Violence Against Women in Canada: Research and Policy Perspectives

Examining a wide range of theoretical perspectives, empirical research, and policy responses, Violence Against Women in Canada emphasizes connections among different forms of violence --connections that have too often been ignored or downplayed. Taking a gendered sociological approach, the text reveals how violence against women stems from unequal access to power and resources. While gender is the central focus, the authors also show how intersections of race, ethnicity, class, and sexuality serve to deepen inequalities for particular groups. Comprehensive and concise, this new text explores the evolution of methods to measure violence, the impact of these methods on the social framing of violence issues, the impact on victims, and current policy responses and their effectiveness.


About the Author
Holly Johnson is an associate professor in the Department of Criminology at the University of Ottawa. Her primary research interests include sexual violence and intimate partner violence. Holly was principal investigator of Statistics Canada's first national survey on violence against women and is currently a coordinator of the International Violence Against Women Survey. Holly continues to be involved in many national and international networks aimed at preventing violence against women and improving criminal justice and societal responses to these crimes.

Myrna Dawson joined the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Guelph in 2003. Widely published, her broad research interests include trends in and characteristics of lethal and non-lethal violence, with a particular focus on intimate partner violence as well as social and legal responses to violent victimization in Canadian society. Most recently she has established the Social and Legal Responses to Violence in Canada Research Unit at the University of Guelph.