Youth Blog
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Navigating Subtle Manipulation in Youth Relationships: Challenges for Students
December 05, 2024
While youth romantic relationships often offer companionship, support, and opportunities for growth, they can also present significant challenges, ...
Technology-Facilitated Violence: Knowing Your Rights in Online Spaces
August 12, 2024
While tech has many positive uses, it's important to recognize the harms people can experience online. Technology-facilitated violence ...
Shedding Light on Teen Dating Violence, Understanding, Addressing, and Preventing It
May 01, 2024
Recent data from Statistics Canada highlights the prevalence of teen dating violence among youth, aged 15 to 17, spanning from 2009 to 2022. These ...
Rural Roots
March 08, 2024
"Rural Roots: Seeing, Naming and Changing Intimate Partner Violence in Rural Communities" is a collaborative initiative among NFF, LCIH ...
The Importance of Inclusive Language and Pronouns in Developing Safer Spaces for Trans and Gender Diverse Folks
January 19, 2024
Discussing the importance of pronouns and inclusivity in creating safer spaces for 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals.
The Importance of Addressing Intimate Partner Violence: Declaring IPV an Epidemic
June 29, 2023
Declaring IPV an epidemic would mean prioritizing and investing in IPV prevention education and addressing IPV at all levels. It would go a long ...
IPV in 2SLGBTQIA+ Communities: Part 3
June 12, 2023
This blog highlights the principles of trauma-informed care that when put into practice, are helpful in better supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ ...
Part 2: IPV in 2SLGBTQIA+ Communities
April 30, 2023
Exploring the need for a trauma-informed approach when supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ IPV survivors.
Part 1: IPV in 2SLGBTQIA+ Communities
April 16, 2023
This three-part blog series aims to discuss the prevalence of intimate partner violence among Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, ...
4 Lessons Learned from a Rural Inquest
December 22, 2022
A coroner’s inquest into the murders of 3 women — Carol Culleton, Nathalie Warmerdam and Anastasia Kuzyk —resulted in 86 ...
What can neighbours, friends and families do?
December 22, 2022
Families, friends, neighbours and community resources play a huge role in providing a safe physical and mental space for those who have ...
Taking action to prevent violence against two-spirit and Indigiqueer people
December 11, 2022
Dr. Percy Lezard (they/them/theirs) delivered a talk about gender-based violence from the perspective of people who are Indigenous and gender ...
How can we build healthier relationships?
November 30, 2022
The first step to forming healthy relationships with others is to have a healthy relationship with ourselves.
Do boys cry?
November 29, 2022
Allowing men to be themselves and not requiring them to comply with stereotypical ideas of manhood helps men build healthier relationships with ...
Part 8: Inquest Recommendations — Leadership Requests
October 03, 2022
The last blog in our inquest series explores the jury's requests to leadership in Ontario and Canada on how to prevent intimate partner ...
Part 7: Inquest Recommendations — Victim Safety
September 26, 2022
In our latest blog as part of our series on the Culleton, Warmerdam and Kuzyk coroner's inquest, we're looking at the jury ...
Part 6: Inquest Recommendations — Violence Interventions
September 20, 2022
Our sixth blog in the Culleton, Warmerdam and Kuzyk Inquest series outlines the recommendations for survivor-informed risk assessments, high-risk ...
Part 5: Inquest Recommendations — Perpetrator Interventions
September 14, 2022
Our fifth blog in the Culleton, Warmerdam and Kuzyk Inquest series outlines the recommendations for partner assault response programming and to ...
NFF Youth Blog: Action & Accountability Through Healthy Masculinity
September 12, 2022
Sometimes it may be difficult for young men and boys to break some of the harmful norms associated with 'traditional masculinity.' This ...
Part 4: Inquest Recommendations — Education
August 30, 2022
Our fourth blog in the Culleton, Warmerdam and Kuzyk Inquest series looks at how IPV prevention and incidence management must be supported by ...
Part 3: Inquest Recommendations — Funding
August 09, 2022
Our third blog in the Culleton, Warmerdam and Kuzyk Inquest series looks at how funding priorities for intimate partner violence victims and ...
Part 2: Inquest Recommendations — Collaboration
July 25, 2022
Following the June 2022 coroner’s inquest into the 2015 murders of three Canadian women – Nathalie Warmerdam, Anastasia Kuzyk and ...
Part 1: Inquest Recommendations — Accountability
July 12, 2022
When three women – Carol Culleton, Nathalie Warmerdam and Anastasia Kuzyk – were killed in September 2015, the violence did not come ...
NFF Youth Blog: Masculinity and The Role of Men in Ending Gender-Based Violence
April 22, 2022
Traditional societal beliefs about the norms related to men are a topic of wide discussion and debate. Critically understanding the patterns of ...
NFF Youth Blog: Black History Month
March 01, 2022
It is important that we celebrate Black history and its contributions to Canada today and every single day. Learn more about Canada's past, ...
NFF Youth Blog: Consent
February 01, 2022
Consent is important in anything, not just relationships. Consent means boundaries, and consent is the guide of having good relationships not just ...
NFF Youth Blog: 16 Days of Activism
December 10, 2021
16 Days of Activism begins November 25 which marks the International Day for Violence Against Women and runs until December 10, Human Rights Day. ...
NFF Youth Blog: The National Day of Remembrance and Action of Violence Against Women
December 06, 2021
One late afternoon, a 25-year-old gunman carrying a semi-automatic assault rifle entered the École Polytechnique in Montréal. After ...
NFF Youth Blog: Day of the Girl
October 26, 2021
If you are anything like me, you scrolled through Instagram, Tik-Tok, and Facebook on October 11th to be met repeatedly with the hashtag ...
NFF Youth Blog: Bridging Civic Engagement Gaps with Diverse Youth Voices
October 15, 2021
We live in an uncertain world, and it is easy to feel powerless to act in a society that is composed of complex power dynamics and politics. ...
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
September 29, 2021
Indigenous women’s groups estimate the number of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls at 4,000 in the last three decades. 1 ...
Back-to-School & Work: A Refresher on Spotting Warning Signs
September 01, 2021
With Canada’s rising vaccinating rate, employers have started planning or requesting its employees’ return to workplaces in the fall, ...
NFF Youth Blog: September
September 01, 2021
September - the month that signifies the end of a long ‘break’. Summer months usually bring vacations, hanging out with friends, and a ...
Invitation to July 1, 2021
July 01, 2021
Reading through Canadian headlines as we approach July 1 this year, I am glad to see the discussion and action happening around ‘Canada ...
June 15th is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD)
June 15, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that our survival depends on society putting the good of all above individual needs. The climate crisis pushes us ...
How To Be An Ally for the Indigenous Community
June 08, 2021
In June, Canada celebrates National Indigenous History Month. While it is a time to learn about our country’s rich history through the ...
Domestic Abuse Affects Mental Health Long After It’s Over
May 14, 2021
In Ontario, the month of May is recognized as a time to raise awareness about the devastating impact of sexual assault on women and focus on steps ...
How Teachers Can Look for Signs of Child Abuse, Even Online
April 14, 2021
School has changed drastically this past year, all over the world. Some children are back to school, most with varied restrictions due to ...
Women Are Vital to COVID-19 Recovery Plans
March 08, 2021
Most of us have never lived through a time like this. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected lives around the globe, and is arguably the most serious ...
Elderly Vulnerability & Care: It Takes a Village
March 03, 2021
When I was younger, I thought everyone over 75 years old had dementia. All of my grandparents and great aunts and uncles had Alzheimer’s. ...
Gender, Sexuality & The Importance of Normalization
February 16, 2021
I didn’t grow up with homophobic parents, and my religious community was not homophobic. I constantly reminded myself of this as I cried my ...
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
February 14, 2021
Indigenous women’s groups estimate the number of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls at 4,000 in the last three decades. ...
2020: The Year We Failed Women
February 03, 2021
2020 was hard. For many, this is an understatement. Stories, news and studies remind us that worldwide, women and children in particular have ...
Women’s Rights are Human Rights
December 10, 2020
There’s a now famous-saying: “women’s rights are human rights.” Yet, around the world, women and girls are still denied ...
December 6: Workplace Violence Against Women in Canada Today
December 03, 2020
On December 6, 1989, 14 young women were murdered at Polytechnique Montreal, one of Canada’s most tragic acts of violent misogyny. Every ...
Back to Basics to End Violence Against Women and Girls
November 20, 2020
Violence against women is all around us. It’s engrained in our cultures, often passed down generationally, it’s in the media we ...
Rethinking Persons Day
October 16, 2020
Persons Day - October 18 - is a day in Canada meant to commemorate the historic decision to include women in the legal definition of ...
Celebrating the International Day of the Girl
October 08, 2020
My name is Tanya Marie Lee. Close to four years ago, I created a book club for Teen Girls 13 to 18 years of age entitled “A Room Of Your ...
International Day of Older Persons – Oct 1 2020
September 30, 2020
Every day is a milestone in the life journey. Over the years, I have come to recognize that there is a core part of me that is unchanging, that ...
Take Back the Night – Fifty years of activism
September 21, 2020
September is recognized across Canada as a time to Take Back the Night (TBTN). TBTN events are for those who have been hurt by domestic and sexual ...
The Other Global Pandemic - The Rise of Violence Against Women
September 02, 2020
In a recent Statistics Canada survey conducted in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, 10% of women and 6% of men reported that they were ...
The 5 Ways Dads Can Teach Sons AND Daughters About Healthy Relationships
June 17, 2020
There’s a lot of talk about father-daughter relationships. How a father can teach their daughter about love, about what a good partner looks ...
Staying Mentally Healthy During Coronavirus
May 14, 2020
This season of life is challenging for the average person. For anyone in an abusive situation, it becomes dangerous, with the risk of violence ...
Misogyny is Everywhere: Sexual Assault Awareness Month
May 08, 2020
May is Sexual Assault Awareness Month in Canada. Sexual assault, and sexual violence more broadly, is something that’s become increasingly ...
Domestic Violence as Contagion
May 06, 2020
In Nova Scotia, reporting on the massacre of twenty-two people revealed that the attacks started with the violent assault of the killer’s ...
The Impact of Coronavirus on Victims of Family Violence
March 24, 2020
The recent worldwide outbreak of COVID-19 has brought about something that most of us have never seen before: a near complete shut-down of daily ...
International Women’s Day 2020-03-06
March 06, 2020
Violence Against Women in Canada: It Affects Us All
With the lead up to the global day celebration women and women’s rights, news ...
Why We Need to Talk About Domestic Abuse on Anti-Bullying Pink Shirt Day
February 26, 2020
Pink Shirt Day, otherwise known as Anti-Bullying Day, is a day when people wear a pink shirt to symbolize the unified stand against bullying. ...
(***TEST***)Best of 2019 at NFF
January 16, 2020
This past year has been full of change. The #MeToo movement has continued gaining momentum, giving courage to many women to come forward, and ...
How to Stay Mentally Healthy During the Holidays
December 20, 2019
The winter holiday season creates many expectations for a time of joy. Television commercials, stores, online advertisements, all show images of ...
16 Days of Action: Voices of Change
December 10, 2019
Have you been following along the #16Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign? From November 25 to December 10, individuals and ...
Tangible Ways to Help Your Local Women’s Shelter
November 15, 2019
Tis the season...to be generous? While philanthropy and volunteering is always much needed in our society, it seems that the time around the ...
#boyswithbraids #BWB
November 13, 2019
I have chosen to write about a deeply personal topic – the bullying experiences of Indigenous boys with braids in mainstream schooling ...
The Epidemic of Abuse Against Female Politicians
November 04, 2019
Women in politics. While men hold an overwhelming majority of political positions, we’ve seen a shift especially in the past decade. ...
A better world for girls is a better world for all
October 11, 2019
It was 25 years ago that 30,000 men and women from almost 200 countries gathered in China for the Fourth World Conference on Women. The outcome ...
The Three Most Moving Moments in “Fatal Silence”
September 05, 2019
Maha El Birani, her sisters, and her mother Sonia had long endured family violence at the hands of Maha’s father, despite eventually seeking ...
Morgan’s Story: Abuse doesn’t always look like what we think it will
August 20, 2019
We’re often taught, through media or even school, that domestic violence is all physical. But that’s often not the case. The lack of ...
Workplace Domestic Violence: Supporting Workers with Disabilities
August 12, 2019
In Ontario, Neighbours, Friends & Families (NFF) has been a clear voice for public education on addressing domestic violence since 2005. NFF ...
Mary's Story
July 03, 2019
I left my husband in 2011 because he was physically and mentally abusive. He would hit me if I didn't do what he wanted and call me awful ...
Reflections on Indigenous Land Acknowledgements on National Indigenous Peoples Day
June 20, 2019
I am an Indigenous woman (Cree, originally from Petabeck / Fort Albany First Nation, in Treaty 9 territory) who grew up in small town northern ...
Reflections on Father’s Day: Why I’m Not a Superhero
June 12, 2019
Every year, Father’s Day is a natural opportunity to discuss the role of fathers in the lives of children. Lately, this conversation has ...
World Health Day: Let’s Talk About a Global Issue Often Ignored
April 03, 2019
For many, domestic abuse isn’t on the list of issues they’d think of, but it should be. Physical or sexual abuse is a public health ...
This Valentine’s Day, why not just love yourself?
February 14, 2019
Valentine’s Day. It’s a day synonymous with red roses, chocolate, and love. For many though, the day is not full of happiness. Some ...
Domestic Violence and Women with Disabilities
January 07, 2019
When approached to write this blog post I was thrilled as I enjoy writing and the topic is one that is near and dear to me. I have the distinction ...
Reflecting on 16 Days of Activism
December 11, 2018
70 years ago, on December 10, 1948, the United National Genera Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This milestone ...
Canada Still Has Work to Do
November 08, 2018
Approximately every six days, a woman in Canada is killed by her intimate partner. Let that sink in. If you think we have achieved gender ...
Making Consent Feel Natural
October 16, 2018
What should consent look like? Some argue that consent must be acquired and provided clearly and explicitly prior to any sexual activity, while ...
Peace: It Starts in the Home
September 27, 2018
Peace. It’s something many of us wish for, all over the world. For wars to stop, for bombings to end, for refugees to be able to return to ...
Ending the cycle of domestic violence
August 30, 2018
All too often, we’ve seen that violence against women and children is learned behaviour. Boys who have grown up in abusive homes or who have ...
How to Help a Friend Who is Being Abused
July 30, 2018
Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to know when someone is being abused, and many people just don’t know how to help, despite how ...
How to Talk to Teens about Healthy Relationships and Dating Violence
July 09, 2018
As parents, caregivers or teachers of teens, there are some important steps to take when it comes to talking to teens about healthy relationships ...
Celebrating Canada and Looking Ahead: How We’re Helping Victims of Domestic Violence
July 05, 2018
We’ve spent a long weekend of get-togethers, fireworks, and celebrating our country with Canada Day festivities. Now is a good time to look ...
Aboriginal History Month
June 20, 2018
When I was first asked to write a blog post in honour of Canada’s National Aboriginal Day on June 21, my first thought was of my recently ...
Supporting moms in domestic abuse situations
May 14, 2018
Along with the many effects and fears of domestic violence that a woman faces, being a mother adds another level of difficulty, especially when it ...
How Laughter Can Heal
May 03, 2018
Humour and healing – there’s growing recognition of the powerful connection between a belly laugh and recovery from trauma. Whether ...
Dating Violence: A Teen Issue
April 23, 2018
Domestic violence is a serious problem, but it’s not just a concern for adults. Young adults, especially teenagers, are often vulnerable to ...
Healing the Wounds from Violence with Yoga
April 09, 2018
You don’t have to go far to read about the potential health benefits of yoga – both for the body and the mind. However, for women and ...
Working Toward a Better Transition and Reducing the Risk of Domestic Violence
April 03, 2018
April 4th marks the day for Refugee Rights! This day is an opportunity for people around the world to recognize war as a major violation of human ...
Victim Blaming in the Face of a Domestic Violence Murder
March 26, 2018
A woman and her two children were killed by a former partner. And no, it’s not her fault. Another tragic case of domestic violence in ...
International Women's Day
March 05, 2018
Join us in celebrating International Women's Day on March 8th! We've prepared a fun and informative video all about the amazing and ...
Inspiring Books for Young Girls about Women in Science
February 12, 2018
In recent years, there’s been a big movement to move away from gender stereotypes when it comes to career choices. We’re seeing more ...
The Turpin Family: How did we miss the signs of abuse? Hint: We didn’t.
February 02, 2018
We are all shocked and horrified by the case of child abuse that recently emerged in California, but we can be sure that the signs were there. ...
Let’s do better in 2018: here’s how
January 29, 2018
2017 started with women, men, and children around the world marching. While the marches initially began as a protest against the US Presidential ...
Rabbit Ears Book Club
January 03, 2018
Maggie’s message of standing up to injustice is one that can be carried over to many avenues in life, and in particular, the issue of ...
Looking Back & Moving Forward - A Year in Review
December 18, 2017
2017 was a big year for us at Neighbours, Friends and Families. We increased the amount of blog content we’ve been adding, responded to many ...
Boys Disguised as Men — The time to unmask is now.
December 14, 2017
Men, where did you learn how to treat women? I grew up in a locker room culture. Hormonal young men pretending to know who they were and what it ...
Reflecting on the 16 Days of Action for 2017
December 11, 2017
From November 25-December 10, we took part in the 16 Days of Action on Violence Against Women remembered all of the women tragically and violently ...
Memoirs of a Domestic Violence Murder Trial
December 05, 2017
On December 6th we remember 14 young women who were killed at École Polytechnique in Montreal in 1989. We never forget that they were killed ...
National Housing Day Canada 2017- What About Women And Girls?
November 29, 2017
The World Health Organization reports that a third of women worldwide in intimate relationships will experience violence at the hands of their ...
16 Days of Action
November 24, 2017
Domestic violence is an issue that affects us all. You might have even experienced it firsthand yourself. Or maybe you have a friend, a family ...
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