With a high standard of living and positive international reputation, Canadians often feel they are living in an unusually tolerant, peaceful, and caring society. But the research and statistics show a different story about the experience of women: in a given year in Canada, 11 percent ofwomen suffer physical abuse by their partners, and one out of every four female undergraduates experience some form of sexual abuse. The media rarely reports less sensation crimes, such as sexual assault in university/college dating relationships and violence against women in marriage. Award-winning scholar Walter DeKeseredy argues that this violence is a social issue, not an individual one. With the latest research and statistics, he describes the myths surrounding abuse and the complicated dynamics within many abusive relationships, as well as the consequences of abuse. Hisfinal chapter coherently outlines some important changes that should be made in Canadian society as a matter of urgency. For students and concerned readers alike, this engaging book is a straightforward, eye-opening account of an often hidden problem in Canada.

Walter S. DeKeseredy is the Anna Deane Carlson Endowed Chair of Social Sciences, director of the Research Center on Violence, and a professor of sociology at West Virginia University. He has published 27 books, over 130 scientific journal articles, and close to 100 scholarly book chapters on violence against women and other social problems. He has earned numerous prestigious awards throughout his career, including the American Society of Criminology’s 2022 Praxis Award as well as their 2022 Robert Jerin Book of the Year Award. He was named a fellow of the American Society of Criminology in 2022.

Walter DeKeseredy's profile page