Last Friday, the coroner’s jury at the inquest into the multiple murder
suicide case of Peter Lee handed down 14 recommendations. See the list here.
In 2007, Lee fatally stabbed his six-year-old son, his wife, and his wife’s mother and father, then killed himself. Lee was out on bail and had been ordered not to contact his wife when he broke into their home and committed the crimes. There was a history domestic violence complaints against him.
Among the jury’s recommendations: stricter bail conditions, better information sharing among jurisdictions, and a designated domestic violence unit. I think all that’s excellent, but what really struck me was the recommendation to implement domestic violence classes in schools for children as young as five, continuing through Grade 12.
Finally! Domestic violence incidents account for the second highest number of Crown case files every year (after impaired driving). And, while students learn the right way to wash their hands, how to have safer sex and how to balance a cheque book, they learn nothing – or very little – about preventing domestic violence.
Take a quick look at some stats from Statistics Canada for 2007:
- Nearly 40,200 incidents of spousal violence were reported to police.
- Nearly 53,400 children and youth were the victims of a police-reported assault; about 3 in 10 incidents of assaults against children and youth were perpetrated by a family member.
- When children and youth were victims of family violence, a parent was identified as the abuser in nearly 6 in 10 incidents.
Kids who are exposed to domestic violence at home suffer from a range of emotional and behavioural problems, including hyperactivity, delinquency, and depression. They’re more likely to bully others, and are also prone to learning and concentration problems at school.
I always talk about keeping the lines of communication open with your kids. But, if the parent is the problem, where do kids turn to?
Tags: Child Safety, domestic violence, domestic violence classes
