<p>Cohabiting with a partner, rather than living in a legal marriage, has been documented as a significant risk factor for intimate partner homicide. This study used national U.S. homicide data from 1990-2005 to examine changes in risk patterns. The results showed that both male and female cohabiting victims experienced a steep decline in intimate partner homicide rates. Such was the strength of this decline that by 2005 cohabiting couples were no longer at higher risk than married couples. A similar, though weaker, trend was found in Canada between 1991 and 2006. It was hypothesised that this convergence of cohabiting and married homicide rates was due to cohabiting and married populations becoming more similar in terms of socio-demographic variables. Contrary to expectation, over time, the U.S. and Canadian cohabiting populations remained younger, poorer, less educated, and less conventional, than their married counterparts. This suggests that demographic changes were not responsible for the decline in cohabiting homicide rates. Further research is required to determine whether changes in union characteristics may have driven the decline in cohabiting homicide risk.</p> / Master of Science (MSc)

Actuellement, la violence conjugale demeure un phénomène social grave et complexe au sein de nos sociétés contemporaines. Au Canada, le taux de violence perpétrée par un partenaire intime ne cesse d’augmenter depuis plusieurs années et la récente pandémie de COVID-19 survenue en 2020 a aggravé les épisodes de tension au sein des foyers, notamment en raison des mesures sanitaires restrictives. Plus que jamais, la protection des victimes de violence conjugale devient critique, et c’est pourquoi il est essentiel que toutes les mesures de prévention disponibles doivent être mises en œuvre dans ce but commun. Ce mémoire propose donc d’explorer les enjeux relatifs à l’implantation de bracelets antirapprochements (BAR) comme moyen de prévention des homicides conjugaux au Québec. Sur la base d’entretiens semi-directifs, l’échantillon est composé d’un total de 14 participants, dont 6 proviennent d’organismes policiers, 3 proviennent d’organismes impliqués dans la gestion des personnes contrevenantes, 3 sont issus d’organismes impliqués dans les missions d’aide aux victimes et 2 sont issus d’organismes associés à la défense des droits de la personne. L’analyse des données recueillies met en évidence quatre types d’enjeux relatifs à l’implantation de BAR en contexte de violence conjugale au Québec, à savoir les enjeux technologiques, légaux, éthiques et sociaux. Ces derniers devront faire l’objet d’une analyse approfondie par les décideurs advenant l’implantation du BAR au Québec. Cela étant, le BAR s’inscrit comme un outil de prévention tertiaire innovant et prometteur des homicides conjugaux, et relève d’un grand potentiel quant à l’amélioration de la qualité de vie des victimes. / Currently, intimate partner violence remains a serious and complex social phenomenon within our contemporary societies. In Canada, the rate of violence perpetrated by an intimate partner has been steadily increasing for several years and the recent pandemic of COVID-19 which occurred in 2020 has aggravated episodes of tension within homes, due to restrictive health measures among others. More than ever, the protection of victims of intimate partner violence becomes critical, and that is why it is essential that all available prevention measures must be implemented for this common purpose. This thesis therefore proposes to explore the issues relating to the implantation of anti-reconciliation bracelets (BAR) as a means of preventing spousal homicides in Quebec. Based on semi-structured interviews, the sample is made up of a total of 14 participants, including 6 from police organizations, 3 from organizations involved in the management of offenders, 3 from organizations involved in victim assistance missions and 2 are from organizations associated with the defense of human rights. The analysis of the data collected highlights four types of issues relating to the implementation of BAR in the context of intimate partner violence in Quebec, namely technological, legal, ethical and social issues. These will have to be the subject of an in-depth analysis by the decision-makers in the event of the establishment of the BAR in Quebec. That said, the BAR is an innovative and promising tertiary prevention tool for spousal homicides and has great potential for improving the quality of life of victims.