Intimate partner violence is a  growing issue in Canada. According to Statistics Canada, there were 114,132 police-reported victims of intimate partner violence in 2021, marking the seventh consecutive year of increased rates of violence.

However, while the issue is of growing concern, experts warn that police responses are failing victims and potentially causing more harm.

Today in The Conversation Canada, we have two stories about this issue.

N. Zoe Hilton from the University of Toronto and Sandy Jung from MacEwan University outline what police and academics can do to tackle the issue of coercive control. This is a pattern of behaviour that undermines and intimidates a person and traps them in and abusive relationship.

Kendra Nixon and Ashley Haller from the University of Manitoba discuss how poor policing practices are harming 2SLGBTQ+ survivors of intimate partner violence. Police have had a historically bad relationship with 2SLGBTQ+ communities. But as Nixon and Haller explain, changing harmful attitudes and practices can help foster trust and support victims of abuse.

Also today:

Ibrahim Daair

Culture + Society Editor

Research collaboration between police forces and academics could go a long way to ensuring federal legislation aimed at fighting coercive control in intimate relationships is effective. (Shutterstock)

Police-academic partnerships could help tackle the crime of coercive control

N. Zoe Hilton, University of Toronto; Sandy Jung, MacEwan University

Police-academic partnerships are key to the success of evidence-based policing. Growing support for coercive control legislation makes research collaboration all the more urgent.

Police look on as people rally in support of 2SLGBTQ+ rights in Toronto on Sept., 28, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

Poor police practices are endangering 2SLGBTQ+ survivors of intimate partner violence

Kendra Nixon, University of Manitoba; Ashley Haller, University of Manitoba

Research finds that police officers engage in discriminatory behaviours towards 2SLGBTQ+ survivors of intimate partner violence.

Unlike human eyes, dogs’ eyes are located more to the side of the skull. That gives them a wider field of vision. (Shutterstock)

Dogs don’t see life through rose-coloured glasses, nor in black and white

Langis Michaud, Université de Montréal

Your faithful companion sees the world differently than you do, but it’s a mistake to assume dogs only see black, white and shades of grey.

Business + Economy

  • Is the US banking crisis over?

    George Kladakis, Edinburgh Napier University; Alexandros Skouralis, City, University of London

    A swift intervention by the US Federal Reserve has kept most banks on their feet, but September/October is often the time when financial crises come to a head.

Health

Politics