Dozens march in Charlottetown in support of Family Violence Prevention Week

Dozens of people walked in downtown Charlottetown on Wednesday in support of Family Violence Prevention Week.

It was one of a handful of walksthis week in communities across P.E.I.

Danya O'Malley, executive director of Family Violence Prevention Services for P.E.I., said the week helps keep the issue top of mind.

"Of course we try to do things all throughout the year in all different ways," O'Malley said. "But the amount of focused attention that this gets and it only grows every year is a really good reminder."

Throughout the week there will be family events, workshops and information sessions raising awareness about domestic violence.

She said it's important to recognize events that can exacerbate violence against loved ones.

"Cost of living, of course, is increasing dramatically.And similar to the pandemic and other big stressors, these things don't cause abuse, but if you have abuse it causes it to worsen," O'Malley said.

"Times of high family stress can make situations very volatile."