Aboriginal Domestic Violence In Canada

The impacts of family violence and abuse, not only on the victims, but also on children who live with and witness this phenomenon, on the strength and health of families, and on the well-being of Aboriginal communities and nations are also examined. [...] The second area of work is identifying key community capacities needed to bring about change relative to the determinants of violence and abuse, to develop those capacities, and to apply them strategically and systematically to the work of shifting the status of key determinants. [...] Closely related to the challenge of mapping the complex web of factors that create and sustain domestic violence and abuse at the level of individuals, extended families, community systems, and the socio-environmental context, is the even more perplexing problem of how to transform that web of relationships and conditions in order to stop the violence and abuse. [...] Aboriginal family service program worker, Ontario 3 Introduction Purpose of the Study This study set out to address the following research goals: 1. to develop a generic map of the problem of Aboriginal domestic violence and abuse that simultaneously describes the full nature and extent of the problem and also uncovers the dynamics of family, community, cultural, professional and governmental syst [...] There will be discussions on various definitions, theories and models of domestic violence and abuse (includes both physical and sexual abuse, as well as other methods that abusers use to control and dominate their victims), a portrait of the anatomy of abuse and the known levels of incidence and extent of the problem.

Family violence has become an issue of significant concern within the Aboriginal community. One of the unique aspects of family violence within this community is its link to the history of colonization. This volume presents a number of studies on the effects of colonization, the need for programming specific to and by Aboriginal people and the efforts made by the Aboriginal community to meet that need. The success and respect that these projects have elicited from the community will build confidence and pave the way for their development and the pursuit of alternative approaches to family violence prevention in the Aboriginal community. First in the Hurting and Healing series on intimate violence from RESOLVE and Fernwood.

This report is a condensed version of a research report, prepared by the Ipsos-Reid research firm for Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, on the attitudes and opinions of Aboriginal women, and the professionals who work with them, on intimate partner violence against women. It includes a discussion of the causes and consequences of male violence against women in Aboriginal communities, and of sources of support, resource gaps and recommendations. The report is intended, primarily, for organizations providing assistance to Aboriginal women who have experienced violence.

In 2014, the nation was rocked by the brutal violence against young Aboriginal women Loretta Saunders, Tina Fontaine and Rinelle Harper. But tragically, they were not the only Aboriginal women to suffer that year. In fact, an official report revealed that since 1980, 1,200 Canadian Aboriginal women have been murdered or have gone missing. This alarming official figure reveals a national tragedy and the systemic failure of law enforcement and of all levels of government to address the issue. Journalist Emmanuelle Walter spent two years investigating this crisis and has crafted a moving representative account of the disappearance of two young women, Maisy Odjick and Shannon Alexander, teenagers from western Quebec, who have been missing since September 2008. Via personal testimonies, interviews, press clippings and official documents, Walter pieces together the disappearance and loss of these two young lives, revealing these young women to us through the voices of family members and witnesses. Stolen Sisters is a moving and deeply shocking work of investigative journalism that makes the claim that not only is Canada failing its First Nations communities, but that a feminicide is taking place.

Violence in families and intimate relationships affects a significant proportion of the population—from very young children to the elderly—with far-reaching and often devastating consequences. Cruel but Not Unusual draws on the expertise of scholars and practitioners to present readers with the latest research and thinking about the history, conditions, and impact of violence in these contexts. For this new edition, chapters have been updated to reflect changes in data and legislation. New chapters include an examination of trauma from a neurobiological perspective; a critical analysis of the “gender symmetry debate,” a debate that questions the gendered nature of intimate violence; and an essay on the history and evolution of the women’s movement dedicated to addressing violence against women, which advances theoretical developments that remind readers of the breadth of inclusivity that should be at the heart of working in this field.

This report is based on a review of files of 15 projects funded by the Family Violence Prevention Division and all conceived, developed, and implemented by Aboriginal people. All these programs were meant to address one or more forms of violence in Aboriginal families and to do so in a nationally innovative manner. This file review assesses the significance and accomplishments of the projects and also identifies characteristics that reflect their culturally appropriate nature. The projects included those related to prevention or public awareness and education, professional training and sensitization, demonstration or service model development, and research or data gathering. The final section discusses future steps and opportunities. The appendix contains brief summaries of the projects along with names, addresses, and phone/fax numbers of the agency involved.