Research

Past Community of Practice Webinars

Intervening with Perpetrators Who Use Coercive Control Towards Their Families (November 22, 2024)

Hosted by: RESOLVE & AVA

This webinar focuses on approaches to working with perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV). Participants learn to recognize and respond to controlling and manipulative tactics used by perpetrators, along with strategies for engaging with perpetrators. The session also highlights the importance of maintaining safety when working with participants, addressing the physical and emotional aspects of worker safety and wellbeing.

• Download Rhonda Dagg's PPT slides

• Download RESOLVE's PPT slides

• Watch the Recording

An efficient family violence screening tool for mediators: The MASIC-S (February 1, 2023)

Hosted by: Western University Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children

Leading experts in the research and practice of the use of family dispute resolution in family violence cases will discuss the importance of screening for family violence; introduce the MAISIC screening tool for mediators; share the latest research, tips and tools to help professionals achieve best practice standards when helping to resolve cases involving family violence, particularly those in which there are serious safety risks and power imbalances arising from family violence.

• Download presentation slides
• Watch the Recording

UN Special Report on Parental Alienation and Implications for Canada (January 11, 2024)

Hosted by: Western University Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children

Presenters: Reem Alsalem, Mary Birdsell, Nneka MacGregor, Simon Lapierre, and Suzanne Zaccour  

Strangulation by an intimate partner is one of the strongest risk factors of future lethality. In April of 2023, UN Special Rapporteur Reem Alsalem released a report addressing the link between custody cases, violence against women and violence against children, with a focus on the abuse of the term “parental alienation”. In this report, she concludes that the discredited and unscientific concept of parental alienation is used in family law proceedings by abusers as a tool to continue their abuse and coercion, undermine and discredit allegations of domestic violence made by mothers who are trying to keep their children safe, and leads to decisions that violate the best interests of children. She makes a series of recommendations including: legislation to prohibit the use of parental alienation or related concepts  in family law cases; establishing regular monitoring mechanisms to oversee the effectiveness of family justice systems for victims of domestic abuse; ensuring mandatory training of the judiciary and other justice system professionals and requiring that no evaluations be made in family law proceedings without consideration of relevant criminal law and/or child protection proceedings. In this webinar, Ms. Alsalem will summarize the major findings and recommendations of her report. Her presentation will be followed by comments from youth with lived experience and a panel of respondents who will reflect on the relevance of these recommendations to Canada on steps that might be needed to implement change.  

• Watch recording

Enhancing System Responses to Survivors & Perpetrators of Strangulation in IPV (November 23, 2023)

Hosted by: RESOLVE

Presenters: Dr. Amanda McCormick

Strangulation by an intimate partner is one of the strongest risk factors of future lethality. However, many survivors of strangulation have no visible injuries, leading to challenges in detection, intervention, and support by criminal justice, community, and health care service providers. Dr. McCormick will discuss current gaps in awareness and practice and provide strategies to enhance system responses.

• Download Amanda McCormick's presentation slides
• Watch the Recording

Keira’s Legacy of Hope Part 2: Enhancing Judicial Education on Family Violence (October 5, 2023)

Hosted by: Learning Network & Knowledge Hub

Presenters: Judge Ramona A. Gonzalez

This Part 2 discussion provides some context on the appointment process and education of judges in Canada as well as their independence from government. The training relevant to Keira’s Law will be undertaken through the leadership of the National Judicial Institute and their role in providing education is examined. The panelists also provide perspective and expertise given their roles in presenting extensive judicial education programs as well as being a consumer of these programs.

• Download the Presentation Slides
• Watch the Recording

Severe Separation Conflicts or Domestic Violence : How to See Things (a little) More Clearly ? (October 3, 2023)

Hosted by: Western University Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children

Presenters: Dr. Elisabeth Godbout & Dr. Catherine Turbide

• Download the Presentation Slides
• Watch the Recording

Keira’s Legacy of Hope: Judicial Training on Family Violence (July 26, 2023)

Hosted by: Learning Network & Knowledge Hub

Presenters: Jennifer Kagan, Pamela Cross, and Archana Medhekar

In this Special Event, panelists discuss the necessity of Keira’s Law given the gap in judicial education and knowledge about family violence and coercive control. Panelists also share more about what the law seeks to do and current realities of judge training in Canada. Finally, panelists share their hopes and wishes for the enactment of the law with the goal to protect more children in the future.

• Watch the Recording

Changing Professional Obligations for Family Law Lawyers Under the New Provisions of the Divorce Act (July 20, 2023)

Hosted by: Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research

Presenters: Shelley Hounsell-Gray & Dr. IIana Dodie Luther

• Watch the Recording

Family Law, Family Violence and Restorative Justice (June 28, 2023)

Hosted by: RESOLVE

Presenters: Lisa Teryl & Tod Augusta Scott

In a country plagued by rising instances of family violence and contentious divorces, Lisa Teryl, a seasoned senior lawyer, and Tod Augusta Scott, a renowned advocate in family violence and trauma, have come together to introduce an innovative approach to family law. Their brainchild, Divorce Legal Communication Services, aims to put an end to abuse, foster collaboration, and streamline the divorce process through adopting a restorative approach.

• Download Lisa Teryl & Tod Augusta Scott’s Presentation Slides
• Download RESOLVE Presentation Slides
• Watch the Recording

Family Law and Domestic Violence: the Ethical Obligations of Judicial Actors (April 26, 2023)

Hosted by: RAIV

Presenter: Daphnée B. Ménard

• Watch the Recording

Traumatic Brain Injury and Intimate Partner Violence: Challenges for Survivors Involved in the Family Court System (April 3, 2023)

Hosted by: RESOLVE

Presenters: Dr. Michael Ellis & Ashley Stewart

Survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) commonly sustain physical injuries to the head, neck, and face. As a result of increased trauma to these areas, survivors are at a greater risk of experiencing brain injuries; specifically traumatic brain injury (TBI), which is caused by external force to the head, neck, or face, and hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBI), which is caused by non-fatal strangulation. These injuries cause damage to the brain and disrupt its normal functioning, resulting in a range of physical, emotional, and cognitive difficulties. Because of these difficulties, survivors impacted by brain injuries can face challenges when accessing, navigating, and participating in the family court system. For instance, survivors suffering from unrecognized or undiagnosed brain injuries can exhibit behaviors in family court that undermine their credibility. If a brain injury is known, it can also be weaponized against survivors during custody and access proceedings to paint them as an unfit parent. This webinar focused on the intersection of IPV and brain injury, and the subsequent challenges these injuries present for survivors in the family court system including issues surrounding participation in the court process, establishing causal evidence of IPV-related brain injury, and the absence of trauma-informed legal practices.

• Download Dr. Michael Ellis & Ashley Stewart's Presentation Slides
• Download RESOLVE Presentation Slides
• Watch the Recording

Substance Use Coercion and IPV Survivors in Family Court (February 8, 2023)

Hosted by: RESOLVE

Presenters: Dr. Carole Warshaw, Breena Murray, & Colleen Allan

Many survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) experience substance use coercion, which occurs when abusers attempt to control survivors through tactics related to substance use. Common tactics include forcing survivors to use substances, preventing survivors from accessing treatment programs, and purposefully sabotaging the recovery process. This webinar provides an overview on the issue of substance use coercion and its impact on survivors of IPV. It also discusses the intersection of substance use coercion and the family court system for survivors of IPV, including the prevalence of the issue amongst litigants in both the Canadian and American family court systems, how family court personnel can best address the issue, and promising practices for supporting survivors impacted by the issue in the family court system.   

• Download Dr. Carole Warshaw's Presentation Slides
• Download RESOLVE Presentation Slides
• Watch the Webinar Recording

Gender-based Violence in Rural and Remote Settings in Ontario and British Columbia: Experiences, Challenges and Services Available for Women (January 23, 2023)

Hosted by: The FREDA Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children

Presenters: Dr. Danielle Bader & Dr. Jacqueline Holler

This webinar explores gender-based violence in rural and remote settings in Ontario and British Columbia.

• Watch the Webinar Recording in English or French

The Journey Project: Providing Trauma-Informed Legal Support to Survivors (November 30, 2022)

Hosted by: Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research

Presenter: Emma Duke

• Watch the Webinar Recording

Recognizing Litigation Abuse as a Form of Family Violence: Understanding the Concept and the Potential Harm (September 27, 2022)

Hosted by: Western University Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children

Presenters: Dr. Ellen R. Gutowski, Justice Sirivar, Dr. Nicholas (Nick) Bala, Jared Hydamaka

Litigation abuse often extends the coercive and controlling behaviour used during the relationship into the family court process. Using litigation tactics, such as making or threatening to make meritless claims; introducing false or irrelevant evidence; and causing unnecessary delays in the court proceedings, the abuser causes significant psychological and financial harm to the targeted parent and to their children.

This webinar explores common litigation abuse tactics and their consequences to survivors and their children.

• Download the Presentation Slides
• Watch the Webinar Recording

Fleeing Family Violence: Challenges for Survivors Living in Rural, Remote & First Nation Communities(September 14, 2022) 

Hosted by: Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research

Presenters: Christa Matthews, Dr. Mayme Lefurgey, Dr. Cathy Holtmann & Dr. Angela Wisniewski

• Watch the Recording

The Assessment of the Risk of Spousal Homicide (March 28, 2022) 

Hosted by: Western University Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children

Presenters: Christine Drouin

Assessing the risk of homicide is the first step in preventing spousal homicide. The tool entitled Conjugal Homicide Risk Assessment, developed with the Association à coeur d’homme, analyzes the risk of a situation based on three components, namely the identification of risk factors, precipitating events, and protective factors. By collecting the information gathered on these three elements, a complete picture of the person’s situation with respect to the risk of homicide can be drawn. Another key component in the risk analysis is the presence of a homicide scenario. This approach allows for better planning of the intervention strategies required to manage the risk as well as the follow-up that will be offered to the person, and thus ensure the safety of the victim.

• Download the Presentation Slides in English
• Download the Presentation Slides in French
• Watch the Webinar Recording

The Nexus of Poverty and Domestic Violence in Family Law (March 16, 2022)

Hosted by: Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research

Presenters: Madame Justice Boudreau-Dumas, Chantal Landry & Lindsay Manuel

• Watch the webinar recording

The Co-Occurrence of Parental Alienation Claims & Intimate Partner Violence (March 2022)

Hosted by: RESOLVE

Presenters: Dr. Peter Jaffe, Justice Mirwaldt, and Robynne Kazina

The past decade has seen an unprecedented increase in parenting disputes in family court. On one hand, there is a growing recognition of family violence as a gender-based crime and a legislated factor for judges to consider in parenting decisions. On the other hand, the concept of alienation has been increasingly misused to blame protective parents and their children's resistance or reluctance to have parenting time with perpetrators of family violence. Some of these cases represent litigation abuse as an extension of coercive control in the intimate partner relationship. The presentation will outline the controversaries in the field and the inappropriate use of alienation. The multiple factors that may lie behind a child refusing or resisting parenting will be discussed as well as the dilemmas for the family justice system to find differentiated parenting plans in these cases.

Justice Mirwaldt will discuss the many reforms that the Court of Queen’s Bench has made in the past three years to address systemic court delays that had created a barrier to justice for Manitoba families. Under the new court rules family violence is addressed at the outset of a family case through a system of robust triage conferencing and case management. Timely and meaningful interactions with a family court judge under a one-judge model has led to early resolution of the majority of the court’s cases, even those involving allegations of parental alienation and family violence.

• Download Parental Alienation Resources
• Download RESOLVE's Presentation Slides
• Download Dr. Peter Jaffe's Presentation Slides
• Download Justice Mirwaldt Presentation Slides 
• Download Robynne Kazina Presentation Slides 

Intersecting Inequities in Family Court: A Trauma-Informed Critique (January 2022)

Hosted by: Western University Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children

Presenters: Archana Medhekar, Archana Medhekar Law, Ontario, Kamaljit Kaur Lehal, Lehal Law, British Columbia, & Jael Duarte, LA Henry Law, New Brunswick 

Canada’s family courts are confronted with cases involving complex cultural contexts and challenging family dynamics.  The family justice system often enters the realm of resolving Canada's multicultural puzzle and is tasked with making decisions regarding complex overlapping issues and facts within a legislative framework. This webinar will examine the relationship between the competing interests within the family court system as there continues to be the need for systemic change of the family dispute resolution system that designs justice for sustainable family conflict resolution.

• Watch the Webinar Recording

Implementing Children’s Rights in All Family Court Cases (November 25, 2021)

Hosted by: The FREDA Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children

Presenters: The Honourable Donna J. Martinson, Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia, Retired, The Honourable Judge Rose Raven, Senior judge of the BC Provincial Court, Phyllis Kenney, Q.C., Lauren Irvine, & Dr. Margaret Jackson, Professor Emerita and Director of the FREDA Centre at SFU

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child states that the “right of all children [under 18] to be heard and taken seriously constitutes one of the fundamental values of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child”. Obtaining children’s views and preferences in court processes is now common in many cases, but the right to do so can be marginalized for children in family violence and or parental alienation cases. In addition, more attention has been paid to hearing children’s voices generally, than it has to ensuring that those views are taken seriously and given due weight in accordance with the children’s ages and maturity. This webinar will consider the issue of how children’s rights in all family law court proceedings can be implemented effectively, with the involvement of independent legal representation for children, using the Eight Child Rights Safeguards/Guarantees which the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child states are necessary to do so.

• Download the Presentation Slides in English
• Watch the Webinar Recording

Tech-Facilitated Violence: An Introduction (November 24, 2021)

Hosted by: RESOLVE

Presenters: Jane Bailey of the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law, and Suzie Dunn of Dalhousie University’s Schulich School of Law

Technology is increasingly used by abusers to perpetrate violence, whether through unsecured devices or by making online spaces unsafe. This may come in the form of online stalking, the non-consensual distribution of intimate images, doxing, or threats, just to name a few. Technology-facilitated violence (TFV) can happen in the context of romantic relationships, but is also perpetrated by strangers or online trolls. But what do we mean by doxing and what is an online troll? 

This presentation provides information on what “technology-facilitated violence” is and helps explain some of the terminology used to describe this kind of violence. Professors Jane Bailey of the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law, and Suzie Dunn of Dalhousie University’s Schulich School of Law discuss the various types of TFV, why it is a growing societal problem, and provide helpful resources and safety tips. They also talk about social media companies’ role in TFV and how ending TFV involves a wide variety of responses from individuals, social media companies and governments. 

• Download Tech-Safety Resources
• Download the Presentation Slides
• Watch the Webinar Recording