Love Shouldn’t Hurt campaign launch

FREDERICTON (GNB) – The Roundtable on Crime and Public Safety is launching a new campaign, Love Shouldn’t Hurt, to help engage New Brunswick communities in addressing the societal issue of intimate partner violence.

“The campaign slogan is simple, yet powerful: Love shouldn’t hurt,” said Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Stephen Horsman. “However, for far too many, right here in our province, it does.”

This campaign involves the introduction of a new website which includes directories of services. The website, along with a strong social media presence and ongoing collaboration with 38 partner organizations, will help connect the public with information and support services. There will also be campaign banners, posters, and pamphlets circulated throughout the province.

“Our government is proud of the work being done by the Roundtable on Crime and Public Safety to bring attention to the issue of intimate partner violence while conveying a message of hope and support to all those who may be suffering in silence,” said Horsman. “We want to make it clear that this issue will not be ignored.”

Intimate partner violence is not a private matter. It is a shared and complex societal issue that requires a collective response.

“Even if you or someone you love has not experienced intimate partner violence first hand, you are still paying the price,” said Horsman. “According to a 2009 Justice Canada report, that price is estimated to be $165 million each year in New Brunswick. This includes costs to victims, criminal and civil justice systems, and third parties such as employers. Through education and awareness, all of us can take action to address this issue directly and strengthen our communities.”

Additional activities underway include: province-wide training of all front-line police officers on the issue; the development of a co-ordinated community approach to intervening with victims and offenders in high risk/high danger cases of intimate partner violence; the implementation of methods to track files related to this issue throughout the justice system; and studying the merits of introducing intimate partner violence legislation to complement the protections in the Criminal Code and provide further security to victims and families.

Intimate partner violence is a priority of New Brunswick’s Crime Prevention and Reduction Strategy, developed in partnership with the Roundtable on Crime and Public Safety and its working groups. The roundtable brings together community agencies, the police, the private sector, academia, First Nations groups, municipal and federal governments, and several provincial departments to collaborate on improvements to crime prevention policy and practice in the province. The Love Shouldn’t Hurt campaign is a key component of a more comprehensive approach to reduce intimate partner violence.

More information about the Crime Prevention and Reduction Strategy is available online. Interested individuals can keep up to date with the campaign on Twitter and Facebook.

NT5