Violence and Health Research

The Violence & Health Research Program at WCRI aims to be an international leader in health-based research about violence against women. The Violence and Health program focuses on the impact of violence on women's health and the health system's response to women's needs. Researchers embrace a multidisciplinary view of health, encompassing psychosocial, biological, and environmental determinants.

Researchers in the Violence and Health program include Dr. Janice Du Mont and Dr. Robin Mason. Dr. Du Mont frequently collaborates with clinicians from the Ontario Network of Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Care & Treatment Centres (SATCs) and its provincial coordinator Sheila Macdonald. These studies explore best practices in sexual assault care and are designed to improve care across the province. Please use these links for more information about the Violence and Health Research Program:

Violence and Health Program: Objectives and Values
Violence and Health Program: Research Themes
Toronto/Costa Rica Violence Prevention Project
HIV Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Program
Research Education and Action to Create Health and Hope for survivors of violence (a partnership with health care providers at Women's College Hospital)

Using Medical Evidence in Sexual Assault Cases: A Global Review
Around the world, evidence for criminal sexual assault proceedings is increasingly collected in hospital-like settings through medical forensic examination of a victim. Many different protocols and professional groups are involved in this medico-legal response to rape. However, there has been little evaluation of which procedures contribute most to successful prosecution, and there has been concern regarding the demands of forensic work on behalf of the court in relation to the health care needs of women who experience these post-sexual assault examinations. WCRI Research Scientist Janice Du Mont and her colleague Deborah White were commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO) on behalf of the Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) to look at what we know and what we need to know to create sound policy with regard to using medico-legal evidence in sexual assault cases. They were asked particularly to consider the needs of middle- and low-resource countries.
Their report is available on the SVRI website.

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