905–432–SAFE [7233] • 1–877–SAFE–905
1320 Airport Blvd. (South West corner of Taunton & Airport) in Oshawa • Entrance is beside the playground
8:30am to 4:30pm • Walk–in or call for an appointment • Access to services every Monday except on statutory holidays

Juvenile Justice must "identify and treat battered and battering teens to prevent the intergenerational cycle from repeating itself while making our homes, communities and schools safe." Sarah M. Buel, J.D. Juvenile and Family Court Journal, Spring 2002. Domestic violence is often a risk factor in the lives of youthful offenders regardless of whether it is the charge that brings them before the court. Professionals need to understand the ways domestic and other forms of violence affect juvenile offenders in order to be able to 1) comprehensively assess the youth and 2) develop effective intervention strategies. Jaki will share her presentation presented at the recent Durham College 1st Annual At Risk Youth & the Law Conference last February.

DRIVEN remains steadfast in the face of current challenging times. It is with the support and determination of our community that we are able to move forward. We will see you at our community meeting to share the good news of our progress as we move closer to reaching our goal.

To start the year we focus on connecting the law and the community. February's theme is "In the System". Various levels of specialization in the system will be presented by speakers from the Bail Safety Program, the Crown and the Victim Witness Assistance Program. DRIVEN continues to move forward in 2009 and remains a constant in delivering the community message that violence will not be tolerated. We thank everyone for their continued support throughout the years and we hope to see you at the community meeting to share more news on our progress.

We have devoted December to a two part community meeting. The first part consists of an informative presentation about shelters in Durham region that will broaden your understanding about them. The second part is a segue to the holidays and is about using the benefits of humour which we can all use during this busy time of the year.

DRIVEN is excited to host the launch of Coalition for Action Against Bullying - Durham (CAAB-D). Bullying is abuse that occurs everywhere: in the schoolyard, in the home, in the workplace and in the community. Bullying occurs across all ages and stages of life: child abuse, domestic abuse, relationship violence, workplace bullying and elder abuse.

Contemporary resistance to efforts to prevent and respond to woman abuse often includes claims that violence and abuse are "sex symmetrical" or "gender neutral." Although often repeated, such claims are not supported by the body of research on violence and abuse. Dr. Molly Dragiewicz, Assistant Professor of Criminology, Justice and Policy Studies at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, will discuss the context and content of demands for gender blindness around woman abuse. She will review the research on violence, sex, and gender, the reasons for leaving gender out of discussions on violence and abuse, the costs of gender blindness, and alternatives that can help service providers to meet their own goals of increased safety and social justice.

The Domestic Violence Disconnect: Criminal Court vs. Family Court
The focus on this all day forum is to discuss the differences and recommendations between Criminal and Family courts in relation to domestic violence cases. The day is filled with dynamic speakers and their compelling presentations that are thought-provoking and educational.
Our keynote speaker is Pamela Cross, an accomplished lawyer who has dedicated her life's work to improving women's access to justice. Pamela will do an Ontario overview on the difference between Criminal and Family courts. Helen Nolan is a private family practice lawyer that will speak in the afternoon about the difference between restraining orders and peace bonds and how they're viewed by both courts. Helen will also touch on Legal Aid viewpoint as well as recommendations. Our final speaker is Allison McGregor, counsel for Durham Children's Aid Society. Allison will speak about the child perspective in the Criminal and Family courts, child witness process and dynamics, and recommendations.

It is with great pleasure that DRIVEN introduce the Diversity Training Workshop presented by the Women's Multicultural Resource and Counselling Centre of Durham. A dynamic workshop that address the following:
Aspects of Oppression: power, prejudice, intersecting oppressions, mainstream and marginalization and privilege;
Barriers to Social Change: socialization, resistance and fear, communication and empathy; and,
Barriers to Organizational Change: accountability, structure, sustainability, training and development, dialogue and discussion, goal setting and on-going assessment.

We are delighted to have leaders in Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) present at our April meeting. This is a pro-active crime prevention strategy utilized by planners, architects, police services, security professionals and everyday users of space. It is an approach to crime prevention that takes into account the relationship between the physical environment and the users of that environment. CPTED provides a common sense way to improve the safety of your living environment.

Our March event focuses on the complex and challenging issues of mental health and addiction. These issues are sometimes overlapping, and presenting agencies will provide an overview of the programs they offer. Community programs can minimize the impact of violence and maximize the wellbeing for clients dealing with these issues.

To provide a comprehensive range of services, DRIVEN introduces February's theme as Services to Men. These agencies offer programs that focus to encourage positive involvement of men in relationships and promote their responsibility toward their children, families and communities. Services to men are an essential element to rebuilding lives and strengthening communities.

To kick-start a safe 2008, we begin with Crime Prevention as the focus for January. DRIVEN promotes a Durham region standard that's intolerant of not only intimate-relationship violence, but violence of all types. We recognize that violence and abuse are crimes. We look forward to seeing everyone come out and hear about some strategies to help people be safe from the crime of violence and abuse..

As one of DRIVEN's goals to promote a community standard that is intolerant of intimate-relationship violence, we are pleased to introduce the Neighbours, Friends & Families campaign to our community. An expert panel member of the campaign, Detective Tracey Marshall will focus on raising community awareness, the signs and how to support those at risk.

DRIVEN embraces Durham Region's growing diverse community and understands the need to address diversity in service provision. To strengthen the alliance of services to clients of intimate-relationship violence, our esteemed colleagues will address issues that face diverse groups and their connection to the community.

One of DRIVEN's overall goals is the promotion of networking and community partnerships. This month 3 of our colleagues will be presenting their programs; who they are, what they provide, and how we can work together as members of Durham's continuum of services to women and children dealing with violence in their lives.

In an effort to provide a more seamless response to family violence, a number of Kitchener/Waterloo community services have assigned staff to be based at 400 Queen Street South in Kitchener. Women contacting that location can access service from all or some of these organizations. This system has been in effect for approximately 3 years and clearly demonstrated the benefits that can come from a co-location model of service. Representatives of the Family Violence Project will be sharing with us how the project got started, the challenges they faced along the way, and how it is working out now, 3 years later. Their excellent PowerPoint presentation will assist in conceptualizing how a similar model, modified to suit the specific needs of our Region, could work in Durham.

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