Aboriginal Domestic Violence

The Impact of Domestic Violence on the Aboriginal Community Domestic violence in Aboriginal communities is a cause for concern relating directly to Aboriginal women's health and safety. According to Kubik, Bourassa, and Hampton (2009), “in Canada, Aboriginal women have faced destruction in their communities and families as a result of multiple forms of oppression. Aboriginal women experience the highest rates of violence and abuse of any population in Canada” (p.29). Domestic violence is defined by Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary (2015) as “the inflicting of physical injury by one family or household member on another; also: a repeated or habitual pattern of such behavior”(n.p). There is a need to look at factors that may lead to domestic
Statistics have shown that 63% of Aboriginal women in Canada have been subjected to domestic violence (Brownridge, 2008, p. 367). When comparing the violence ratio of Aboriginal women and non-Aboriginal women the Aboriginal female has an eight time greater chance to be a target of violence, such as spousal homicide and severe abuse (Brownridge, 2003, p.66). We can turn this problem around through education and restoring the Aboriginal peoples’ culture, beliefs, and rituals that promote healthy self-identity and culture identity. One of the main ways to help encourage cultural healing is ensuring Aboriginal women have a safe environment to live in and raise their families. The author of this paper will review research on domestic violence against Aboriginal women in Canada; concentrating on an Aboriginal perspective on what is considered domestic violence
Riel1, Languedoc, Brown, and Gerrits3(2014) stated “Aboriginal families where violence has been experienced should recognize the violence as a product of colonization. The contextual model must be sensitive to the historical and contemporary contexts of oppression, cultural genocide, and massive group trauma across generations” (p.287). According to the Native Women Association of Canada (2015):
The roles of Aboriginal women have changed since the beginning of European contact . Once held in high regard as leaders and givers of life, Aboriginal women have been devalued not only because they are Aboriginal people, but also because they are women. (p.3) Highlighting the importance of recognition of European colonization and the negative impact that it thrust upon the Aboriginal people is important to recognize in order to allow healing and address domestic violence against Aboriginal woman.
Vulnerable to Domestic Violence why? Risk