New
Snapshot of Family Violence
...
Accounts for 25% of all violent crimes reported to Canadian police
... 85% were women
... two-third
of perpetrators were spouses or ex-spouses
Family violence now accounts for one-quarter of all violent crimes reported to Canadian police services, according to new data from Statistics Canada.
The vast majority of victims (85%) were women, and two-thirds of perpetrators were spouses or ex-spouses.
The majority of spousal incidents involved physical force, but incidents of verbal threats, harassment or stalking are also common. Compared to male victims, women are more likely to be victims of physical or sexual assault and stalking. Police laid charges in 80% of cases involving spousal violence, with common assault being the most frequently utilized charge.
Between 1992 and 2002 the number of shelters in Canada for abused women and their children increased from 376 to 524. They now exist in all provinces and territories. More than 100,000 women and children were admitted to shelters during the year ending on March 31, 2002. Most children were under 10 years of age.
A one-day snapshot survey taken on April 15, 2002 found 3,287 women and 2,999 children living in shelters. On the same day, shelters referred 295 women and 257 children elsewhere, mainly because they were full.
Young people (aged 18 to 24) were most at risk from violent crime. They were 14 times more likely to be victims than those 65 and over (the age group least likely to experience violence). Older women were only slightly more at risk than older men. But men were the perpetrators in 82% of cases. Older women were equally likely to be the victims of children as spouses. Older men, however, were far more likely to be victimized by children than spouses.
For more information
please visit:
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/030623/d030623c.htm
Source:
Government Relations - An Information Bulletin for United Ways of Ontario;
issue dd August 12, 2003
Return to DAWN Ontario index page
Page last updated August 13, 2003