Family Abuse in Canada: A Comparison

This article provides a comparison of family abuse in Canada based on various factors such as health, credibility of institutions, extremity of violence, socio-economic conditions, and impact on children. It explores the physical and mental health trends among immigrant and refugee women, the role of domestic violence courts and perpetrator programs, the concept of honor killings, the socio-economic position of indigenous and mainstream women, and the effects of spousal abuse on children.

Running head: FAMILY ABUSE IN CANADA: A COMPARISON
FAMILY ABUSE IN CANADA: A COMPARISON
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author Note

1FAMILY ABUSE IN CANADA: A COMPARISON
It cannot be denied that spousal abuse and family abuse has become an integral part of
every household in the contemporary world and unfortunately, the women are the worst sufferers
of family violence. It is an undeniable fact that family abuse and domestic harassment negatively
affects a woman’s physical as well as mental health to a greater extent. The respective paper is a
comparison of ten journals based on family violence in the multicultural country of Canada.
On the basis of health and well being of women
As far as women’s health (physical, sexual and psychological) and domestic violence is
concerned, according to Guruge, Roche & Catallo (2012) in their article “Violence against
women: an exploration of the physical and mental health trends among immigrant and refugee
women in Canada”, the article has introspected about the physical and mental health of the Sri
Lankan and Iranian immigrant women settled in Canada, while on the other hand, in the article
“Intimate partner violence and depression among Latin American women in Toronto”, Godoy-
Ruiz et al. (2015) stated the condition of psychological as well as psychosomatic health of the
Latin American immigrant women who are victims of domestic harassment, settled in Toronto,
Canada.
On the basis of credibility and significance of institutions built to curb family violence
In the article “Canada’s first integrated domestic violence court: Examining family and
criminal court outcomes at the Toronto IDVC” by Birnbaum, Saini & Bala, (2017) there has
been mention and description of the Integrated Domestic Violence Court of Canada and its
functions as well as its limitations, while the other article “A survey of domestic violence
perpetrator programs in the United States and Canada: Findings and implications for policy and
intervention” by Cannon et al. (2016) is a survey of the credibility, functionality and significance

2FAMILY ABUSE IN CANADA: A COMPARISON
of the domestic violence perpetrator programs in the United States and Canada. Both of the
articles have a point of convergence as the first article surveys credibility of the domestic
violence courts in Canada and the other article surveys credibility of the programs meant to end
domestic violence. Both the articles deal with organizations and institutions built to cope with
domestic violence.
On the basis of extremity of family violence
In the article “Conceptualizing'Honour'Killings in Canada: An Extreme Form of
Domestic Violence?”, Aujla & Gill (2014) had stated that honor killing can be termed as an
extreme form of domestic abuse or violence, often found in eastern culture, highly gender
insensitive with a vague idea of “honor” of the family which leads to the homicide of the person
who does not abide by the rules of the family. In Canada, it is generally observed among the
South Asian immigrants. On the other hand, the article “Risk Factors for Domestic Homicide:
Immigrant & Canadian-born Populations”, Kalaichandran (2018) states that homicide can be
considered to be the most catastrophic and heinous form of domestic violence and family
violence, which are often led by the factors such as tarnishing the “honor” of the family,
especially by the female members, forced pregnancy, spousal dispute which further leads to
beatings and eventually death and dowry cases such as bride burning. The article has not only
stated “honor killing” but other aspects such as bride burning and forced pregnancy or abortion,
poisoning as one the most extreme forms of domestic violence happening rampantly in the
multicultural nation of Canada.
On the basis of socio-economic condition of women

3FAMILY ABUSE IN CANADA: A COMPARISON
In the respective article “The contribution of socio-economic position to the excesses of
violence and intimate partner violence among Aboriginal versus non-Aboriginal women in
Canada”, Daoud et al. (2013) had mentioned about the comparison of the socio-economic
condition of the indigenous and mainstream women in Canada and their chances of getting
victimized of domestic abuse. While on the other hand, the article “The role of economic factors
on women’s risk for intimate partner violence: a cross-national comparison of Canada and the
United States”, the author Kaukinen & Powers (2015) have mentioned about the economic and
socio-economic factors among the urban, rural as well as indigenous women, encompassing
women from all strata and ethnicity of the society and the chances of them getting physically,
psychologically or sexually violated by their partners or families with the help of national data
from Canada and The United States.
On the basis of effect of family violence on children
In the respective article
“Children’s exposure to intimate partner violence: impacts and interventions”, the authors
Wathen & MacMillan (2013) have discussed about the negative effects of spousal abuse on
children who witness it and the psychosomatic as well as psychological disorder the child goes
through which can even lead to unsocial or anti-social activities. The paper suggests for
providing better and prolific environment for the children to grow and develop as an individual
holistically. On the other hand, in the article “A profile of exposure to intimate partner violence
investigations in the Canadian child welfare system: an examination using the 2008 Canadian
Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS-2008)” the author Lefebvre (2013)
mentioned that the article is an introspection, analysis and interpretation of Canadian child
welfare system. Using the data of Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and

4FAMILY ABUSE IN CANADA: A COMPARISON
Neglect from the year 2008, the paper has focused on the investigations of child maltreatment
keeping domestic violence incidents in the context. The two mentioned articles have focused on
the rights of the children with the context of domestic violence, the only difference being the
former article providing a holistic suggestion while the latter provides investigation and
suggestion with proper and selective data.

5FAMILY ABUSE IN CANADA: A COMPARISON
References:
Aujla, W., & Gill, A. K. (2014). Conceptualizing'Honour'Killings in Canada: An Extreme Form
of Domestic Violence?. International Journal of Criminal Justice Sciences, 9(1), 153.
Birnbaum, R., Saini, M., & Bala, N. (2017). Canada’s first integrated domestic violence court:
Examining family and criminal court outcomes at the Toronto IDVC. Journal of family
violence, 32(6), 621-631.
Cannon, C., Hamel, J., Buttell, F., & Ferreira, R. J. (2016). A survey of domestic violence
perpetrator programs in the United States and Canada: Findings and implications for
policy and intervention. Partner abuse, 7(3), 226-276.
Daoud, N., Smylie, J., Urquia, M., Allan, B., & O’Campo, P. (2013). The contribution of socio-
economic position to the excesses of violence and intimate partner violence among
Aboriginal versus non-Aboriginal women in Canada. Canadian Journal of Public Health,
104(4), e278-e283.
Godoy-Ruiz, P., Toner, B., Mason, R., Vidal, C., & McKenzie, K. (2015). Intimate partner
violence and depression among Latin American women in Toronto. Journal of immigrant
and minority health, 17(6), 1771-1780.
Guruge, S., Roche, B., & Catallo, C. (2012). Violence against women: an exploration of the
physical and mental health trends among immigrant and refugee women in Canada.
Nursing research and practice, 2012.
Kalaichandran, S. (2018). Risk Factors for Domestic Homicide: Immigrant & Canadian-born
Populations.

6FAMILY ABUSE IN CANADA: A COMPARISON
Kaukinen, C. E., & Powers, R. A. (2015). The role of economic factors on women’s risk for
intimate partner violence: a cross-national comparison of Canada and the United States.
Violence against women, 21(2), 229-248.
Lefebvre, R., Van Wert, M., Black, T., Fallon, B., & Trocmé, N. (2013). A profile of exposure to
intimate partner violence investigations in the Canadian child welfare system: an
examination using the 2008 Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and
Neglect (CIS-2008).
Wathen, C. N., & MacMillan, H. L. (2013). Children’s exposure to intimate partner violence:
impacts and interventions. Paediatrics & Child Health, 18(8), 419-422.