Domestic Abuse and the Law: Confronting Systemic Impacts

is an ongoing participatory action research project that endeavours to help victims of domestic abuse by advocating for positive change to Canada’s legal system. 

We are a research group at the Super Ordinary Lab within OCAD University bringing together multiple stakeholders to assess impacts throughout the current ‘system’ and identify points of support and intervention that could support women who are in or exiting domestic abuse situations. 

Domestic abuse includes physical and sexual violence, but also includes other less tangible manifestations. Although much of this domain’s focus has centred on physical assaults, non-violent forms such as emotional, psychological and financial abuse have yet to be well addressed; indeed, the Canadian criminal code does little to address these forms of harassment, which may persist for years. 

As a group we aim to make change by ending the tolerance of domestic abuse in all its forms. There is a growing awareness about the seriousness of harassment and bullying in society – our workplaces and schools are increasingly instituting policies to deal with these types of anti-social behaviour. We believe these protections must be afforded to all those who are harassed and threatened in their personal lives, regardless of the setting.