Domestic violence against higher-income women on rise with oilpatch layoffs, group warns

High-income families are at a higher risk ofexperiencing domestic violence as layoffs continue in the oilpatch, a Calgary women's support centre has warned.

The Peer Support Services for Abused Women has seen a 40-per cent spike in domestic violence this year compared to last, says executive director Andrea Silverstone.

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"When perpetrators are unemployed or underemployed, rates of domestic violence go up. There's greater risk for the victim," she said.

"Women who experience 'upscale violence'have a whole different set of barriers," she added.

Pauline Murdock, one such victim,says she kept her abuse quiet out of shame.

"I never told anyone in the 13-and-a-half years that I was with this man, that I was abused by this man. Ever. Not told one soul," said Murdock.

"And then finally when he threatened to kill me, and I knew he was serious, that's when I broke my silence."

Murdocksays she was not a "typical" victim.

"I ended up in a women's shelter [and] I thought 'I am not like these ladies,'" she said.

Women from higher-income families often are not aware of the help available to them, including support at her centre, Silverstone said.

"It's for anyone who seeks support from a domestic violence relationship," Silverstone said.