More than 60 per cent of men charged with domestic violence in Calgary over four years had previous contact with police, according to new University of Calgary research that suggests opportunities to intervene may exist before violence escalates. Researchers examined the police histories of 3,846 men charged for the first time with domestic violence offences against female intimate partners between 2020 and 2023. The findings build on a 2024 study that examined a group of men charged with domestic violence in 2019. Lana Wells, an associate professor and Brenda Strafford Chair in the Prevention of Domestic Violence at the University of Calgary, said the latest research was designed to determine whether patterns identified in the earlier study continued across additional years. “Many men have interacted with police prior to those charges, and so for many this is now a pattern,” she said. “We know this is consistent and real, and now I think we can do something about it.” A possible window for intervention The study, titled Before the First Charge: Using Police Data to Identify Opportunities for Domestic Violence Interventions, identified four groups based on men’s previous police contact. About 39 per cent had no previous police contact during the period examined. Eight per cent had a previous criminal history but no recorded non-criminal domestic encounters. Another 32 per cent had previous non-criminal domestic encounters but no criminal history, while 21 per cent had both a criminal history and previous non-criminal domestic encounters. The report says those non-criminal domestic encounters are incidents where police attended but no criminal charges were laid or recommended. It also cautions that such an encounter does not establish that a criminal offence occurred or identify who was responsible for violence. Wells said those calls can nevertheless provide an opportunity to address behaviour. “For many of the men who get charged, about a third had had a prior domestic violence encounter and many within the previous year,” she said. “That tells us that police are showing up into these homes and there may not be enough to charge, but we need to think about how can we intervene and prevent that behavior.” Wells said that could mean shifting some of the focus of police response toward the person causing the harm. “Police will sit down with the woman and do a victim safety plan, which we’re arguing actually puts the burden of safety on her,” she said. “We’re suggesting that police should be sitting down with the perpetrator and doing a prevention plan with him and thinking about him and the supports and services he needs to prevent the escalation of violence.” Physical force and injuries common The study also highlights the seriousness of incidents that resulted in charges. Researchers found physical force was involved in 73 per cent of cases, while 70 per cent resulted in an injury to the victim. Children were present or witnessed the violence in 42 per cent of cases where that information was available. The report notes that information about children was available only for incidents in 2020 and 2021. Wells said supporting children exposed to family violence should also be part of the response. “We know from the research that children who are witnessed or exposed to family violence have a higher risk of becoming a perpetrator or a victim later on in their life,” she said. “So we also need to be serving and supporting those kids so that they can get the help that they need.” Calls for more support for men Wells said police intervention could be paired with community-based programs to help men address behaviour before it escalates. “We need to change police practices so they’re actually working with the men and doing prevention plans and getting them the supports they need,” she said. She pointed to organizations including Fear Is Not Love, the YWCA and the Men & Project as potential community supports. “We need more robust programming and investment for programming for men,” Wells said. “We need police officers to not just be working with the victims. They need to shift their practice to viewing the perpetrator as somebody who needs help and taking the time and doing prevention and accountability plans with them.” The research team plans to continue examining police data. “We have a 10-year agreement with Calgary Police Service to keep looking and trying to understand the patterns and trying to figure out the windows of opportunities,” said Wells. “It’s all about how to change both police practices, community practices, legislation and funding.”
