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Status of Women Canada

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Women in Canada at a Glance Statistical Highlights

Women and the Criminal Justice System

  • In 2009, approximately 7.4 million people living in the 10 provinces, or just over one-quarter of the population aged 15 years and older, self-reported being a victim of crime. About 1.6 million violent crimes involved a female victim and 1.7 million involved a male victim. Women were most likely to report being a victim of physical assault, followed by sexual assault and robbery.
  • According to police-reported data, women make up the majority of victims of sexual assault and "other sexual violations" (87% and 80%, respectively).
  • Women are most likely to be victimized by someone they know. Current or former spouses and other intimate partners perpetrated about 41% of the violent assaults against women reported to police. Other family members and acquaintances accounted for another 42% of perpetrators.
  • Often people do not disclose victimization experiences to formal authorities. Among female victims of self-reported violent crime, only one-third reported to the police.
  • Overall rates of self-reported spousal violence have declined over the past decade, from 7.4% in 1999 to 6.2% in 2009.
  • Over the past 30 years, rates of homicide involving female victims have dropped substantially. Much of this decline may be related to a decrease in spousal homicides. In 2009, rates of spousal homicide in which a female was the victim were one-third of the 1979 rates.
  • However, despite these marked improvements, in 2009 women were almost three times more likely than men to be killed by a spouse.
  • Looking at cases where females are charged with an offence, the types of offences for which they had the highest involvement were similar for adults and youth. In 2008/2009, most cases against adult woman involved property offences (32%), crimes against the person (22%) and administration of justice offences (20%). Of all completed youth cases involving a female accused, property crimes and crimes against the person were the most common offences (40% and 28%, respectively).
  • Female inmates are on average younger, more likely to be single, less likely to have graduated from high school, and more likely to be unemployed than other women. In 2009, more than half of the women in provincial institutions (56%) and in federal custody (53%) were between 18 and 35 years of age.
  • The representation of Aboriginal people in custody has steadily increased. In 2008/2009, 35% of women and 23% of men admitted to jail were Aboriginal, while 2006 Census data show that Aboriginal men and women make up about 3% of all adult Canadians.
Severity of spousal violence reported by female and male victims, 2009
Spousal violence Female victim† Male victim
thousands percentage thousands percentage
† reference group
* statistically significant difference from the reference group at p < 0.05
E use with caution
F too unreliable to be published
1. Includes legally married, common-law, and same-sex spouses.
Notes: Values may not add up to totals due to rounding. Excludes data from the Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunvavut.
Source: Statistics Canada, General Social Survey, 2009.
Total spousal1 violence 601 100.0 585 100.0
Most serious type of violence
Threat, threw something 91 15.0 122 21.0
Pushed, shoved, slapped 223 37.0 188 32.0
Kicked, bit, hit, hit with something 81 13.0 209 36.0*
Sexually assaulted, beaten, choked, threatened with a gun or knife 203 34.0 59 10.0E*
% injured
Physical injury 253 42.0 103 18.0*
No physical injury 347 58.0 479 82.0*
Not stated/Don't know F F F F
% receiving medical attention
Received medical attention 46 8.0E F F
Did not receive medical attention 207 34.0 88 15.0*
No physical injury 348 58.0 483 82.0*
Not stated/Don't know F F F F
% fearing for their lives
Feared for their life 195 33.0 31 5.0E*
Did not fear for their life 403 67.0 550 94.0*
Not stated/Don't know F F F F
Number of incidents
One incident 258 43.0 353 60.0*
2 to 5 incidents 145 24.0 134 23.0
6 to 10 incidents 55 9.0E 30 5.0E
11 or more 118 20.0 42 7.0E*
Don't know/not stated 24 4.0E 27 5.0E
Total spousal violence 601 100 585 100.0

For additional information, consult the "Women and the Criminal Justice System" chapter in Women in Canada: A Gender-based Statistical Report, 6th edition, or go to http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/89-503-x/2010001/article/11416-eng.htm.

Female victims of violent crime, by relationship of the accused to the victim, 2009
Type of violent crime Current/former spouse5 Intimate relationship6 Other family7 Acquaintance8 Stranger Total
number % number % number % number % number % number %
1. Other sexual violations primarily include sexual offences against children as well as other sexual offences involving adults.
2. Includes assaults against peace officers, unlawfully causing bodily harm, criminal negligence causing bodily harm, and other assaults.
3. Includes forcible confinement, kidnapping; abduction under 14, not parent/guardian; abduction under 16; removal of children from Canada; abduction under 14 contravening a custody order; abduction under 14, by parent/guardian.
4. Includes firearm violations. Excludes other sexual violations involving adults.
5. Includes common-law relationships.
6. Includes current and former dating relationships as well as "other intimate relationships" such as extra-marital lovers. In some cases, the victim and the accused were living together at the time of the offence.
7. Includes siblings and all others related by blood, marriage (including common-law), adoption or foster care.
8. Includes friends, neighbours, authority figures, business relationships as well as criminal relationships (such as prostitutes, drug dealers and their clients).
Notes: One incident may involve multiple violations. Counts are based upon the most serious violation against the victim. Incidents where the relationship of the accused to the victim is unknown were excluded.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Uniform Crime Reporting Incident-Based Survey, 2009.
Homicide 49 38.3 17 13.3 31 24.2 17 13.3 14 10.9 128 100.0
Attempted murder 44 28.4 33 21.3 27 17.4 33 21.3 18 11.6 155 100.0
Other violations causing death 6 21.4 0 0.0 1 3.6 9 32.1 12 42.9 28 100.0
Sexual assaults - all levels 764 4.9 1,178 7.6 3,677 23.8 7,040 45.5 2,818 18.2 15,477 100.0
Other sexual violations1 8 0.3 127 5.2 938 38.7 919 37.9 433 17.9 2,425 100.0
Assault - level 3 - aggravated 187 24.7 214 28.3 110 14.5 167 22.1 79 10.4 757 100.0
Assault - level 2 - weapon or bodily harm 4,075 25.1 3,421 21.1 2,498 15.4 3,852 23.7 2,376 14.6 16,222 100.0
Assault - level 1 - common assault 23,655 27.7 21,746 25.4 13,441 15.7 19,204 22.5 7,459 8.7 85,505 100.0
Other assaults2 127 5.9 174 8.1 79 3.7 523 24.4 1,238 57.8 2,141 100.0
Forcible confinement, kidnapping or abduction3 1,058 30.0 1,273 36.1 282 8.0 423 12.0 495 14.0 3,531 100.0
Robbery 102 1.4 125 1.7 74 1.0 637 8.6 6,483 87.4 7,421 100.0
Extortion 29 7.7 40 10.6 27 7.2 143 37.9 138 36.6 377 100.0
Criminal harassment 2,723 22.2 3,552 29.0 600 4.9 4,075 33.3 1,302 10.6 12,252 100.0
Threatening or harassing phone calls 834 9.2 1,936 21.5 596 6.6 3,213 35.6 2,445 27.1 9,024 100.0
Uttering threats 3,912 16.3 3,288 13.7 3,354 13.9 10,284 42.7 3,222 13.4 24,060 100.0
Other violent Criminal Code violations4 114 11.6 72 7.3 143 14.6 366 37.3 285 29.1 980 100.0
Total 37,687 20.9 37,196 20.6 25,878 14.3 50,905 28.2 28,817 16.0 180,483 100.0

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Date Modified:
2013-01-11