Pregnancy should be a time when a woman receives extra care and attention. While some women feel great throughout their pregnancy, others face health complications. Whatever the pregnancy experience, growing a baby is hard work and this is a time when women needs all the support they can get. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen. Many women not only lack support, but are also dealing with abusive relationships while they are pregnant. Although it’s hard for some of us to imagine, pregnancy puts women at an increased risk of experiencing violence from an intimate partner. If she is already experiencing abuse, this domestic violence often intensifies when a woman is pregnant.

Mother’s Day. It’s a day when we celebrate all the moms and women of influence in our lives. This could be a mom of any type: a biological, adopted, foster or step-mom. It could also be a grandmother, an aunt, an older sister, or another close relative. It might even be your neighbour, a co-worker, a teacher or a close friend. It’s a chance to celebrate anyone who is a mother figure or has had a strong impact on your life!

World Laughter Day falls on May 7th this year. It’s a great day to plan to spend some down time with your family or friends and do nothing but...laugh! Whether you’re spending it with your siblings, your children, your spouse or even a group of friends, it’s a great opportunity to take the day to bond and create even more happy memories.

Dichotomy has always been a notion that has fascinated me. Two things in front of you that are cast apart as being so different. I lived in a dichotomy. I had my mother, who was the epitome of grace. She was kind and angelic in nature. She had compassion that ultimately cost her life. I had a father that, for all intent and purposes, can be described as the face of evil.

I was taught at a young age that forgiveness was a good thing. In fact, a great thing. Forgiveness helps us let go of anger. It helps us move on from situations and experiences that can bring us immense pain, confusion and sadness.

What If? Why We Need to Change the System

"Domestic Violence." Such a simple term. Other words that followed that term for me include "murder," "trial," grief," post-traumatic stress syndrome," "depression," "stress related chronic illnesses," and more. The list just keeps getting longer and longer.

Almost five years ago, my mother was murdered in cold blood by my father. After a marriage of 29 years and three daughters. I am the eldest of the 3. My name is Ahlam. Domestic violence, specifically un-recognized domestic violence, cost me my mother, my children’s grandmother, and my best friend. It wasn’t recognized as violence by anyone around us, to the point where it even took us so long to see and admit that it was there.

On a Friday in April 2005, I woke up at 5AM to put final edits on a grade 12 social studies essay that was due that day. I remember the teacher saying to the class that she would not accept any late submissions under any circumstances. While working away on the family computer, my long-time physically abusive father started a fight with my older sister by joking that she should throw her 11 month old baby off the balcony. He stood towering over her and her son. I tried to protect her by separating them from each other. We rushed to the bedroom to get dressed and ready, leaving the house before the tension escalated.

As March 21st comes…like it does every year, I wonder what people are doing on that particular day.This is the day when No Ruz, New Year is celebrated across various cultures; when spring makes an official entrance on calendars and our eyes search for its first signs; and when many organizations acknowledge and celebrate the International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination.As March 21st comes…like it does every year, I wonder what people are doing on that particular day.

This is the day when No Ruz, New Year is celebrated across various cultures; when spring makes an official entrance on calendars and our eyes search for its first signs; and when many organizations acknowledge and celebrate the International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

The Canadian Conference on Promoting Healthy Relationships for Youth was a tremendous success, bringing in over 432 participants from across North America. These participants came from a wide range of sectors, including educators, mental health professionals, police, justice and victim services, researchers and professors, social workers and government. The Centre for Research and Education and the Centre for School Mental Health worked collaboratively to ensure the success of the Conference, and in doing so highlighted the intersections between mental health and violence and bullying.

We’ve all heard of the bystander effect. It’s when people don’t offer any help to a victim who is in distress, when other individuals are around. It happens all the time. You’ve possibly even been a part of this effect and not even known it.

Why does it happen? Sometimes, we think someone else is going to help, or other times, we don’t realize the gravity of the situation. People also don’t like to be intrusive - they’re afraid they’re over-stepping the line. Lastly, people often just aren’t sure how to respond.

Children spend such a large chunk of their time in school. Because of this, teachers are often in some of the best positions to be able to recognize when something is wrong. Signs of domestic abuse occurring at home can be more obvious to educators than they might first think, and training on how to recognize domestic violence should be a priority.

Students of all ages often deal with many challenges outside of school and these can all have a huge impact on their ability to learn as well as their behaviour.