Course Overview
The Intimate Partner Violence: Comprehensive Training for Law Enforcement course provides officers with a foundational knowledge of intimate partner violence (IPV), including its forms, underlying dynamics, and the risks associated with coercive control. The course examines legal mandates, investigative boundaries, and officer responsibilities within the Canadian context, while addressing common myths and systemic barriers that may impact responses.
Participants will explore trauma-informed principles, victimology concepts, and the importance of building trust with survivors while maintaining professional authority. The course highlights key indicators of escalating risk, including stalking, strangulation, and threats of lethality, and introduces considerations related to technological abuse and digital evidence.
The course also outlines appropriate responses to domestic conflicts, emphasizing immediate safety, cultural competency, and collaboration with community partners and victim services. Officers will gain an understanding of relevant Criminal Code principles, protection order enforcement, and ethical responsibilities, while recognizing the importance of accountability and personal wellness in IPV investigations.
When you have completed this course, you will be able to:
- Describe the scope of the IPV response, including legal mandates, investigative boundaries, and officer responsibilities.
- Explain the principles of building trust with survivors and witnesses while maintaining professional authority.
- Summarize trauma-informed practices and key victimology concepts relevant to IPV responses.
- Recognize appropriate responses to domestic conflicts and high-risk situations that prioritize immediate safety.
- Describe the role of cultural competency and equity awareness in addressing diverse community needs and systemic barriers.
- Explain relevant Canadian laws and Criminal Code principles used to support offender accountability and enforce protection orders.
- Identify high-risk indicators of lethality, including stalking, strangulation, and threats of femicide.
- Describe forms of technological abuse and considerations for digital evidence in coercive control contexts.
- Explain the role of community partners and victim services in supporting long-term safety planning and survivor well-being.
- Outline the standards of ethics, accountability, and personal wellness in IPV investigations.
Target Audience
Sworn Police, Police Services, Student, Government and Other First Responders, Private Security
Content Provider
This course was developed by the Canadian Addiction Counsellors Certification Federation (CACCF).
