To make meaningful change, conversations around ending domestic violence shouldn’t be limited to academics and researchers; the entire community should also be engaged.
This idea of creating broader conversations to end domestic violence is the genesis behind a new lecture series by Western University’s Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children (CREVAWC).
“Issues around gender-based violence should be core knowledge for all Canadians,” said Katreena Scott, director at CREVAWC. “It is important that all members of our community understand healthy and unhealthy relationships, are able to recognize risk factors and warning signs of abuse and know how to respond when they see things that are concerning to them.”
She said the lectures will bring together leaders in the area of gender-based violence research to present on topics that speak to a community.
The Peter Jaffe Lectures on Ending Domestic Violence will be a yearly lecture that invites an anti-violence researcher for a public presentation of their work.
Peter Jaffe, after whom the lecture series was named, is a psychologist and professor emeritus in the faculty of education. Throughout Jaffe’s career he has been a vocal advocate for violence prevention. He has co-authored 11 books, 40 chapters and over 90 articles related to domestic violence, the impact of domestic violence on children, homicide prevention and the role of the criminal and family justice systems. For the past 30 years, he has presented workshops around the world, and was named an Officer in the Order of Canada by the Governor General for his work preventing domestic violence in the community.
Jaffe was a founding partner in the creation of CREVAWC in 1992 and was the academic director of the centre for the past fifteen years before his retirement this past summer
The lecture series will launch Dec. 6, during Canada’s National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, in remembrance of the 14 women who were murdered at Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal 31 years ago.
Jaffe said the creation of CREVAWC was a direct response to the events of Dec. 6, 1989.
“After that horrific tragedy, there were significant public debates on the murders reflecting a larger societal problem around misogyny and hatred of women,” said Jaffe.
In response to this debate, the Canadian government struck a standing committee and an expert panel that traveled across Canada. Final reports were delivered in parliament that identified major recommendations directed at societal change. One such recommendation was a need for an increase in applied research on violence against women.
“What those reports concluded was that this was a major national problem, and the events of the Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal, were the tip of the iceberg of a much larger issue,” he said.
Following those reports, Western, in partnership with Fanshawe College and the London Committee to End Women Abuse, were successful in receiving government funding to create a centre of excellence for research on violence against women and children. Four sister centres were created in Quebec, New Brunswick, Manitoba and British Columbia. The Western centre become what is now known as CREVAWC.
The importance of this work continues to be highlighted today. Ontario’s Femicide Report shows that the number of femicides – the intentional murder of women because they are women – have increased year over year for the past three years. The centre remains committed to the development and application of knowledge on the prevention of violence against women and children by promoting innovation, collaborative relationships and gender equality.
The inaugural Peter Jaffe Lecture will take place virtually on Dec. 6 from 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Jaffe will present the first lecture focused on the topic of how communities can come together to protect children from domestic violence.
“I’m extremely honoured to be recognized with the creation of this lecture,” Jaffe said. “It’s my hope that it will provide researchers, stakeholders and the public with opportunities to learn about how we can end domestic violence in our communities.”
Learn more about the Peter Jaffe Lecture Series.