It's scary, it can be common, and it's a lot more complex than some might think. 

That from the Executive Director at PATHS or the Provincial Authority of Transition Houses, Jo-Anne Dusel during November's Domestic Violence Awareness month. 

She said despite Saskatchewan having staggering statistics, she believes the number is even larger because not all victims come forward after experiencing abuse.

"Saskatchewan in the last calendar year that was recognized by Statistics Canada, there were over 6,000 police reported incidents of intimate partner violence in Saskatchewan alone," explained Dusel. "We also know that the vast majority of individuals who are experiencing this type of violence don't report it to the police."

Not only does this violence impact a victim and their loved ones, but it also has a ripple effect that can impact the economy too. 

"The cost to the economy of domestic violence, in general, has been estimated at 7.4 billion dollars annually. things like social services, the justice system, medical system, and loss of wages and productivity for employers. It's a huge issue in Canada, worldwide we know that one in three women experience physical or sexual violence."

According to the PATHS website, 83% of victims who have endured intimate partner violence(IPV) said the abuse followed them to their job. It also states that Saskatchewan's IPV is double the national average and that a woman in our province is murdered by an ex-partner roughly every four months.

Despite wanting to share a tidal wave of information with residents hoping to end a future act of violence, Dusel said she wants people to know that domestic abuse isn't just an episode of physical violence; it's more than that and can be witnessed in various forms. 

"The reality is it's a whole spectrum of behaviors that include economic abuse and control, there's isolation, verbal and emotional abuse, there can spiritual abuse where someone is either using religion to manipulate or control or perhaps they're preventing someone from exercising their religious beliefs by attending a church."

Dusel added that there is help if you or someone you know is being abused by a partner. She said you can find abuse helplines in the phone book, find information about warning signs on the PATHS website or if you need immediate assistance you can reach out their local transition house.

The next event for the Moose Jaw Transition House is coming up on December 6th on National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women and Girls. It will be a luncheon featuring keynote speaker Lani Elliots. Spots cost $15 a person to attend.