(VLS8a) Violence and Society I: Private and semi-private violence

It can be argued that victim experience has re-emerged to enhance how we understand violent and/or victimizing events and our responses to them. In this session we seek papers that examine violence and aggression in all forms, from varied perspectives including, but not limited to, those of the victim(s), the offender(s), witnesses, the social context(s) in which violence occurs, reactions to norm violations from both formal (governments, police, courts, etc.) and informal systems, recovery and resilience, and prevention. Papers in this session are featured from multiple disciplines that examine harms and their effects, including papers that seek to re-imagine alternatives to how we identify and respond to violence. Tags: Violence

Organizers: Hannah Scott, Ontario Tech University, Michael Marcel, University of Victoria

Presentations

Sidra Hashmi, Queen's University

Examining Intimate Partner Violence Survivor's Reporting Behaviour, Outcomes and Experiences.

This paper is part of my dissertation examining the prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and survivors reporting behaviour, outcomes and experiences. IPV includes experiencing or being threatened with physical, sexual, psychological and financial abuse perpetrated by a marital, dating and common-law partner (Cotter 2021). In the past 30 years, there have been significant shifts in societal awareness and the criminal justice systems response to IPV worldwide (Barrett, Peirone, and Cheung 2020; Peirone et al. 2021). There is a growing body of research on IPV, however, it often focuses on physical and sexual forms of abuse and primarily focuses on women. Further, individuals who are young, Indigenous, with low socio-economic status, identify as sexual minorities and have experienced childhood abuse are at an increased risk of experiencing IPV (Bailey 2021; Du Mont and Forte 2014; Tutty et al. 2021). This paper presents preliminary findings from the quantitative data analysis of the 2019 Canadian General Social Survey (GSS) (Cycle 34, Canadians Safety). This papers theoretical framework combines feminist theory, critical race theory and ecological models to test the effectiveness of laws on survivors access to justice, particularly those in interracial relationships. In studies using previous waves of the GSS, Brownridge et al. (2021) and Brownridge (2016) found that similar to the US, individuals in interracial couples in Canada are twice as likely to experience IPV. This paper contributes to Canadian literature on violence and society by using restricted data from the 2019 GSS to further investigate the elevated risk of IPV among interracial couples in Canada (Brownridge 2016, Brownridge et al. 2016). While this paper has similar findings as Brownridge 2016 and Brownridge et al. 2016), results from a direct logistic regression and sequential logistic regression show mixed findings as to whether the higher prevalence of IPV among interracial couples is related to the type of abuse (emotional/financial vs physical/sexual), survivors of IPV having experienced childhood abuse, being exposed to violence as a child, demographic data about the survivor and abuser, severity of violence the impact of IPV on children and level of social integration (Barrett, Peirone, and Cheung 2020; Peirone et al. 2021). This paper builds on past research testing additional intervening variables to better understand interracial couples and intersecting identity factors that may increase their risk of experiencing violence, as well as better understand what additional factors about the violence may vary based on the couples interracial status. Results from this paper can be used to inform policy on IPV by drawing on firsthand accounts of a large sample of survivors to address the elevated risk of IPV among interracial couples as a whole and in considering additional factors that may either increase the likelihood of experiencing violence and/or its severity

Ahmad Sher, University of Essex

Contributing Factors of Domestic Violence against Women

Women are neglected and discriminated in every aspect of life. In Pakistan traditionally women are considered as subordinate to their men. Women are suffering in every sector. They don’t know about their rights as generally they are less educated. Millennium Development Goals and sustainable development goals focus on gender equality and much legislation has been passed in favor of women rights but still in Pakistan women are insecure even in their homes. They are considered as subordinate to men and are not allowed to participate in any matter of life. The objectives of the present study were to know the prevalence and types of domestic violence; to identify the root causes of domestic violence; to know the contributing factors compelling women into Dar-ul-Aman. The present study was conducted in Dar-ul-Aman, District Multan, Pakistan. The population for present study was all the women who faced domestic violence and were living in Dar-ul-Aman District Multan, Pakistan. For the data collection interview schedule was used as a tool. Of the 100 respondents, majority 56% respondents belonged to age group 21-30 years, 32% belonged to 31- 40%, 4% belonged to age group 41-50, 2 % belonged to above 50 years. The data revealed that 76% respondents belonged to rural area and 24 % respondent’s belonged to urban area. About 52% respondents’ family monthly income was less than 20000 PK rupees, 33% respondents family monthly income was 21000-30000 PK rupees, 6% respondents’ income was 31000-40000 PK rupees, 7% respondents family monthly income was 41000-50000 PK rupees and 2% respondents family monthly income was above 50000 PK rupees. Grater part of the respondents 72% discussed that their male partners used drugs and 28% shared that their male partners did not use any drugs. Majority 83% respondents faced violence by their male partners, while 7% shared that perpetuators were fathers, about 9% respondents shared that their other family members were perpetuators of domestic violence and only 1 % expressed that any other was perpetrator of domestic violence. About 63% respondents faced physical violence, 29% faced verbal and 7% faced sexual violence. The study concluded that women should have equal opportunity in their life decisions and they must have parental and in-laws support for their better life.

Nikita Kalwani, Western University; Christopher Dietzel, Concordia University

What They Don't Teach in School: Addressing Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence in Canadian Educational Curricula, Policies, and Legislation

Technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV) is on the rise among Canadian youth, with 4 in 5 Canadian undergraduate students reporting having experienced online sexual violence (Snaychuk and O’Neill, 2020). Unfortunately, TFSV is not always recognized as violent or victimizing, as public discourse and provincial/territorial legislation in Canada have often categorized TFSV-related harms under the umbrella of cyberbullying. Despite this, TFSV can have significant consequences on young people’s health and well-being, including increased social isolation, fear and psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress symptoms (Pashang et al., 2018; Lindsay et al., 2016; Cripps and Stermac, 2018). This fall, CTV News reported that a 12-year-old boy in British Columbia died by suicide after falling victim to sexual extortion (Coyne, 2023). Amanda Todd and Rehtaeh Parsons were two other well-known cases of Canadian youth who died by suicide following TFSV victimization (Dodge, 2016). There is a growing concern about how students in Canada learn about online sexual harms and how youth are protected from such harms, particularly as it becomes easier to create, save, and share intimate images (Hadero, 2023). As technology continues to evolve, it is important to understand how TFSV manifests among young people and how formal systems, such as secondary schools and provincial/territorial governments, respond to TFSV. This presentation will present findings from our analysis of educational documents and offer recommendations for how secondary schools can better support Canadian youth by, for example, empowering young people rather than shaming them, scaring them, or taking a risk-based approach. This paper analyzed educational curricula, policies, and legislation from Canada’s provinces/territories to shed light on how educational systems nationwide identify and respond to TFSV. We also reviewed government documents (e.g., provincial anti-violence strategies), supplemental curriculum resources, and school-board-level procedures related to sexual and gender-based violence, cyberbullying, and digital citizenship policies. We found that TFSV-related concepts are insufficiently addressed in Canadian schools. Within educational curricula, very few provinces/territories recognize that sexual violence can occur online, include content on TFSV-specific online behaviours, or discuss legal consequences of online behaviour. Three provinces and territories—Ontario, British Columbia, and Yukon (which uses BC’s curriculum)—provide students with the most comprehensive understanding of TFSV. We also found that TFSV is rarely addressed within the context of intersectionality and is primarily addressed through anti-bullying provisions in educational legislation. To better support TFSV education, prevention, and response, we argue that secondary schools in Canada should include specific references to TFSV in their educational curricula, policies, and legislation. While Ontario, British Columbia, and Yukon are the most thorough in addressing TFSV, there are gaps in their approaches that prevent their respective curricula from being comprehensive. Additionally, we argue that the language used to refer to TFSV-related behaviours in curricula and legislation often does not identify these behaviours as violence. For example, using the term cyberbullying to describe TFSV-related behaviours can minimize the harms experienced by youth and create barriers to accessing supports, including legal or policy supports related to sexual violence. TFSV does not impact everyone in the same way. Youth of historically marginalized races, ethnicities, genders, and sexual orientations are significantly more likely to experience TFSV (e.g., Reyns et al., 2012; Statistics Canada, 2023). Provinces/territories must consider how systemic oppression and power dynamics can contribute to TFSV. We argue that an intersectional approach to TFSV is thus necessary to mitigate systemic harms and promote the safety of diverse populations. Schools must teach students that sexual violence can occur online, inform them about the online and offline impacts of TFSV, and educate them about harms, legal consequences, and supports related to TFSV. Empowering students, rather than scaring them, shaming them, or taking a risk-based approach to technology, can better help young people identify and address TFSV at school, online, and in their everyday lives. Moreover, schools must also include information on how power, intersectionality, and intersecting forms of oppression factor into students’ experiences with TFSV. Overall, in this presentation, we argue that urgent attention is required to address TFSV in secondary schools across Canada, and effective responses at an institutional level must recognize the complexities and systemic nature of this problem.

Wasifa Tasnim Shamma, Memorial University

Factors Associated with Women's Attitudes Toward Intimate Partner Violence: An Analysis from Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2017-18

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is one of the most noteworthy social and public health concerns in the world. It ensues in all contexts and among all socioeconomic, religious, and cultural groups with the overwhelming global burden experienced by women. At the moment, attitudes towards IPV perpetration against women in Bangladesh is not clearly understood although a comprehensive understanding of women’s attitudes towards IPV is central to preventing IPV among these marginalized women. Also, IPV is highly predominant in Bangladesh, yet national-level data on women's attitudes toward IPV are lacking in the country. Therefore, it is significant to explore women’s attitudes by identifying the socio-economic and demographic characteristics of those who justify IPV. To fill this gap, this study used the 2017-18 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS), conducted by the National Institute of Population Research and Training (NIPORT) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to examine the determinants of women’s attitudes towards IPV. Descriptive and multivariate analytical methods were used to model the data. The findings suggest women residing in rural areas, those with lower educational levels, and poorer women justified IPV. Thus, the present study is a significant endeavor to assess women’s attitudes toward IPV as a function of their socio-economic and demographic characteristics based on national-level data. Policy makers may target rural, poorer and women with lower levels of education with IPV preventive messages to curb its occurrence.

---

Non-presenting authors: Daniel Kudla, Memorial University; Eric Tenkorang, Memorial University