Victims of Abuse in Canada

The issue of violence and abuse isn’t an issue or problem that simply began or was created over night. This issue has existed for centuries. However, the views and opinions about this subject of society today and those of society two centuries ago, for instance, are considerably different and have changed significantly.

In a more historical context, “a man’s right to use physical force to correct his wife was supported by legal, religious, cultural, political and economic structures of Western society.” (Johnson) Violence and abuse was seen as an action that wasn’t wrong for a husband to execute on his wife. However, in today’s Canadian society, using “physical force” or any type of abuse or violence on your partner is against the law, isn’t morally right and the general Canadian population doesn’t accept this kind of behavior from any citizen. It was only some three decades ago that the male partner violence against women or simply violence and abuse against one’s intimate partner was really “discovered” and accepted as a social problem. Since then, many researchers have taken on the responsibility and “task of quantifying the extent, severity, and consequences of “marital” violence. Most define “marital” as including common law or cohabiting relationships.” (Brownridge, Halli)

However, it is only fairly recently that abuse and violence has been accepted as a severe and serious social problem. With these studies and the findings that were found, researchers have been able to define the different types of abuse and violence. In 1993, Canada signed the United Nation’s Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, which gives a general meaning and is accepted by the international community. This definition of violence and abuse against women is:

Any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life. (Johnson)

This definition is very broad and wide and doesn’t explain a considerable amount about how Canadian will act towards abuse and violence. This definition also doesn’t simply to Canada, but to the world. It also only applies to women, who are abused. For researchers, who conduct studies on violence and abuse, this definition should be kept in mind. There are several definitions, involving abuse and violence, which were found and based on the researches on abuse and violence.