Although it can be experienced by partners of all gender identities, intimate partner violence primarily affects women, regardless of culture, social status, or income. It can be said that intimate partner violence largely stems from historically unequal power relationships between women and men, in which women are disadvantaged.
Contrary to what many people believe, intimate partner violence can exist without physical blows or injuries. It covers a wide range of behaviours and can take different forms:
Definition: intimate partner violence occurs within the context of an intimate relationship, whether current or past. It can occur in any type of intimate relationship, regardless of its length and regardless of the partners' gender identity: married or civil union partners, common-law partners, polyamorous partners, friends with benefits, dating relationships, and more.
This type of violence can occur at any age. Intimate partner violence is mainly distinguished from “relationship conflicts” by the imbalance of power between partners.
To control the victim, the abusive person uses multiple strategies, such as insults, threats, or intimidation. Violence may continue even after the partners have separated; this is known as post-separation violence.
Intimate partner violence also includes violent acts committed against the victim's loved ones, property, or even pets. It may also target the victim's new partner.
It is referred to as the cycle of violence because the aggressor and the victim become trapped in an endless loop made up of four phases:
The aggressor experiences episodes of anger, stares threateningly, and/or creates long periods of silence. The victim feels anxious, walks on eggshells, and becomes very careful about their actions and words.
The aggressor inflicts violence on the other person in verbal, psychological, economic, physical, and/or sexual forms. The victim feels humiliated and sad.
The aggressor finds excuses to justify their behaviour: fatigue, alcohol, work stress, etc. The victim begins to doubt their own perceptions and feels responsible for the situation.
Also known as the “honeymoon phase”; the aggressor gives compliments and gifts and promises that the violence will not happen again. The victim feels as though they are “regaining” the person they fell in love with.
Each time the cycle repeats, the violence can intensify during the assault phase, and reconciliation periods may gradually become shorter.
In the long term, the cycle of violence has a devastating impact on victims as it repeats continuously. With each cycle, victims lose more of their coping abilities: they begin to question their judgment, doubt their perception, lose self-esteem, fear their environment, try to prevent outbursts of anger, and live in a constant state of fear. All of these elements allow the aggressor to maintain control over the victim.
As violence becomes more entrenched in the relationship, episodes occur more frequently and both tension and assault phases become more intense.
In some cases, the forms of violence may also change; for example, they may shift from psychological violence to verbal violence, or from verbal violence to economic violence.
The law does not specifically define a “domestic violence offence.” However, many acts committed in a context of intimate partner violence may constitute criminal offences. For example:
Although it can be experienced by partners of all gender identities, domestic violence primarily affects women, regardless of culture, social status, or income. It can be said that domestic violence largely stems from historically unequal power relationships between women and men, in which women are disadvantaged.
Are you wondering if you may be in a situation of domestic violence?
Complete the confidential interactive questionnaire from SOS Violence Conjugale: https://sosviolenceconjugale.ca/en/looking-for-answers
Coercive control refers to a series of strategies used by a partner or ex-partner to isolate, control, terrorize their victim, and gradually strip them of their freedom.
It is a subtle and progressive form of control over the female victim by the partner, who does not necessarily use physical violence.
Coercive control is not a new form of domestic violence; rather, it is a new “lens” that helps us view violence from a different perspective.
Identifying these strategies can be difficult. The challenge is that if they go unnoticed, they may be mistaken for “relationship conflicts,” relational issues, or separation disputes.
Phone (24/7): 514 481-0495
Director: direction@aubergetransition.org
Counsellors: info@aubergetransition.org
