IF YOU ARE IN IMMEDIATE DANGER, CALL 9-1-1
Introduction to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)
Provincial/territorial crisis lines for intimate partner violence.
Mental health support for residents of Canada.
See below for a training video, poster and resources.
Photo: © Aija Komangapik, Iqaluit, NU / Gatineau, QC
Training Video
Introduction to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)
1 hour, 57 minutes
This training video covers:
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Various type of violence and relationship to power and control
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IPV statistics
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Femicide and warning signals
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Why IPV happens
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Challenges of IPV survivors in northern, rural and remote areas
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Why some survivors stay in an abusive relationship or go back
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Costs of violence and victim-blaming
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Pathways to preventing violence
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Shelter movement
You can watch this video with others or alone. You can stop it at any time for discussion or to write your own notes and questions. Please be advised that the video deals with violence, death and injustice. We recommend that you think about a supportive person you can talk to about these issues. Please see the links to mental health and crisis support lines near the top of this page.
Resources
Articles – Easy To Read
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Warning and danger signs: https://www.idetermine.ca/what-is-abuse/warning-signs/
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Warning signs of abuse for friends and family, Kanawayhitowin: Taking Care of Each Other’s Spirit. http://www.kanawayhitowin.ca/?page_id=54
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Why it can be hard to leave an abusive relationship. Verywell Mind, 2022. https://www.verywellmind.com/toxicity-and-abuse-4157188
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What is the cycle of violence? Verywell Mind, 2022. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-cycle-of-violence-5207964
Articles – Academic
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“He tells people that I am going to kill my children”: Post-separation coercive control in men who perpetrate IPV. 2023 article by L. M. Tutty, H.L. Radtke and K.L. Nixon in Violence Against Women. https://doi.org/10.1177/10778012231166408
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“Your skin crawled every time he touched you”: A secondary qualitative analysis exploring Bagwell-Gray’s taxonomy of intimate partner sexual violence. 2023 article by L.M. Tutty, C.L. Ogden, and K.L. Nixon in Violence Against Women. https://doi.org/10.1177/10778012231174352
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Courses
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Neighbours, Friends and Families (Intro to Intimate Partner Violence). Free, online, self-paced (about an hour, can stop and return), certificate of participation. Topics: Understanding Intimate Partner Violence, recognizing warning signs and risk factors, coercive control, how to respond. Suitable for anyone. Good introduction to IPV. Western University Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children, London, Ontario. https://rise.articulate.com/share/KwyBpdzzOST8L1D9K5aNyQINcJEcGfM8#/
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Intimate Partner Violence Foundations. University level credit course, $, online with real-time learning, must enrol in a session with fixed times, 3 hours per week, Western University, London, Ontario, EDUC6002: https://wcs.uwo.ca/search/publicCourseSearchDetails.do
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Infographics/Visuals
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7 Factors that promote children’s resilience to witnessing IPV. Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children. https://www.vawlearningnetwork.ca/our-work/infographics/protectivefactors/7-Protective-Factors-that-Promote-Childrens-Resilience.pdf
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Social Risks Wheel: https://www.idetermine.ca/what-is-abuse/social-risks-wheel/
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Spousal violence trends in Canada infographic. Statistics Canada, 2021. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11-627-m/11-627-m2021076-eng.htm
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Podcasts
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Ex-Wives club. CBC The Current, (audio, 42 min). Women terrorized by the same abusive man band together. They and feminist lawyer Pamela Cross talk about how systems fail to protect survivors. https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2192310339596
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Reports
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Addressing the safety and trauma issues of abused women: A cross-Canada study of YWCA shelters. By L.M. Tutty, Journal of International Women’s Studies, 16 (2015)(3), 101-116. Available at: http://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws/vol16/iss3/8
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Mass Casualty Commission Final Report – Turning the Tide Together. Volume 3 of the report addresses root causes of violence, the link between IPV and mass shootings, and how violence can be reduced in our communities, 2023. https://masscasualtycommission.ca/final-report/
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Statistics
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Spousal violence trends, Canada, 2019. Article, Statistics Canada, 2021. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2021001/article/00016-eng.htm
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Workshop Guides
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What will it take? A bystander intervention workshop aimed at giving community members the knowledge, confidence and skills to help support individuals experiencing family violence. Government of Northwest Territories. https://www.hss.gov.nt.ca/en/services/what-will-it-take
Email fvp@gov.nt.ca to arrange training or get the materials to host the training.
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Coercive Control, Emotional / Psychological / Verbal Abuse
Articles – easy to read
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What is emotional abuse? Signs and red flags of emotional abuse. Verywell Mind, 2022. This has a good graphic with tips about dealing with emotional abuse that you can cut out and put up at the shelter. https://www.verywellmind.com/identify-and-cope-with-emotional-abuse-4156673
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4 early signs of coercive control: This is how the abuser gets power over their partner. Verywell Mind, 2024. https://www.verywellmind.com/early-signs-of-coercive-control-7963438
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How to recognize and cope with verbal abuse. VeryWell Mind, 2024. https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-recognize-verbal-abuse-bullying-4154087
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Signs of manipulation in relationships. Verywell Mind, 2023. https://www.verywellmind.com/manipulation-in-marriage-2302245
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9 things to say when someone is gaslighting you. VeryWell Mind, 2024. https://www.verywellmind.com/things-to-say-when-someone-is-gaslighting-you-8426905
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6 games people with Narcissistic Personality Disorder Play. This article lists many things in common with what survivors experience – gaslighting, love-bombing, ghosting, triangulation, abuser pretends to be the victim, and revenge. Psych Central. https://psychcentral.com/blog/manipulation-games-narcissists-play#types-of-games
Articles – academic
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Coercive control in the courtroom: the Legal Abuse Scale (LAS). Article by E.R. Gutowski, and L.A. Goodman in Journal of Family Violence 38, 527–542 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-022-00408-3
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New tools, old abuse: Technology-Enabled Coercive Control (TECC). 2021 article by Dana Cuomo and Natalie Dolci in GeoForum 126 (Nov 2021): 224-232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2021.08.002
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The trauma and mental health impacts of coercive control: A systematic review and meta-analysis. 2024 article by S. Lohmann, S. Cowlishaw, L. Ney, M. O’Donnell, and K. Felmingham in Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 25(1), 630-647. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380231162972
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Women facing psychological abuse: How do they respond to maternal identity humiliation and body shaming? 2021 article by Marina B. Martínez-González, et al. in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 12: 6627. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18126627
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Infographics
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How to deal with emotional abuse. By Brianna Gilmartin, Verywell, 2025. https://www.verywellmind.com/identify-and-cope-with-emotional-abuse-4156673
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Femicide And Prevention
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Ontario Domestic Violence Death Review Committee executive summary. https://www.ontario.ca/document/domestic-violence-death-review-committee-2018-annual-report/executive-summary
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Preventing domestic homicides: Lessons learned from tragedies. Video presentation by Dr. Peter Jaffee, Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children, London, Ontario. https://www.vawlearningnetwork.ca/our-work/videos-podcasts/domestichomicides/index.html
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‘There’s a way out’: Insights from survivors of Intimate Partner Violence. Learning Network and Canadian Domestic Homicide Prevention Initiative with Vulnerable Populations, London, Ontario, 2023. https://www.gbvlearningnetwork.ca/our-work/backgrounders/insightsfromsurvivors/index.html
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Femicide And Prevention
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Gender equity. Factsheet, Learning Network, Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children, London, Ontario, 2020. Definitions, examples of gender inequities in the labour force, progress toward gender equity, intersectionality, gender-based violence, systemic barriers, missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, effects of climate change, action for equity. https://www.vawlearningnetwork.ca/our-work/issuebased_newsletters/issue-30/Newsletter_Issue_30-FINAL-online.pdf
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Hotlines
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Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline (24/7): 1-833-900-1010, Can also reach out through chat at canadianhumantraffickinghotline.ca
Organizations and Resources
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Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking: https://www.canadiancentretoendhumantrafficking.ca/ This is the main organization in Canada dedicated to ending all types of human trafficking in Canada. Runs the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline. Has resources, research reports and a newsletter. Describes how human trafficking takes place: https://www.canadiancentretoendhumantrafficking.ca/how-it-happens/ Lists warning signs about who might be a victim of human trafficking: https://www.canadiancentretoendhumantrafficking.ca/signs-of-human-trafficking/ About sex trafficking: https://www.canadianhumantraffickinghotline.ca/sex-trafficking/ Safety planning: https://www.canadianhumantraffickinghotline.ca/safety-planing/
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Downloadable You Are Loved poster with human trafficking hotline number: https://www.canadianhumantraffickinghotline.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Most_Understanding_Poster_Eng.pdf
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Public Safety Canada (Government of Canada), about human trafficking: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-safety-canada/campaigns/human-trafficking.html
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How human trafficking works – luring, grooming, exploitation, warning signs, from Public Safety Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-safety-canada/campaigns/human-trafficking/hhtw.html
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National Trafficking Hotline (US only). https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en This is the hotline organization for trafficking in the United States. Lots of good resources on the site. Safety planning tips: https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en/safety-planning-information
Myths and facts: https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en/human-trafficking/myths-facts
Recognizing the signs: https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en/human-trafficking/recognizing-signs This site also has a helpful guide to what is a healthy relationship and an unhealthy relationship.
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Research and Reports
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Report of the Task Force on Sex Trafficking of Women and Girls in Canada. 2014. https://www.canadiancentretoendhumantrafficking.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/No-More-Ending-Sex-Trafficking-in-Canada.pdf
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Trafficking at the intersections: Racism, colonialism, sexism, and exploitation in Canada. Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children, 2020. https://gbvlearningnetwork.ca/our-work/briefs/brief-36.html
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Laws, Criminal And Family Justice Systems
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Family violence laws. Department of Justice Canada. https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/cj-jp/fv-vf/laws-lois.html
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Women take action: An injustice of the criminal justice system. This is research with women who were charged with assault when they were defending themselves. Counterpoint Counselling and Educational Cooperative, Toronto, 2023. https://www.oaith.ca/assets/library/uploads/CCEC_Women-Take-Action_research_report.pdf
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Access to justice for family violence in Nunavut: Final report on research and awareness campaign. Law Society of Nunavut and Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada https://www.lawsociety.nu.ca/sites/default/files/News/Public%20Notices/LSN_FAIA%20Final%20Public%20Report_Dec%2015%202021.pdf
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Sexual Violence
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Intimate Partner Sexual Violence. Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children, 2016. https://www.gbvlearningnetwork.ca/our-work/issuebased_newsletters/issue-17/index.html
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Sexual assault centres, crisis lines and support services. Ending Sexual Violence Association of Canada. https://endingviolencecanada.org/sexual-assault-centres-crisis-lines-and-support-services/
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Sexual Violence Awareness. Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children, 2014. https://www.gbvlearningnetwork.ca/our-work/issuebased_newsletters/issue-9/index.html
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Supporting survivors of sexual violence. Free course, Nova Scotia. https://nscs.learnridge.com/
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Structural Violence
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Structural Violence. In Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace, & Conflict (Second Edition), 2008. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780123739858001690
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Addressing violence and overdose among women who use drugs — Need for structural interventions. Academic article by S.M. Goldberg, 2020. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2771376
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Substance Use
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See also Healing and Prevention – Harm reduction, Shelter resources – Substance use Drug overdose among women in intimate relationships: The role of partner violence, adversity and relationship dependencies. Academic article by N. El-Bassel, N. et al, 2019. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0225854
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Report on violence against women, mental health and substance use. Canadian Women’s Foundation and BC Society of Transition Houses. 2011. https://canadianwomen.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/PDF-VP-Resources-BCSTH-CWF-Report_Final_2011_-Mental-Health_Substance-use.pdf
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The Paradox of Pleasure. Dr. Anna Lembke explains how you can become addicted to almost anything if the brain’s dopamine cycle is triggered. Hidden Brain podcast. (50 mins) https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/the-paradox-of-pleasure/
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Systems
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Ex-Wives Club. Women terrorized by the same abusive man band together. They and feminist lawyer Pamela Cross talk about how systems fail to protect survivors. CBC The Current, https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2192310339596 (audio, 42 min))
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Social Risks Wheel. From iDetermine. https://www.idetermine.ca/what-is-abuse/social-risks-wheel/
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Technology-Assisted Gender-Based Violence
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Tech Safety Canada is a project of Women’s Shelters Canada. It equips shelter and transition house workers with the knowledge and resources they need to support women, children, and gender-diverse people with their experiences of Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV): https://techsafety.ca/
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