Legal and Ethical Considerations of Counter-violence Education

One of the greatest gaps I’ve encountered in counter-violence education is that of the legal and ethical considerations involved. This is, to be blunt, negligent on the part of instructors/providers. This post will reflect some of the information we provide in class-day discussion as well as our printed materials.

What is “Self-Defence?”

The first point we cover in any program we offer is the definition of the term, “self-defence.” One of the best definitions provided by a participant

Fine, the cop said the wrong thing (again), so what’s the right advice?

Back in February, I wrote about an incident involving a constable with the Toronto police who gave the women in a law class fashion-advice (“Don’t dress like sluts!”) when asked what women could do to protect themselves from being sexually assaulted. The SlutWalk movement it sparked has now

WARNING!!

I was asked about a particular “warning” being circulated by email, forwarded over and over again, with a very simple question: Are these legitimate gang/criminal ploys or are they urban myths?

Does dressing like a slut increase victim potential?

(originally published 2011 Feb 22 on Facebook)

Recently, a Toronto cop addressing a group of law students said that women could avoid being targeted for sexual assault by not “dressing like sluts.” His words met with some heated reaction, and as of this writing the Toronto Police Service has had no official response to what the officer has said; they say, however, they’ll be looking into it.

This underscores a major issue in law-enforcement and the relationship of police with the public. Keep in mind, this was an officer chosen to speak to the public, not a random conversation overheard at a private function, taken out of