Victimization and offending among the Aboriginal population in Canada - ARCHIVED

Using data from victimization, police and corrections surveys, this report provides a statistical portrait of the extent and nature of victimization and offending among Aboriginal people in Canada during the past few years.

The report finds that Aboriginal people are much more likely than non-Aboriginal people to be victims of violent crime and spousal violence. Aboriginal people are also highly overrepresented as offenders charged in police-reported homicide incidents and those admitted into the correctional system. Furthermore, crime rates are notably higher on-reserve compared to crime rates in the rest of Canada.

The report also examines particular factors which could be related to the high levels of representation in the criminal justice system. These factors include: Aboriginal people are younger on average; their unemployment rates are higher and incomes lower; they have lower levels of educational attainment; they are more likely to live in crowded conditions; they have higher residential mobility; and Aboriginal children are more likely to be members of a lone-parent family.

Information on Aboriginal peoples fear of crime and their perceptions of the justice system as well as their experiences with discrimination are presented, along with a description of some of the programs and services that have been developed as a response to the specialized needs of Aboriginal people in the criminal justice system.