Background
Over the past fifty years, Canadians have been exposed to several mass victimization events. As a result, multiple resources have been developed to prevent and respond to such events. In addition, a limited body of research explores the impact of firearms legislation on mass victimization events. To date, however, there is no one document that summarizes the literature on mass victimization events in Canada.
To address this research gap, the Trauma and Recovery Research Unit at McMaster University was contracted to conduct a two-phased research project to gain an understanding of the different responses to mass victimization events in Canada that have occurred in the last 50 years. This research project has focused primarily on 1) response to victims when such events occur; and 2) prevention efforts aimed at reducing the likelihood of occurrence of such incidents. As set out in the Request for Proposal, we attempt to answer the following questions:
- Since the start of the 21st century, which mass victimization events have had inquiries/investigations/follow-up after the event to review how the response unfolded and to learn from what happened?
- What have we learned from these events and these post-event inquiries?
- What have been the primary learning tools in the aftermath of mass victimization events in Canada?
- With the characteristics of these events so different, what similarities run through them and the learnings?
- Ultimately, what can we take away as key priorities for decision-makers in the coming years?
In Phase 1 of the project, we conducted a rapid online literature review in which we identified existing academic and grey literature concerning such mass victimization events in Canada, as well as published works concerning subsequent inquiries related to these events.
In Phase 2, we carefully reviewed and analyzed the literature identified in our Phase 1 search. This review was conducted to identify any similar themes and/or differences between the following variables:
- Type of mass victimization event
- Sex and gender
- Cultural and ethnic identity
- Religion
- Sexual orientation
- Indigenous identity
- Age
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