Category Archives: Sexual assault survivors
Rape dismissed because of body language
Rebecca Johnson, a law professor at the University of Victoria, says body language isn’t a legal dealbreaker, as evidenced by the 1992 Supreme Court of Canada case R v. Ewanchuk, which upheld that there was no defence of ‘implied consent’ in a sexual assault trial.
Johnson said Ashley’s case fits with conventions of filtering out and discounting survivors’ experiences. It’s not just an issue at the policing level, she notes. Sexual assault cases face a lineup of gatekeepers including police, lawyers, judges and society in general.
“The shame and blame that people experience having to speak about an experience where you’ve been violated is really challenging to do. Going to police and having to recount the details of that trauma can be completely overwhelming. If the officer involved is not treating the survivor with the respect and dignity that they deserve, it’s even more challenging to go through that process.”
Paid leave for sexual and domestic assault survivors
The provincial government is considering paid work leaves for victims of sexual and domestic violence.
Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity Mitzi Dean says the province is considering changes to the Employment Standards Act to do so, and says public feedback is now being taken online.
She says victims of domestic and sexual assault need to rebuild their lives.
“I remember when I was an employer of about 20 professional people just a few years ago, when one of my team members came to me on a Monday morning and told me that she had been raped on the weekend. Someone had put the rape drug in her drink on the weekend. She wasn’t able to be productive at work, she needed time away,” Dean says
“LGBTQ and Domestic Violence Leading facts and statistics on the LBGTQ population and domestic violence.”
The facts about LGBTQ partner abuse/domestic violence are often hidden by numerous myths and misconceptions. Common myths and misconceptions include the belief that women are not violent, that men are not commonly victims, that LGBTQ domestic violence is mutual, and that there are no significant differences between heterosexual domestic violence and same-gender domestic violence. However, people who are lesbian, gay and bisexual have an equal or higher prevalence of experiencing intimate partner violence, sexual violence and stalking as compared to heterosexuals.
Posted in Domestic Abuse, Sexual assault survivors
Tagged Domestic abuse, domestic violence
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Sexual harassment at work, a teen’s perspective.
“Verbal abuse was the most common form of harassment for both men and women with 13 per cent of women reporting they’d experienced abuse in the preceding year.”
This is why many hospitals and clinics have conspicuous signs reading, “Violence and abusive language will not be tolerated”.
Staff need to be trained in delivering acceptable dialog to deescalate but also to have an emergency button to call security.
I taught psychiatric nurses defensive tactics which are usable against either verbally or physically aggressive patients. Their union had requested the training when repeated appeals for improved security were ignored by hospital management.
“Sexual harassment was most likely to affect women, with four per cent saying they had experienced unwanted sexual attention in the workplace, compared to fewer than one per cent of men.”
Canada’s RCMP offer advice and video support for survivors.
From the Yukon, Brenda Butterworth-Carr is the Commander of British Columbia’s “E” Division, the largest in Canada. “In a crisis situation, victims of sexualized assault need to know what their options are, whether they want to report it or not,” … Continue reading
Domestic violence and substance abuse are linked. Learn how.
How Domestic Violence and Substance Abuse Are Connected “Domestic violence and substance abuse are intimately linked and often occur simultaneously. They are related much in the same way that co-occurring mental disorders like depression and anxiety are linked to increased … Continue reading
Assault Survivors. How can you help when they aren’t ready?
“Your sister/best friend/coworker/neighbor discloses to you that he or she is having “relationship difficulties.” With a bit more digging, you come to learn these difficulties are actually domestic abuse—psychological, emotional, verbal, sexual — there may even be physical violence occurring. … Continue reading