Projects
Violence conjugale et contrôle coercitif
In recent years, the issue of domestic violence has been increasingly understood from the perspective of coercive control, notably thanks to the theoretical work of Evan Stark and his book Coercive Control: How Men Entrap Women in Personal Life (2007) in addition to the studies that preceded or followed it on the subject (Côté & Lapierre, 2021; Katz, 2022; Romito, 2018).
Specifically, this new angle of analysis has allowed us to broaden our understandings (theoretical and practical) of the intention underlying the manifestations of control and coercion that are embedded in the behavioral pattern of perpetrators of domestic violence in the post-separation context. These behaviors were previously more difficult to identify and document.
My work and research projects are moving in this direction. They aim to contribute to further documenting the problem of domestic violence from this broader, more precise and more representative angle of the continuum of violence experienced by victims.
1 CISSS: Côté, I., & Lapierre, S. (2021). For an integration of coercive control in intervention practices in matters of domestic violence in Quebec. Revue Intervention, 153, 115-125. https://revueintervention.org/wpcontent/uploads/2021/06/ri_153_2021.2_Cote_Lapierre.pdf
2 Katz, E. (2022a). Coercive Control in Children's and Mothers' Lives. Oxford University Press.
3 Romito, P. (2018). A silence of the dead. Hidden male violence. Syllepse Editions, M Publisher.
4 Stark, E. (2007). Coercive Control: How men entrap women in personal life. Oxford University Press. inc.
Current projects
Doctoral thesis project in social work
University of Ottawa
Since fall 2024, I have started my doctorate in social work at the School of Social Work at the University of Ottawa.
My thesis project is supervised by Dr. Simon Lapierre (University of Ottawa) and Dr. Isabelle Côté (Laurentian University).
Doctoral thesis project supervision
Director, Dr. Simon Lapierre, University of Ottawa
Co-director, Dr. Isabelle Côté, Université Laurentienne
Completed projects
Master's thesis project in social work
Université Laurentienne
My master's thesis focused on the impact of the Child Protection in the Context of Domestic Violence (PEVC) model, and sought to analyze whether training in this model could curb the use of violence concealment mechanisms among youth protection workers in Quebec.
This project was carried out using secondary data from the PEVC project. The PEVC intervention model is innovative and aims to renew intervention practices with children living in a context of domestic violence and their parents. It is mainly applicable in the context of youth protection and in follow-ups by youth management teams of CISSS and CIUSSS in Quebec.
This project is carried out using secondary data from the PEVC project. The PEVC intervention model is innovative and aims to renew intervention practices with children living in a context of domestic violence and their parents and is mainly applicable in the context of youth protection and in follow-ups by the youth management teams of CISSS and CIUSSS in Quebec.
What are the mechanisms of concealment of domestic violence?
The mechanisms of concealment of domestic violence (Patrizia Romito, 2018) are tactics and strategies that deny, invisibilize and legitimize domestic violence and post-separation violence. These mechanisms can be used by the violent parent during interventions through the different systems (legal, social and youth protection), and sometimes even by the victims.
Results
The comparative analysis of the data (before and after the training) was carried out with 71 participants from three regions of Quebec (Capitale Nationale, Estrie and Outaouais). The data were analyzed in light of the theoretical framework of Patrizia Romito (2018), which focuses on the mechanisms by which domestic violence is hidden from discourse and practices via different tactics, such as euphemization, and strategies, such as legitimization. Overall, the results demonstrated a decrease in the use of OVC mechanisms, from 83% before the training to 18% after it. These results suggest that OVC mechanisms are widely conveyed by the participants, but that the PEVC model helps to curb their use.
Master's thesis supervision
First Reader, Dr. Isabelle Côté, Université Laurentienne
Second reader, Dr. Simon Lapierre, University of Ottawa
Source of funding
This project received support and funding from an Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) jointly with Laurentian University.
1 CISSS: Integrated health and social services center.
2 CIUSSS: Integrated university health and social services center.
3 Romito, P. (2018). Un silence de mortes. La violence masculine occultée. Syllepse Editions, M Publisher.
Exploratory project on the experience of women who have experienced domestic violence and whose spouse or ex-spouse received services from an organization specializing in domestic violence in Quebec.
Université Laurentienne
FemAnVi Anti-Violence Feminist Research Collective
This project is led by Dr. Isabelle Côté, a researcher and associate professor at Université Laurentienne. This study focuses on the experience of women who are victims of domestic violence and whose violent spouse or ex-spouse has engaged in a process of accountability and received services from an organization specializing in domestic violence in Quebec.
Research Direction
Principal Investigator, Dr. Isabelle Côté, Université Laurentienne
Co-researcher, Dr. Simon Lapierre, University of Ottawa