessibility of Sexual Assault Services

Many research participants across the three provinces shared that they experienced sexual assault as part of their experience of IPV. This means that access to sexual assault services is often crucial for survivors of IPV in the process or following their help-seeking. The map below shows the accessibility of sexual assault services.

No, but I did contact the crisis lines, the Klinic crisis line and the sexual crisis line about my sexual abuse. And, they were helpful. They were actually helpful. Because the abuse and neglect has got me into a point throughout these two years that has made me suicidal. That I… 'cause sometimes it feels like the only way forward is just to take my own life at some point. Because the waiting period, the limbo, not having any social-political means to support and defend myself. It's like I should just cease to exist. So, I called the crisis line when I am at that stage. And they… they do their best, they are very helpful. (MB Participant 14)

I regret not disclosing to the authorities any of the sexual abuse that occurred. (AB Participant 5)

Looking back, and now that I've talked about it with people like there was probably sexual violence as well. Because I remember times where I would have intercourse, but I never felt like it and was almost felt like I was coerced into having sex at times when I didn't want, just sexual manipulation. (SK Participant 5)

The Accessibility of Victim Services in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba

Five of our research participants in Alberta sought help through victim services and had both positive and negative experiences. Seven research participants in Manitoba either tried or accessed help through victim services. Two women in Manitoba (one woman for her past trauma) were able to access counselling through victim services and found this to be helpful, while others did not receive the assistance they hoped to receive. Two women in Saskatchewan accessed victim services and were not satisfied with the service they received.

Getting help was really difficult. We’re linked to victims services out in [location]; not anywhere near where I live. Well, I guess it’s like forty-five minutes from where I live. There’s no supports in town here. So, when everything happened, they didn’t really know what to do. They just kind of pass you off to another town to deal with. (AB Participant 6)

As for seeking more help, I have also talked to victim services and they say they can help me but only if I press charges and he gets arrested. (MB Participant 3)

Dealing with victim services wasn’t really helpful. Like I know they’re there to help you and support you but they didn’t have any, they had no way of helping me being a rural person. And they checked in every once in a while, which is good, but it didn’t help, they had no way to help, they didn’t have way to come out and help with counseling or, basically they said to me ‘we can’t really help you but we’re here for support if you need. (SK Participant 3)

Accessibility of Transportation

As indicated by our research participants (both survivors and service providers), a lack of transportation is one of the key barriers to help-seeking. Many women may not have access to transportation, not be allowed to drive as part of their experience of IPV or be unable to afford gasoline costs. This is the reason why public transport, such as public transit, intercity buses and taxis, may be crucial for both formal and informal help-seeking of survivors of IPV.

Intercity Bus Services in Rural Areas

Service providers pointed out that there are no intercity buses in rural areas since the closure of the Greyhound bus service. There may be shuttle buses that travel from rural areas to major urban areas nearby that are provided by the local authorities. However, these may not be safe to access for women leaving abusive relationships due to a lack of privacy and confidentiality in rural areas. The existing bus companies may not cover all rural areas. Research participants and service providers did not mention the bus companies we found through our online research as accessible to both service providers and research participants. Most research participants who left the abusive relationships and/or accessed social services had an access to a vehicle or managed to gain access to transportation with the help of service providers and informal supports. One participant in Manitoba used an intercity bus to access a nearby shelter.

Lack of transportation, yeah I did bring that up when I was like, in [location]. There wasn’t much – I mean especially in winter, right. Like during summer in smaller towns people can walk places but not when it’s, when you have children and not when it’s -30. (AB Participant 1)

Yeah, even though I was in [place name]. If it was me trying to get to a shelter in [place name], it would have been easy because they would have sent a cab. But because I had to get out of [place name], it was hard for me to get from [place name] to Winnipeg. (MB Participant 15)

But I would say that like transportation was what really, like forced the staying for that, like we're staying in a space where there was literally no options. (SK Participant 7)

Taxi Services

Research participants did not use taxi services to access services or leave abusive relationships. Service providers in urban areas ordered taxi companies for survivors of IPV. However, they noted that they prefer taxi services they are familiar with because they know they are safe. Also, taxi companies may refuse to pick up survivors in rural areas that are situated far (over a 30-minute drive radius). In addition, there may be safety and security considerations when planning a taxi pick-up.

Yeah, like he had disabled my car in the past. So, even though he had eight vehicles in the yard, I was not permitted to drive them until I was told to. So, I would never in a million years have gotten into one of the other vehicles and driven out of the yard as if I owned it. Yeah, and taxi cabs were like fifty dollars to get into the city and I didn’t' have any money. I didn’t have access to any money or a bank or any way to get money. (AB Participant 10)

And not only that, if you don't have a vehicle, how are you supposed to get over there? At least in the city you can call a taxi, you can go hop on a bus, you can do whatever to get out. You can't do anything here! (MB Participant 16)

For sure. Like I had no connections, no ride, no money, nothing. Had I been just like, down the block from a family member I probably could have left pretty easy. Even to go just to the store, with two kids, it’s just, you know. And no income. Just everything that possibly go against me when leaving, the lack of access to support, no way to get to things, no money, just so many things. Ya. (SK Participant 11)

Accessibility of Crisis and Second-Stage Shelters to the First Nations Reserves

Service providers advised that it was important to look at the shelter accessibility to First Nations reserves in the provinces. This is why we decided to analyze the accessibility of crisis and second-stage shelters to residents of the First Nations reserves in the three Prairie Provinces.

• First Nations reserves are highlighted in orange.
• The grey line connects First Nations Reserves to the nearest crisis shelter.

The other thing too, I wanted to bring up is I've had the opportunity to work on-reserve. And what we're talking about with Reserve multiplies 10 times because often the reserves are very isolated. Soon as you leave the reserve, you're not eligible for a lot of resources and supports, your community your is gone. There's no shelter and resources on reserve, so it even multiplies tenfold. (AB Service Provider 5)

They're isolated, right? And it's hard for women to get out of there because it's either a plane which is very expensive. Or, there's a train which is long. (MB Service Provider 9)

And then, there really wasn’t anything, like I said. It was his reserve. By law, on reserve, it’s the members house, the band members house. You cant fight it, so you know, if I wanted to, I needed to remove myself from the situation, like I tried to stay there, I don’t know. I tried. But it was not possible because it was his community. Especially without supports, ya. (SK Participant 11) 

Availability of Counselling, Parenting and Sexual Assault Support Services to the First Nations Reserves

The analysis of our data shows that accessibility of counselling, parenting, and sexual assault services is crucial to women's healing following an experience of IPV. We explored the availability of these services to First Nations reserves and learnt that the majority of First Nations reserves may not have adequate access to these important services. This is concerning due to the high prevalence of IPV among young Indigenous women (Heidinger, 2021).

I can't even actually probably fathom what happens on reserves with domestic violence and those contexts. There would be a whole other multitude of issues for sure. And that is a rural perspective for sure, it’s just that we don't directly see that, so I can't speak to it, but if you could encounter anyone that worked on reserves, that's a HUGE rural gap, and there's probably a very large lack of services there. (MB Service Provider 1)

[...] We're next to a fairly big reserve, like Siksika. And that's actually a huge part of our services, like we do a lot of like work with, like, people from our community. And something that I think that is a huge impact is having to leave the reserve, and all the like the network and support that they have there. And all the resources, and when they leave the reserve having no access to those resources, because they're not on reserve. And that's a huge problem for our indigenous clients who are, who are coming to, to our services from on reserve. (AB Service Provider 1)

" You know and I didn’t realize it. And it was just, normal. Like normal in the community, like all the women in the community were abused, like neglected emotionally, it was just, normal. I didn’t like that.” (SK Participant 11)

Police Services in Rural Areas

Several research participants and service providers sometimes contacted the police/RCMP offices nearest to them. Some research participants found services helpful, while others faced challenges, including the slow response of the police. One of the women in Manitoba, for example, had to wait for about an hour for the police to reach her place of residence at a time of crisis. A service provider in Manitoba alluded to waiting for about two to four hours for a police response to a shelter request. Several women in Alberta explained that distance from the nearest RCMP detachment and/or the fact that the RCMP in their rural community covered large geographic areas impacted the timeliness of police response. Similar experiences were shared in Saskatchewan.

I mean, and there's so much distance, and honestly like… I mean when we called the police, it took them an hour to get there. So I mean, I don't know what the call times are like in an urban setting, but you know, for an hour you're sitting there, like what the heck is going on. (MB Participant 8)

Like, the police came to town for two hours on Thursdays to do a speed cam. Like, we didn’t have police, you know? (AB Participant 8)

Well it is a smaller place, so you’re hoping, that you, you would get, um, the RCMP to your place right away, right? But, you gotta be careful too with that because they have a BIG wide range of where they have to, to scope all the time, right? So it could take, like, the one day it took the RCMP, cause he was in, in, was it [location] or [location]? One of the two, I can’t remember, he said you’re gonna have to wait until I come back, I’m like whoa, do you know what I mean, it’s like holy crap, by then somebody, some other stuff could happen, right? (AB Participant 3)

Well, the one thing I did find super frustrating, well. Number one, the RCMP are spread super thin and they have a massive area and so you know like he said ‘there’s no way, [name] there is no way I can get here’ and he actually gave me some advice and I’m not going to share that because it was between him and I but he shared some advice on what to do cause he said ‘I wouldn’t get here in time.’ (SK Participant 3)

Health Services in Rural Areas

Doctors and health nurses may be one of the crucial resources for women who experience IPV in rural areas. Several research participants shared their abuse story with their health provider in the three provinces. Research participants in Manitoba and Saskatchewan described a lack of access to healthcare in their rural community.

And so, this emergency psychiatrist was asking me questions and he said “You know you’re a victim of domestic violence” and I, that’s the first time I even knew that. I knew something was wrong but I didn’t understand. I kept thinking it was me, if only I tried harder. And so, he said to me “Do you want help?” and I said “Ok” and he, and I said “But what can you do?” and he said “Well, we could find a shelter for you” and I said “Well I’m not...”, my son was still back at the house. Well anyways, this doctor arranged for RCMP escort so I could, my sister could drive me all the way back and I could get my son, and then they arranged to get a shelter, I think it was in Sherwood Park, that’s the only place that there was a spot. Anyway, that’s the first time I told anyone, and it wasn’t even on purpose, if you know what I mean. It was just his questioning and him telling me what was happening to me. (AB Participant 4)

No. I did – when I had my youngest, my youngest son – I had stitches. When I went home, he forced – he raped me. So, I go to the hospital, and the doctor at the time – I told him. I said [inaudible]. He did say at the time – but he didn’t force me – he said ‘But you know [name of participant], I’m going to put this on the file anyways should you ever need it one day,’ but he didn’t force me to do it. But it was on record. (MB Participant 10)

The crisis stabilization unit. Our closest one is Steinbach, which is like an hour and a half plus away. Or the city – also an hour and a half away. Or Brandon, right? Like there’s just not a lot out here for that. (MB Service Provider 10)

They're not being a doctor. There wasn't a mental health person. There was no one talked about it, they didn't want to hear about it. (SK Participant 6)

Legal Service in Rural Areas

Several research participants sought help from lawyers. Research participants pointed out difficulties when seeking family law lawyers in rural areas. In Manitoba, for example, women had to travel to urban centres to seek lawyers. A significant aspect of women's experience with legal services across the three provinces was the lack of understanding of coercive control and emotional abuse. Thus, focus group discussion (FGD) participants in Saskatchewan emphasized the importance of making legal changes toward greater recognition of coercive control. In Manitoba, four survivors expressed that their claims of emotional abuse and coercive control were not taken seriously due to a lack of recognition or understanding of coercive control. A service provider expressed similar challenges in Alberta.

Well, there’s no family law lawyers here in [name of town]. So, you have to go to the city, and none of those lawyers really come out to [name of town]. (MB Participant 1)

Telling my lawyer, that was hopeless, telling him was hopeless in a way. He believed it but he was... I do hope there are lawyers now that understand more about this, but he had pretty much only dealt with normal divorces if you want to call it that, and he said to me, we were going to court for custody and for the divorce, he said “Oh, I don’t want to bring up any of that. It just annoys the judge”. And so, I was just stunned. I was like “What do you mean? This is the...”. Yeah, that, yeah, very scary going for custody when your own lawyer says it will annoy the judge if you talk about the whole history of domestic violence; didn’t want to hear it. (AB Participant 4)

There needs to be, there should be lawyers who are set up to deal with women who are in abusive relationships who are rural. Because like, my lawyer, had no idea what all was involved. About the land, and the property, and the animals, and the equipment, she had no idea. She had no idea what impact that would be to leave, to separate. She knew the law, ‘oh that horse trailer, it’s yours.’ Yeah, but what impact is that going to have. It seems really weird but more knowledge for somebody or for lawyers who these women can call and talk to and could say ‘if you leave, this is what’s going to happen. This is what you are facing.’ (SK Participant 3)

Limitations

We recognize the limitations of our GIS analysis. For example, the exact locations of shelters and research participants cannot be shown due to security, safety, and confidentiality concerns. Thus, we realize that the real distances may be farther or closer than what we have described in our GIS analysis.

Conclusions

This story map assessed the availability of IPV-related services to survivors of IPV. We have selected 6 participants out of a total of 41 research participants in each of the provinces to highlight the approximate availability of services to them. This GIS analysis demonstrates that women residing in rural areas of the Prairie provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba face numerous barriers in accessing formal IPV-related help rurally. The environmental scan, the final report and the literature review are available on the RESOLVE website.

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