Violence in families and intimate relationships affects a significant proportion of the population—from very young children to the elderly. Although no one is immune to violence, some groups are particularly vulnerable. Cruel but Not Unusual: Violence in Canadian Families is the first book to offer a national survey of the latest research and practice, and it reflects on the patriarchal roots and societal conditions in Canada that have led to the long-standing abuse of women and children. While feminist theories provide an overarching framework, a broad range of approaches is offered to examine and respond to critical aspects of this serious social problem. Topics include: systemic oppression of Aboriginal families and communities; violence in a francophone minority context; child corporal punishment; abuse in the lives of people with disabilities; the objectification of older adults; mother blaming; intimate violence in same-sex relationships; and new approaches to solving the problem of violence in Canadian families. Contents: Foreword: The Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain
Acknowledgments
Introduction--Cruel but Not Unusual: Violence in Canadian families Ramona Alaggia and Cathy Vine SECTION ONE Violence and Diversity: History, Culture, and Oppression
Systemic oppression, violence, and healing in Aboriginal families and communities Cyndy Baskin
Violence, protection, and empowerment in the lives of children and adults with disabilities Richard Sobsey and Sonia Sobon
Is this violence? Recognizing, defining and intervening in family violence in a Francophone minority context Ina Motoi
Domestic violence and child abuse: Issues for immigrant and refugee families Ramona Alaggia and Sarah Maiter
Same-sex partner abuse: Challenges to the existing paradigms of intimate violence theory J. Roy Gillis and Shaindl Diamond SECTION TWO Children Growing Up with Violence: Context and Intervention
Children abused, neglected and living with violence: An overview Cathy Vine, Nico Trocmé, and Judy Finlay
Child corporal punishment: Violence, law and rights Anne McGillivray and Joan E. Durrant
Children’s exposure to domestic violence Jasmine Hayes, Nico Trocmé, and Angélique Jenney
Failure to protect? Child welfare interventions when mothers are being battered Susan Strega
Rendering children invisible: The forces at play during separation and divorce in the context of family violence Rachel Birnbaum SECTION THREE Woman Abuse: Context, Theory, and Practice
Framing woman abuse: A structural perspective Sarah Todd and Colleen Lundy
Identifying, assessing and treating male perpetrators and abused women Leslie Tutty
Escaping narratives of domination: Ideas for clinical practice with women oppressed by relationship violence Judith Myers Avis SECTION FOUR Abuse of Older Adults – Context, Theory and Practice
The Abuse and neglect of older adults in Canada Lynn McDonald, April Collins, and Julie Dergal
Older people as objects not subjects: Theory and practice in situations of “elder abuse” Joan Harbison, Pam McKinley, and Donna Pettipas Conclusion--Future directions: Focus for change Ramona Alaggia and Cathy Vine
Contributors
Index About the Author Ramona Alaggia is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto. She has worked as a family therapist, clinical director, and consultant for childrens mental health services in Toronto and has published many articles about sexual abuse of children and family violence. Cathy Vine is the executive director of Voices for Children, where she writes and publishes on the latest research about childrens development and well-being. She is co-author of Gardens of Shame: The Tragedy of Martin Kruze and the Sexual Abuse at Maple Leaf Gardens.
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