Background

In Canada, many of the programs that respond to violent crime focus on women's experiences of victimization. These programs are vital and often struggle to keep up with the demand for services. At the same time, the self-reported rate of violent victimization for men in Canada is 59 per 1000 (Cotter, 2021). When men seek help in the aftermath of violence, they report specific barriers, including a lack of understanding of men's experiences of victimization (Ellis et al., 2020); difficulty finding services available to men (Gagier et al. 2017), and in areas where these services do exist, significant wait times due to limited availability (Gagnier et al., 2017). Social norms and stereotypes about men and masculinity, strength, and power can also inhibit a survivor’s comfort with disclosing their victimization (Gaginer et al., 2017). However, when support services are available for male survivors, they are demonstrably beneficial. For example, male survivors of sexual violence identified peer support, individual therapy, and validation as the helpful aspects of treatment (Ellis et al., 2020), with peer connection frequently being cited as the most helpful (Ellis et al., 2020).

Online Conference

This online conference will explore diverse perspectives on men, masculinities, and victimization, identifying needs that arise for men because of violence as well as helpful interventions. This three-hour event will include a panel discussion with professionals who research or provide direct service to male survivors of different types of violence including impaired driving, intimate partner violence, gun violence, and the experiences of fathers and boys in armed conflict and resettlement. Following the discussion, there will be a training session offering clinical perspectives supporting male survivors of child sexual abuse. We hope this conference will contribute to safe spaces for men and boys to heal.

AGENDA

1:00 pm: Opening Remarks

1:10 pm: Panel Discussion: Diverse perspectives on men, masculinities, and victimization

Facilitator: Dr. Benjamin Roebuck, Professor of Victimology at Algonquin College and Research Chair with the Victimology Research Centre

Panelists:

• Steve Sullivan: Men's responses to injuries and death following impaired driving collisions
• Dr. Alexandra Lysova: Help-seeking experiences of men and fathers who experience intimate partner violence (IPV)
• Dr. Tanya Sharpe: Young black men and the social determinants of homicide
• Ayoub Cherkaoui: Men and boys' experiences in armed conflict and resettlement

2:30 pm: Break

2:45 pm: Training: Clinical Perspectives on Supporting Male Survivors of Childhood Trauma

• Rick Goodwin, MSW RSW, Founder and Clinical Director of Men & Healing

3:45 pm: Closing Remarks