Criminalizing Coercive Control webinar replay and highlights

Criminalizing Coercive Control webinar

Analysis, Updates and Reflections on Legislating Coercive Control in Canada.

This webinar, held on July 17, 2024, invited discussion and input on potential impacts of the pending legislative changes and options for post-legislative policies and practices.

We thank all the participants for joining us in this webinar.

Criminalising coercive control has raised a lot of critical issues in our work to end gender based violence.

We know that gender-based violence does not only take place between two individuals in isolation, but, rather, in a social context and a world view that systemically reinforces the power of some people to oppress others, including through gender, race, ability, citizenship, sexuality, and more.

BWSS continues to work to deepen the understanding of gender-based violence, beyond the narrative of the perfect victim, and to break barriers and exclusions in the delivery of anti-violence programs and services.

BWSS is committed to all victims and survivors of gender-based violence.

Watch the full replay below or skip through to selected highlights.

Invited Panelists

Moderator

Before the webinar, we asked participants “Should coercive control be criminalised?”

After the webinar, we asked participants “Do you think criminalizing coercive control will make a difference for victims survivors in Canada”?

Full webinar replay: Criminalizing Coercive Control

Analysis, Updates and Reflections on Legislating Coercive Control in Canada.

Highlight #1

At 8:10, Angela Marie MacDougall inquiries about the legislative process, prompting Pamela to explain how a bill is passed starting at 9:35. Pamela provides a detailed explanation of the bill drafting process from 10:45 to 14:06.

Highlight #2

Angela questions Deepa Mattoo about the preparations for their House of Commons submission and Deepa’s feelings during the process, with the discussion spanning from 15:08 to 18:21.

Highlight #3

From 26:11 to 27:04, Summer Rain elaborates on the use of coercive control to manipulate legal and health systems against women, detailing how abusers exploit these systems.

Highlight #4

Agnes Huang discusses the implications of criminalizing coercive control on family law, focusing on potential risks and negative impacts from 29:00 to 32:10.

Highlight #5

Pamela Cross contrasts strategies effective in family law with those unsuitable for criminal law, discussing their differences from 33:00 to 36:46.

Highlight #6

Deepa Mattoo emphasizes the importance of recognizing gender dynamics in violence, highlighting the typical patterns between male abusers and female victims, especially marginalized women, and the lack of training among enforcement bodies. The discussion occurs from 39:15 to 43:43.

Highlight #7

From 47:07 to 49:29, Summer Rain addresses the impact of coercive control in family courts, particularly on women of color, Indigenous women, and immigrant women, discussing the unique challenges they face.

Highlight #8

Emilie Coyle builds on this by discussing how coercive control adversely affects individuals with criminal records from 49:46 to 50:29.

Highlight #9

Agnes Huang further explores coercive control’s impact on family law, outlining the complexities and fairness challenges it introduces from 57:55 to 1:04:13.

Highlight #10

Pamela Cross examines a case involving the deaths of three women, discussing how jurors’ insights into the justice system changed their perceptions from 1:16:50 to 1:18:50.

Highlight #11

Angela Marie MacDougall reflects on the impact of coercive control laws on UK women over the past decade, discussing its effects from 1:20:02 to 1:22:43.

Highlight #12

Emilie Coyle discusses the trauma experienced by victims who report violence or assault, from 1:23:22 to 1:27:52.

Highlight #13

Deepa Mattoo highlights the disproportionate effect of violence on marginalized communities and the inadequacy of protections, from 1:29:30 to 1:33:04.

Highlight #14

Pamela Cross briefly compares historical and current laws, focusing on their differences and implications from 1:37:11 to 1:38:06.

Highlight #15

Agnes Huang critiques existing laws, arguing that they often lead to complacency and fail to address real-life challenges, from 1:39:18 to 1:42:28.