R

“Any action undertaken for reasons of safety, security or public protection that relies on stereotypes about race, colour, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, or place of origin rather than on reasonable suspicion, to single out an individual for greater scrutiny or differential treatment. Profiling can occur because of a combination of the above factors, and age and/or gender can influence the experience of profiling.” [1] 

Footnotes:

[1] Canadian Race Relations Foundation. (n.d.). CRRF Glossary of Terms. Retrieved from https://www.crrf-fcrr.ca/en/resources/glossary-a-terms-en-gb-1

“Racism occurs when an expression of racial prejudice emerges from a more powerful/privileged location in the hierarchy, and is directed at an individual/group in a less powerful/privileged location. Racism is an exercise of power and refers not only to social attitudes towards non-dominant ethnic and racial groups but also to social structures and actions which oppress, exclude, limit and discriminate against such individuals and groups. Such social attitudes originate in and rationalize discriminatory treatment. Racism can be seen in discriminatory laws, residential segregation, poor health care, inferior education, unequal economic opportunity and the exclusion and distortion of the perspectives of non-dominant Canadians in cultural institutions.” [1]

“Racism is a common form of violence that is experienced by women from immigrant communities in Canada who are racialized.” [2]

“When looking at gender-based violence against immigrant and refugee women, it is critical to see the different ways in which racism and sexism intersect and influence their lives. For instance, dominant discourses of immigrant and refugee women and domestic violence tend to culturalize violence, seeing it as a product of cultural conflict rather than structural inequality.” [3]

See also: Anti-Black Racism, Anti-Indigenous Racism, Anti-Semitism

Learn More:

• Webinar: Roots and Resistance – Learning Network
• Issue-Based Newsletter: Intimate Partner Violence Against Immigrant and Refugee Women – Learning Network

Footnotes:

[1] Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre. (n.d.). Racism and Power. 

[2] Tabibi, J., Ahmad, S., Baker, L., & Lalonde, D. (2018). Intimate Partner Violence Against Immigrant and Refugee Women. Learning Network Issue 26. London, Ontario: Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children. P. 2. ISBN # 978-1-988412-24-5 Retrieved from http://www.vawlearningnetwork.ca/our-work/issuebased_newsletters/issue-26/index.html

[3] Razack, S. (2000). Looking white people in the eye: Gender, race, and culture in courtrooms and classrooms. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. doi:10.3138/9781442670204

“Refers to an individual, institution, or organization whose beliefs and/or actions imply (intentionally or unintentionally) that certain races have distinctive negative or inferior characteristics. As an adjective, also refers to racial discrimination inherent in the policies, practices and procedures of institutions, corporations, and organizations which, though applied to everyone equally and may seem fair, result in exclusion or act as barriers to the advancement of marginalized groups, thereby perpetuating racism.” [1]

Footnotes:

[1] Canadian Race Relations Foundation. (n.d.). CRRF Glossary of Terms. Retrieved from https://www.crrf-fcrr.ca/en/resources/glossary-a-terms-en-gb-1

“Rape is an act of power and control, in which the victim is humiliated, degraded, and left with feelings of shame, guilt, and anger. The Criminal Code of Canada does not specifically define ‘rape’ in terms of specific acts. The crime of sexual assault is codified within the general assault provision (s. 265(2)), which makes it a crime to intentionally apply force to another person without their consent.” [1]

Date rape or acquaintance rape refers to a “sexual assault that happens between acquaintances or ‘friends’ or between people who are dating.” [2] Some studies tracing the changing usages of this term have noted that date rape may also “refer specifically to the sexual assault of a woman after a drug had been slipped into her drink.” [3]

Learn More:

• Organization: Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres

Footnotes:

[1] Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario. (2017). Campus toolkit for building consent culture. Toronto: Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario. Retrieved from https://cfsontario.ca/campaigns/gender-based-violence/

[2] Ending Violence Association of BC. (2011). Fact sheet: Acquaintance rape. [3] Moore, S. (2011). Tracing the life of a crime category: The shifting meaning of “date rape.” Feminist Media Studies, 11(4), 451–465. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2011.555966

“Many prevailing societal attitudes justify, tolerate, normalize and minimize sexual violence against women and girls. While often subtle, these persistent attitudes are integrated with and rooted in rape myths, stereotypes, and oppressive beliefs. This phenomenon is popularly referred to as ‘rape culture’.

Rape culture impacts various groups of women differently. For instance, while influencing all of us, rape culture sets up some groups as more likely to be targeted for sexual violence and to be disbelieved or blamed for the violation they experience (e.g., women of colour, impoverished women, women living with disabilities, trans-identified women and other women).” [1]

Learn More:

• Brief: Sexual Violence Prevention: Are we increasing safety or reinforcing rape culture? – Learning Network
• Infographic: Rape Culture Is… – Learning Network

Footnotes:

The ‘Red Zone’ is a term used to describe “the first six to eight weeks of the fall semester at post-secondary institutions, where the number of sexual assaults is heightened compared to other times of the year.” [1]

The term was first introduced in a book entitled “I Never Called It Rape” authored by Robin Warshaw. [2]

The ‘Red Zone’ coincides with the increased number of parties due to students’ return to campuses, increased consumption of alcohol, and the vulnerability of first-year students who are not familiar with the campus or are lacking strong social connections. [3]

Learn More:

• Virtual Forum: Reinventing Our Campuses: Creating Real Community Safety to Address Sexual Violence – Learning Network
• Resource Spotlight: We Have the Courage to Act: A National Collaboration To Address and Prevent Gender-Based Violence at Post-Secondary Institutions in Canada – Learning Network
• Facebook Live: Intimate Partner Violence on Campus – Learning Network

Footnotes:

[1] REES.  (n.d.). The Red Zone: Sexual Violence at Post-Secondary Institutions. Retrieved from https://www.reescommunity.com/the-red-zone-sexual-violence-at-post-secondary-institutions-in-canada%EF%BF%BC/#:~:text=The%20'Red%20Zone'%20consists%20of,to%20other%20times%20of%20year.

[2] Bauer-Wolf, J. (September 11, 2019). Avoiding the Red Zone. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/09/12/experts-say-new-methods-needed-combat-red-zone-campuses

[3] Me Too.  (n.d.). The Red Zone: Sexual Violence on College Campuses. Retrieved from https://metoomvmt.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/1.5.11_The-Red-Zone-Sexual-Violence-on-College-Campuses_INFOSHEET_V2.pdf

“[A] person who is forced to flee from persecution and who is located outside of their home country. We may also call this person a Convention refugee – a person who meets the refugee definition in the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. This definition is used in Canadian law and is widely accepted internationally. To meet the definition, a person must be outside their country of origin and have a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.” [1]

Learn More:

• Website: Neighbours, Friends & Families – Immigrant and Refugee Communities
  
• Website: Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants
• Issue-Based Newsletter: Intimate Partner Violence Against Immigrant and Refugee Women – Learning Network

Footnotes:

[1] Canadian Council for Refugees. (n.d.).
Background information about refugees. Retrieved from https://ccrweb.ca/en/information-refugees

“Relational or social aggression is defined as intentionally harming another person’s social relationships.” [1] “Relational aggression is typically covert and indirect. Examples can include shunning, excluding, ignoring, gossiping, rumour spreading, or disclosing another person’s secret. Relational aggression is different from other forms of bullying in that most bullying occurs outside the peer group while relational aggression occurs within the peer group. However, it is similar because it can be repeated, aggressive, harassing, and severe.” [2]

Footnotes:

[1] Stangor, C. (2014, September 26). Principles of Social Psychology – 1st International Edition. Retrieved from https://opentextbc.ca/socialpsychology/chapter/defining-aggression/

[2] Alberta Child and Youth Services. (2017, February 23). Relational Aggression. Retrieved from https://www.hinton.ca/DocumentCenter/View/5279/Relational-Aggression

Religious or faith literacy refers to the ability to “discern and analyze the fundamental intersections of religion and social/political/cultural life through multiple lenses.” [1]

“Specifically, a religiously literate person will possess:

• A basic understanding of the history, central texts (where applicable), beliefs, practices, and contemporary manifestations of several of the world's religious traditions as they arose out of and continue to be shaped by particular social, historical, and cultural contexts.
• The ability to discern and explore the religious dimensions of political, social and cultural expressions across time and place.” [1]

In the context of the gender-based violence (GBV) movement and sector, religious literacy “involves being open to the role that religious beliefs, practices, organizations and experiences may play in survivors’ and perpetrators’ understanding of [GBV] and does not require specific knowledge of religious traditions. [2]

Religious or faith literacy can enhance faith-sensitive or culturally responsive approaches to support survivors of gender-based violence, particularly in humanitarian and forced migration contexts. It can encourage interventions to be more people-centered and find opportunities to create holistic services in collaboration with faith and non-faith partners.  [2]

Footnotes:

[1] Harvard Divinity School. (n.d.). What is Religious Literacy? Retrieved from https://rpl.hds.harvard.edu/what-we-do/our-approach/what-religious-literacy

[2] Pertek, S. (2024). Faith sensitive protection from violence against women and girls in humanitarian and forced migration contexts: An integrated intersectional and socioecological approach. University of Birmingham. Retrieved from https://jliflc.com/resources/faith-sensitive-protection-from-vawg/

“Repeat victimization refers to the repeated criminal victimization of a person, household, place, business, vehicle or other target however defined. Near repeat victimization or near repeats refer to targets with similar characteristics or situations (also virtual repeats). Repeats can be the same or different crime types. It is generally accepted that a small proportion of any population of potential targets experience a vastly disproportionate amount of the crime because they are repeatedly victimized… The significance for many policy purposes, but particularly crime prevention, is that a focus upon repeats can greatly increase the efficiency with which resources are used. Most repeat victimization research relates to how it can be prevented, so crime prevention is the backdrop for much of this bibliography.” [1]

Footnotes:

[1] Nicholas, L. & Farrell, G. (2011). “Repeat Victimization.”   Oxford Bibliographies. DOI: 10.1093/OBO/9780195396607-0119. Retrieved form https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780195396607/obo-9780195396607-0119.xml

“A person who has authority or power denies you something important, punishes or threatens you for refusing a sexual request, or for [disclosing] inappropriate sexual behaviour or comments.” [1]

Footnotes:

[1] Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children (CREVAWC) (2008).  Surviving the System Handbook:  Advice on Using the Legal System if you are a Survivor of Sexual Violence. Retrieved from http://kfacc.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/surviving-the-system-handbook.pdf

“Restricting or denying a woman’s ability to make her own decisions about her body is an attempt to maintain power and control over a woman. Behaviour that has the intention of controlling a woman’s reproductive health decision-making is known as reproductive coercion.” [1] “Reproductive coercion includes pregnancy coercion, birth control/contraception sabotage, forced sterilization and control of pregnancy options.” [2]

Learn More:

• Report: Exploring the Intersections of Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence – Learning Network

Footnotes:

[1] White Ribbon. (n.d.). What is reproductive coercion? 

[2] Norman, W. (2016, February). Exploring the intersections of domestic violence and sexual violence: A discussion paper informed by the February 2016 Knowledge Exchange. Retrieved from http://www.vawlearningnetwork.ca/our-work/reports/report_2016_1.html

“The process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress — such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems or workplace and financial stressors. Resilience is multidimensional and is associated with individual, relationship, community, cultural and environmental factors.” [1]

Learn More:

• Webinar: Roots and Resilience – Learning Network
• Podcast: Resilience and Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence – Make Resilience Matter
• Graphic Novel: Immigrant Women’s Resilience – Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI)

Footnotes:

[1] Canadian Mental Health Association. (2018, March 09). Building Resilience. Retrieved from https://cmhahkpr.ca/building-resilience

Civil resistance “is a powerful way for people to fight for their rights, freedom, and justice – without the use of violence.” [1]

Examples of civil resistance include strikes, boycotts, mass protests, and other nonviolent actions to withdraw their cooperation from oppressive systems. [1]

Learn More:

Webinar: Building Resilience in Children Exposed to Violence: Broadening our Understanding from a Decolonizing and Social Justice Perspective – Learning Network and Knowledge Hub

Footnotes:

Restorative Justice (RJ) is “an approach to justice that seeks to repair harm by providing an opportunity for those harmed and those who take responsibility for the harm to communicate about and address their needs in the aftermath of a crime.” [1]

“RJ processes should be flexible and tailored to meet the specific needs of participants, including needs related to safety and power imbalances... Consideration should be given to power imbalances between participants due to age, maturity, cultural background, gender, religious or spiritual views, intellectual capacity, position of authority, and sexual orientation.” [1]

Learn More:

• Webinar: Declarations of Truth: Creating An Alternative Justice Model for Survivors of Gender-Based Sexual Violence: The Transformative Accountability & Justice Pathway to Healing – Learning Network/Knowledge Hub

Footnote:

“A restraining order is family court order to help protect your health and safety. You can apply for a restraining order at family court if you are concerned about your or your children’s safety and you were married or lived together for any period of time, or have a child with the person. It can limit what someone can do, where someone can go, and who someone can contact. A restraining order includes a list of conditions that can either be general or specific.” [1]

“In the province of Ontario, you cannot file a restraining order against someone you have never lived with, or don’t have children with, but you can ask for ask for a peace bond, which can be made against anyone.” [1]

Footnotes:

[1] Government of Ontario. (n.d.). Getting a restraining order. https://www.ontario.ca/page/getting-restraining-order#section-1

Non-consensual sexual videos involve pornographic materials produced and/or distributed in order to humiliate an individual.  It constitutes a form of sexual violence, and is most frequently perpetrated as a form of violence against women:

“Because young women’s social status has historically been closely tied to chastity and modesty, women are particularly vulnerable to humiliation when their private sexual life is made public.” [2]

Learn More:

• Infographic: What You Need to Know About Nonconsensual Sexual Deepfakes – Learning Network

Footnotes:

[1] Learning Network. (2019). What you need to know about nonconsensual sexual deepfakes. Retrieved from http://www.vawlearningnetwork.ca/our-work/infographics/index.html

[2] Fairbairn, J. (2015). Cyberviolence Against Women & Girls. Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women. P. 16. 

Re-victimization refers to “the experience of victimization at two different life stages or during the same life stage, by more than one perpetrator.” [1] “People who have experienced trauma are at an increased risk for being revictimized in the future. In fact, it is reported that approximately two out of every three people who are sexually victimized are revictimized later in life. Also, when someone who experienced childhood trauma is victimized again later in life, they may have more severe and complicated responses to the new trauma.” [2]

Learn More:

• Issue-Based Newsletter: Links Between the Maltreatment of Girls and Later Victimization or Use of Violence – Learning Network

Footnotes:

[1] Baker, L., & Etherington, N. (2017). Links Between the maltreatment of girls and later victimization or use of violence. Learning Network Issue 20. London, Ontario: Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children. Retrieved from http://www.vawlearningnetwork.ca/our-work/issuebased_newsletters/issue-20/Newsletter_Issue_20_11.pdf

[2] Women's College Hospital. (n.d.). Mental health signs and symptoms. Retrieved from https://www.womenshealthmatters.ca/health-centres/mental-health/trauma/signs-and-symptoms

Learn More:

• Online Training: Domestic Violence Risk Assessment and Management Curriculum – CREVAWC 

Footnotes:

[1] Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children. (2012). Domestic violence risk assessment and management online training course. Retrieved from http://onlinetraining.learningtoendabuse.ca/sites/default/files/lessons/DVRAM%20full-text%20December%202012_1.pdf 

Assessment is the process of gathering information for use in making decisions. The specific assessment procedures used are determined by what is being assessed and the nature of the decisions to be made.

“Domestic violence risk assessment involves the process of gathering information about perpetrators of domestic violence to make decisions regarding their risk of perpetrating domestic violence. While the focus of domestic violence risk assessment is on the perpetrator, victim safety planning is a very important part of this process. The primary goal of domestic violence risk assessment is prevention of future domestic violence. To prevent future domestic violence it is critical for service providers to determine what domestic violence risks are posed by a perpetrator and what steps can be taken to mitigate domestic violence risk...  Overall, domestic violence risk assessment can be defined as the process of evaluating individuals to: (1) speculate about the risks for domestic violence posed by the perpetrator; and, (2) mitigate the risks posed by the perpetrator.” [1]

Learn More:

• Online Training: Domestic Violence Risk Assessment and Management – Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children
• Website: Canadian Domestic Homicide Prevention Initiative
• Online Training: Risk Assessment & Safety Planning with Infants, Children and Youth – Ontario Association of Interval & Transition Houses (OAITH)
  
  

Footnotes:

[1] Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children. (2012). Domestic violence risk assessment and management online training course. Retrieved from http://onlinetraining.learningtoendabuse.ca/sites/default/files/lessons/DVRAM%20full-text%20December%202012_1.pdf

“A risk factor is a condition or circumstance that that has been found to be positively associated with domestic violence/homicides in previous research. This condition or circumstance precedes the occurrence of the danger and may influence a perpetrator’s decision making. In other words, a risk factor increases the likelihood of danger to domestic violence. While it is critically important to pay attention to and manage risk factors, we should not confuse risk factors with the underlying causes of violence. A risk factor may prompt a perpetrator to act on a violent urge, but it is not the reason for embracing violence as a way to get what he wants.” [1]

“In the case of domestic violence risk assessment, risk factors should be supported by science (e.g., have statistical and empirical support and have demonstrated predictive validity), by practice (e.g., are practical and useful and have strong theoretical foundations), and by law (e.g., are reasonable, logical, and fair). Some examples of important risk factors for domestic violence are employment problems, substance use, mental health problems, relationship problems and periods of heightened tension, such as significant anniversaries. Information about risk factors is critical for violence risk assessment and management because it helps you understand what risks may be posed by the perpetrator and how to manage those risks. For instance, if substance use problems are identified as an important risk factor for violence in a particular case, efforts can be taken to monitor, treat, or supervise the perpetrator’s use of substances.” [1]

Learn More:

• Online Training: Domestic Violence Risk Assessment and Management Curriculum – CREVAWC
• Website: Canadian Domestic Homicide Prevention Initiative
  
  

Footnotes:

[1] Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children. (2012). Domestic violence risk assessment and management online training course. Retrieved from http://onlinetraining.learningtoendabuse.ca/sites/default/files/lessons/DVRAM%20full-text%20December%202012_1.pdf

“Risk Management is taking action to prevent violence from happening, often in collaboration with other service providers and the potential victim/survivor. The victim/survivor’s children may also be at risk and should be included in the assessment and management strategies. Management strategies should focus on what should be done in health care, social service, education, victim/survivor services, workplace and legal settings to manage the potential violence risks posed by a person. Specifically, decisions should be made about general strategies that can be used to manage violence risk, such as Partner Assault Response Programs, substance use and mental health intervention, as well as specific tactics that can be taken to manage violence risk, such as referral to Partner Assault Response Programs, detox, inpatient substance use intervention, outpatient substance use intervention, employee assistance programs, or alcoholics anonymous, taking into account practical issues that can affect availability, accessibility, acceptability, affordability, and appropriateness access of services (e.g., cost, location, transportation, waiting times). Once a referral has been made, it is important to follow-up to ensure that the person was able to access that service, or that appropriate alternative action was taken.” [1]

Learn More:

• Online Training: Domestic Violence Risk Assessment and Management Curriculum – CREVAWC
• Website: Canadian Domestic Homicide Prevention Initiative
• Online Training: Risk Management and Working with Older Women Experiencing Abuse – Ontario Association of Interval & Transition Houses (OAITH)
  
  

Footnotes:

[1] Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children. (2012). Domestic violence risk assessment and management online training course. Retrieved from http://onlinetraining.learningtoendabuse.ca/sites/default/files/lessons/DVRAM%20full-text%20December%202012_1.pdf