Aboriginal Women And Family Violence

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.

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.

Arising out of a 1995 Winnipeg study involving twenty-six Aboriginal women, this book is a compelling acount of the domestic violence they experienced, first as children and later as wives and mothers.

This 2002 book addresses one of the most controversial topics in restorative justice: its potential for dealing with conflicts within families. Most restorative justice programs specifically exclude family violence as an appropriate offence to be dealt with this way. This book focuses on the issues in family violence that may warrant special caution about restorative justice, in particular, feminist and indigenous concerns. At the same time it looks for ways of designing a place for restorative interventions that respond to these concerns. Further, it asks whether there are ways that restorative processes can contribute to reducing and preventing family violence, to healing its survivors and to confronting the wellsprings of this violence. The book discusses the shortcomings of the present criminal justice response to family violence. It suggests that these shortcomings require us to explore other ways of addressing this apparently intractable problem.

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.

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 study focuses on domestic violence and abuse in Aboriginal communities in Canada. It means to build on studies and intiatives conducted over the past fifteen years by others such as the Ontario Native Women's Association, National Clearing House on Family Violence, Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, and several others. Contributors argue that despite all the study, there are still gaps between what is occurring in relation to domestic violence and abuse in Aboriginal communities and the capacity of these communities and of the agencies that work with them to systematically and effectively address the problem. They argue that one reason for this gap is the lack of clear understanding of the true nature and complexity of domestic violence and abuse in Aboriginal communities as a social phenomenon.

Controversial and forward-thinking, this volume presents a much-needed analysis of restorative justice practices in cases of violence against women. Advocates, community activists, and scholars will find the theoretical perspectives and vivid case descriptions presented here to be invaluable tools for creating new ways for abused women to find justice.