Papers by Victoria Cowtun
One in five women suffer from domestic violence and these experiences are prevalent globally. The... more One in five women suffer from domestic violence and these experiences are prevalent globally. The personal strength and power victims put into surviving abuse is tremendous. For victims to save themselves and loved ones from abuse by an intimate partner and begin to break the cycle of violence requires significant amounts of effort and resourcefulness. Community involvement is a large factor in coping at an individual level, from getting a job, engaging in community activities, or finding hobbies, all of which can help establish social supports to encourage healthy coping and ending the abuse. Survival does not guarantee positive healing will occur, but is contingent on numerous factors that occur and affect each other.
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Gendered violence occurs in many forms and is not universally defined. Gendered violence is class... more Gendered violence occurs in many forms and is not universally defined. Gendered violence is classified as a global epidemic due to the vast number of those victimized, the number of methods used by abusers to gain control of their victims, and the trauma that survivors suffer from. Abuse can manifest in physical, sexual, economic, and psychological maltreatment. Prevalence trends of gendered violence vary across numerous factors, including culture,
demographics, and definitions used for terminology. Furthermore, it is impossible to consider the
true extent of this epidemic with certainty as victims are reluctant to come forward and tracking instruments are inconsistent. Official prevalence rates do not provide a complete picture of the incidents, and researchers suggest the rates are only accurate for violence committed against strangers, where bodily harm was caused by a weapon, and where the evidence presented in a legal case is conclusive. Current legal and social responses do not encourage victims to disclose abuse and further entrenches victims in the abuse, jeopardizing their safety even more. Addressing these issues is the first step to producing meaningful solutions to gendered violence
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Trans individuals face unique sets of obstacles when accessing resources to end the violence due ... more Trans individuals face unique sets of obstacles when accessing resources to end the violence due to their marginalized identity and the feminist definitions of what intimate partner violence is. Kimberly Nixon, a transwoman who was refused a volunteer position within the Vancouver Rape Relief Society due to being a transwoman, exemplifies the struggles that trans individuals face due to structural violence and heteronormativity. The case of Nixon v. Vancouver Rape Relief Society demonstrates the additional obstacles that trans individuals face to accessing services to ending domestic violence, and supports the resistance to a heteronormative system which excludes trans individuals.
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Studies have found that for every 15 times you blink, 20
people have been victimized. Meanwhile, ... more Studies have found that for every 15 times you blink, 20
people have been victimized. Meanwhile, only 5-30% of domestic and family violence incidents are reported to police. Domestic abuse commonly manifests in physical, sexual, economic, and psychological maltreatment, however this does not encompass all the methods used to control victims. Despite many abusive tactics being criminal in nature, these tactics are largely ignored by state interventions because they have been classified as family matters, and thus not the responsibility of the government. In India one of the ways that the government and activists have begun to combat domestic violence is through the use of Special Cells. This paper reviews the process and success found through the Special Cells.
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As stated by the rule of law, law is designed to be applied to everyone equally where all citizen... more As stated by the rule of law, law is designed to be applied to everyone equally where all citizens follow the same rules and no one is exempt. Despite this, in practice laws have not been applied equally across demographics, nor is law applied properly within domestic violence cases to all equally. Due to the discriminatory systemic structure, where society continues to hold the straight white male above all others, cases brought forth to courts regarding domestic and intimate partner violence fail to support victims and do not prevent further violence. There must be a society-wide commitment to non-violence and non-judgment. Domestic Violence does not discriminate against any identity and can affect any individual and every aspect of victim’s lives are unimaginably violated. Strategic alliances are imperative between all resources and levels of society to reach equality.
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Domestic violence continues to affect many families worldwide, despite the plethora of available ... more Domestic violence continues to affect many families worldwide, despite the plethora of available research on the reality of victimization and recommended best practices. Limitations of traditional research cause extensive variation between results. These limitations include disciplinary insights, sampling methods, ability and safety for disclosure by those experiencing domestic violence, and variations in data analysis. Trauma informed perspectives are needed for future research on domestic violence to address these limitations. An interdisciplinary program is recommended, and is based off a successful program in India called Special Cells. This interdisciplinary program concentrates on three key recommendations. First, is connecting community resources to increase access. Second, pairing police with social workers to support families during calls for service. Finally, addressing the coercive control of the criminal justice system through training on trauma. Intervention for domestic violence cannot be one-size-fits-all and strategies need to be flexible in meeting families where they are at, and support those experiencing domestic violence through accessing the services they need to end the violence.
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Violence against women is an epidemic that is plaguing women globally. Gendered violence takes ma... more Violence against women is an epidemic that is plaguing women globally. Gendered violence takes many forms and is based in the traditional approaches of gender division. Many of these violations would be treated as criminal acts when gender is not a considered factor, however women's oppression has been largely ignored by state intervention. Human rights perspectives is favourable when analyzing gendered violence because of the range of abuse women can face and the United Nations deemed these rights to be universal. Educating women and involving men in the discussions and adding responses to domestic violence will support a human rights perspective by preparing society in viewing women’s oppression as problematic and supporting and attitude adjustments needed to prevent violence against women.
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Emotions are a driving force of our everyday lives. Whether conscious or not, emotions play a rol... more Emotions are a driving force of our everyday lives. Whether conscious or not, emotions play a role in all of our decisions, behaviours, and reactions. In this essay I exam the emotions of others and myself through the examination of everyday situations and the physiological behaviours that result from them. No matter how logical one’s behaviours may seem or are explained away, emotions are an underlying factor. Here, I use everyday experiences to provide examples of each emotion, and some physical behaviours to distinguish different emotions from each other.
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Leadership means doing the right thing for those who are affected by the decisions made regardles... more Leadership means doing the right thing for those who are affected by the decisions made regardless of the relationship between the leader and who they lead. In democratic politics, leadership is established by being elected into power. Recent elections, particularly in Canada and the United States, have seen unique circumstances of elections with erratic individuals running for office and seemingly unpredictable voting patterns from citizens. This unpredictability stems from the exploitation of status anxiety and fear tactics to win votes instead of arguing for the betterment of the citizens and society they serve, which in turn demonstrates a failure in leadership by elected officials.
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Conference Presentations by Victoria Cowtun
Domestic violence continues to affect many families worldwide, despite the plethora of available ... more Domestic violence continues to affect many families worldwide, despite the plethora of available research on the reality of victimization and recommended best practices. Limitations of traditional research cause extensive variation between results. These limitations include disciplinary insights, sampling methods, ability and safety for disclosure by those experiencing domestic violence, and variations in data analysis. Trauma informed perspectives are needed for future research on domestic violence to address these limitations. An interdisciplinary program is recommended, and is based off a successful program in India called Special Cells. This interdisciplinary program concentrates on three key recommendations. First, is connecting community resources to increase access. Second, pairing police with social workers to support families during calls for service. Finally, addressing the coercive control of the criminal justice system through training on trauma. Intervention for domestic violence cannot be one-size-fits-all and strategies need to be flexible in meeting families where they are at, and support those experiencing domestic violence through accessing the services they need to end the violence.
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Papers by Victoria Cowtun
demographics, and definitions used for terminology. Furthermore, it is impossible to consider the
true extent of this epidemic with certainty as victims are reluctant to come forward and tracking instruments are inconsistent. Official prevalence rates do not provide a complete picture of the incidents, and researchers suggest the rates are only accurate for violence committed against strangers, where bodily harm was caused by a weapon, and where the evidence presented in a legal case is conclusive. Current legal and social responses do not encourage victims to disclose abuse and further entrenches victims in the abuse, jeopardizing their safety even more. Addressing these issues is the first step to producing meaningful solutions to gendered violence
people have been victimized. Meanwhile, only 5-30% of domestic and family violence incidents are reported to police. Domestic abuse commonly manifests in physical, sexual, economic, and psychological maltreatment, however this does not encompass all the methods used to control victims. Despite many abusive tactics being criminal in nature, these tactics are largely ignored by state interventions because they have been classified as family matters, and thus not the responsibility of the government. In India one of the ways that the government and activists have begun to combat domestic violence is through the use of Special Cells. This paper reviews the process and success found through the Special Cells.
Conference Presentations by Victoria Cowtun
demographics, and definitions used for terminology. Furthermore, it is impossible to consider the
true extent of this epidemic with certainty as victims are reluctant to come forward and tracking instruments are inconsistent. Official prevalence rates do not provide a complete picture of the incidents, and researchers suggest the rates are only accurate for violence committed against strangers, where bodily harm was caused by a weapon, and where the evidence presented in a legal case is conclusive. Current legal and social responses do not encourage victims to disclose abuse and further entrenches victims in the abuse, jeopardizing their safety even more. Addressing these issues is the first step to producing meaningful solutions to gendered violence
people have been victimized. Meanwhile, only 5-30% of domestic and family violence incidents are reported to police. Domestic abuse commonly manifests in physical, sexual, economic, and psychological maltreatment, however this does not encompass all the methods used to control victims. Despite many abusive tactics being criminal in nature, these tactics are largely ignored by state interventions because they have been classified as family matters, and thus not the responsibility of the government. In India one of the ways that the government and activists have begun to combat domestic violence is through the use of Special Cells. This paper reviews the process and success found through the Special Cells.