Some stats about violence against women

  • 51% of all Canadian women have experienced at least one incident of sexual or physical violence. Close to 60% of these women have survived more than one incident of violence. (Statistics Canada, 1993, “Violence Against Women Survey”, The Daily, 18 November, p. 1, 3)
  • 40% of women in Canada have been sexually assaulted. (Dangerous Domains: Violence Against Women in Canada, Holly Johnson, Nelson Canada, 1996)
  • Victimization surveys show that less than 8% of women who are sexually assaulted report the assault to the police. (Assessing Violence Against Women: A Statistical Profile, Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women, 2002)
  • In cases reported to police, 80% of sexual assault survivors knew their assailant. Of them, 10% were assaulted by a friend; 41% by an acquaintance; 28% by a family member and 20% by a stranger. (The Daily July 23 2003, Statistics Canada)
  • Domestic violence is the most common cause of nonfatal injury to women in North America. (The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (American). 2008;90:1590-1597. doi:10.2106/JBJS.G.01188 http://www.ejbjs.org/cgi/content/abstract/90/7/1590)
  • Children who witness violence in their home have been found to have short and long term behaviour problems such as aggression and emotional problems such as anxiety. — Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile, Statistics Canada, 2001
  • 1 in 3 females and 1 in 6 males in Canada experience some form of sexual abuse before the age of 18. — Child Sexual Abuse Statistics, compiled by the National Advisory Council of Women, quoted by University of Victoria’s Sexual Assault Centre
  • 80% of all child abusers are the father, foster father, stepfather or another relative or close family friend of the victim. — Child Sexual Abuse Statistics, compiled by the National Advisory Council of Women, quoted by University of Victoria’s Sexual Assault Centre
  • In cases reported to police, 80% of sexual assault survivors knew their assailant. Of them, 10% were assaulted by a friend; 41% by an acquaintance; 28% by a family member and 20% by a stranger. — Statistics Canada, The Daily, July 23 2003
  • Almost 40% of women assaulted by spouses said their children witnessed the violence against them (either directly or indirectly) and in many cases the violence was severe. — Measuring Violence Against Women: Statistical Trends 2006, Statistics Canada
  • Children who are exposed to physical violence in their homes are more than twice as likely to be physically aggressive as those who have not. — *McCreary Centre Society. Healthy Connections: Listening to BC Youth, 1999, p. 17.
  • Children who are exposed to physical violence in their homes are more likely to commit delinquent acts against property. — *McCreary Centre Society. Healthy Connections: Listening to BC Youth, 1999, p. 17.
  • 80% of prostitutes and juvenile delinquents were sexually abused as children. — Child Sexual Abuse Statistics, compiled by the National Advisory Council of Women, quoted by University of Victoria’s Sexual Assault Centre
  • 61000 seniors in British Columbia experience abuse – this is one in twelve or 8% of seniors in British Columbia. — BC Centre for Elder Advocacy and Support, “Fact Sheets on Abuse of Older Adults”, found online March 2010 at www.bcceas.ca