The other side of the story on domestic abuse

Remarkably, a PhD student in Criminology at the University of Toronto, Alexandra Lysova, has been awarded one of 14 2011 scholarships from the prestigious Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.

I say "remarkably" not because Ms. Lysova herself is unworthy -on the contrary -but because of the nature of her research project. Of which more anon.

According to the Foundation's spokesperson, "The Trudeau Foundation rewards excellence [in the humanities and social sciences] and provides young researchers with the best conditions to ground their work in the real world."

In academia, for ideological reasons, there have always been, and continue to be, areas where "the real world" makes an uncomfortable fit with sacred myths based in theory, not evidence. One such theory is that in domestic violence -or "intimate partner violence (IPV)," as it is now called -women always are either passive victims of male aggression or violent only in self-defence. This myth has so permeated the academy, social service agencies, charities, schools, the police and the legal system, that the truth about the "real life" of intimate partners caught up in dysfunctional scenarios has been ignored, suppressed or attacked to the point that most researchers stay far away from it.

Read on...

Alexandra is a PhD student at the Centre for Criminology & Sociolegal Studies. Tom

May 17, 2011 — U of T Criminology student wins Trudeau Scholarship for research on women and violence

May 17, 2011
By Jessica Lewis

Alexandra Lysova

The prestigious Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholarship is being awarded to Alexandra Lysova, a PhD student in criminology at the University of Toronto, for her outstanding research on women’s attitudes in situations of recurring domestic violence.

The Trudeau Scholarships, which include an $180,000 award and the opportunity to be mentored by a leading scholar, is awarded to Canadian and foreign PhD social sciences and humanities students who examine Canadian concerns in fields such as environment, international affairs, citizenship and human rights. Fourteen students were named Trudeau Scholars this year.

Lysova’s research explores women’s involvement in intimate partner violence using information obtained in interviews with incarcerated women in Canada and the United States. Through this, Lysova hopes to assess the independent contributions of individual and relationship characteristics to the dynamics of women’s involvement in intimate partner violence.

“I am very much delighted and honoured to be awarded such a prestigious Canadian scholarship as the Trudeau Scholarship,” Lysova says. “It also validates the importance of studying the issue of female involvement in violence. I hope that the Trudeau Scholarship will assist me with the conditions and opportunities to reach my study objectives and career goals.”

The Foundation, established in 2001, is an independent and non-partisan Canadian charity. The newest Scholars will be introduced to the Trudeau community at the foundation's summer institute May 16 to 20 in Whistler, B.C.

“Trudeau Scholarships not only accelerate the careers of the doctoral students who receive them, but also enable recipients to make a constructive contribution to Canada and Canadians,” said Foundation President P.G. Forest. “The Trudeau Foundation rewards excellence and provides young researchers with the best conditions to ground their work in the real world.”

Congrats Sasha. Tom