At a time when Albertans are facing rising costs of living, new research shows that failing to prevent male perpetration of domestic violence comes with a steep public price tag and that investing earlier can save both money and lives.
Released yesterday (Feb 23) by Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence a University of Calgary research-action hub at the Faculty of Social Work - and the School of Public Policy, the study examines what happens when our systems respond to the violence perpetrated by men after it occurs.
It Costs More to Do Nothing: Preventing Male Perpetration of Domestic Violence analyzes 2019 police data in Calgary, examining a variety of public-system costs connected to those cases. Even as a conservative snapshot, the financial impact is significant: it estimates that domestic violence perpetration costs Calgary approximately $58 million every year in 2024 dollars.
More than 90 per cent of the costs are borne by taxpayers, meaning public dollars are largely spent responding to violence after harm has already taken place. But there's a silver lining: the study finds there are opportunities for significant cost savings if prevention measures are put in place earlier, rather than relying solely on enforcement and crisis response.
"Investing in prevention isn't just the right thing to do, it's also the fiscally responsible choice," says Lana Wells, BSW'96, MSW'97, lead author on the report. "Preventing male perpetration of domestic violence reduces costs to taxpayers and, more importantly, prevents the harm experienced by women and children in families and communities."
Wells is the Brenda Strafford Chair in the Prevention of Domestic Violence, an associate professor at in the Faculty of Social Work, and a fellow at the School of Public Policy. She leads Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence, a first-of-its-kind research-action hub focused on the primary prevention of gender-based violence. For the past five years, Shift has worked in partnership with the Calgary Police Service to better understand patterns of criminal domestic violence perpetration and identify opportunities for earlier intervention.
This study is the third in a policy-focused series. Initial research found a clear escalation in police contact and criminal behaviour in the two years leading up to a domestic-violence charge. A second report revealed that 64 per cent of men charged with domestic violence in Calgary had a prior "domestic encounter" with police a non-criminal moment of contact where officers responded to reports of harm in the home. These earlier interactions represent a critical window of opportunity that is currently underutilized.
The research series provide identifiable points where referrals to community services could be made, and violence could be prevented before it reaches the threshold of a criminal charge.
A closer look at the costs
To estimate the total cost of domestic violence perpetration, Wells and co-authors Dr. Herb Emery, PhD; Casey Boodt; and Ken Fyie, MSc'13, examined recorded domestic-violence encounters and incidents, along with detailed costing data tied to police responses, justice and court processes, and services accessed by victims, like health care.
The findings show that responding after violence occurs is expensive and largely preventable.
After calculating the total annual cost, researchers modelled what would happen if men who come into contact with police were connected earlier to evidence-based behaviour-change programs. The analysis suggests that such an approach could reduce domestic violence by up to 40 per cent.
If this prevention model had been in place over the past five years in Calgary, the city could have saved more than $93 million.
"We cannot arrest our way out of domestic violence," says Wells. "Accountability matters, but prevention means intervening earlier. And this study shows us we can direct public dollars towards more cost-effective solutions: when men are struggling to manage their behaviour, police have an opportunity to refer them to community supports before violence becomes criminal."
The report emphasizes that men are the primary perpetrators of domestic, sexual and other forms of gender-based violence in Canada. At the same time, many men face elevated risks related to suicide, substance use and disengagement from support systems all risk factors associated with violence perpetration.
Moving from crisis response to prevention
The authors argue that prevention means addressing the broader social conditions that shape men's behaviour. Police and community organizations agree.
Deputy Chief Asif Rashid of the Calgary Police Service notes that the findings reinforce the importance of coordinated approaches.
"Domestic violence is a complex public safety issue that requires a community-led solution," says Rashid, BA'01. "While enforcement is necessary to keep victims and our community safe, the real progress comes from working with community-based organizations and researchers to prevent violence before it happens."
Meanwhile, FearIsNotLove CEO Kim Ruse, BSW'94, MSW'99, says the findings validate what front-line organizations have long observed: early intervention works.
Her organization has been part of Equally Safe a Calgary police-community referral model that connects first-time domestic violence offenders to community-based supports since the partnership's inception in 2020. Equally Safe enables police officers to refer individuals to behavioural intervention programs instead of relying solely on charges and prosecution.
FearIsNotLove is also a partner in The Men& Project, a prevention initiative focused on engaging men and boys in healthy relationships, accountability and behaviour change before violence escalates.
"Prevention means making it easier for men to reach out for support before situations escalate," says Ruse. "Initiatives like Men& focus on getting men the right help at the right time, an essential step in reducing harm and strengthening families and communities."
Wells says the new economic evidence demonstrates what violence-prevention experts have long argued.
"Prevention works. It saves public dollars, strengthens policing responses, and most importantly, prevents harm. The question is no longer whether prevention is possible it's whether we choose to act."
Read the full report here.
