WillowNet.ca: new resource aims to provide clear information about domestic abuse
Website provides information about the law, how to recognize abusive relationships and how to get out
A new website is trying to make information on domestic violence more accessible on Alberta campuses and beyond.
WillowNet.ca was launched by the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta (CPLEA) and was set up to address a lack of simple, accessible information.
Joy Johnson-Green runs Sonshine Community Services — a Calgary shelter for women and children. She said domestic violence often leaves victims feeling isolated.
"They may feel like they're the only ones experiencing it and if they talk about it, people won't believe them," she said.
Accessible language
The new website is written in simple language, providing information about the law, as well as information on identifying and escaping abusive relationships.
CPLEA's Ryan Day, who helped design the site after surveying students at Northern Lakes College, said many victims don't know the options available to them.
"We found that there was a high need for information about abuse and the law and that people don't know where to find this information," he said.
Day says the centre is hoping to reach beyond post-secondary institutions.
They're placing posters at 90 libraries in Northern Alberta — because libraries are often the safest place for people to access the internet without being monitored by an abusive partner.
Day says they hope to expand to other parts of the province as well.