e-2841 (Justice)

Petition to the Government of Canada

• Psychological violence is defined as a form of violence directed at someone else that does not involve physical violence and that, in the context of intimate partner violence, is characterized by morally aggressive coercion and control of an intimate partner;
• Psychological violence leads to significant psychological trauma resulting in various symptoms requiring long-term care: anxiety, excessive worry, hypervigilance, insomnia, pain, depersonalization, depression, suicide risk, post-traumatic stress disorder, behavioural disorders, loss of confidence and self-esteem, etc.;
• The Criminal Code does not prohibit any form of psychological violence, particularly in the context of intimate partner violence;
• Using psychological violence, a spouse belittles, insults, intimidates, isolates, monitors, financially controls, accuses, throws objects, threatens to kill or injure, threatens to share intimate images, threatens to kill or injure a child, causes property damage, etc., all as a way to assert dominance over his partner;
• Jurisdictions such as France, England and Wales have already criminalized psychological violence to better protect women who are victims of intimate partner violence; and
• Canada has been slow to adequately protect women and children who are victims of psychological domestic violence.