Family violence: Impacts and consequences of spousal violence

Many aspects of people's lives are affected by spousal violence, according to the newest profile of family violence in Canada. Beyond the physical and emotional consequences for the individuals directly affected, spousal violence also impacts the medical, social and criminal justice systems.

According to data from the 1999 General Social Survey on Victimization (GSS), 8% of women and 7% of men with a current or former partner in the reference period from 1994 to 1999 reported experiencing at least one incident of spousal violence. Although men reported being the victim of a significant amount of spousal violence, the data indicate that the nature and consequences of violence were more severe for women. Women in violent unions were more than twice as likely as men to report having been beaten and five times more likely to say they had been choked.

Among all victims of spousal violence, 28% reported either a physical or mental condition or problem that affected their daily activities. This compares with 21% of the population who were not victims.

The effects of spousal violence, in terms of supplying and maintaining medical services, counselling and shelter services, as well as criminal justice services, are greater for female victims than for male victims. Female victims in the reference period from 1994 to 1999 were three times more likely than male victims to have taken time off from daily activities as a result of the violence and five times more likely to have received medical attention and to have been hospitalized.

About 48% of women and 17% of men abused by a marital partner used a social service; 37% of women and 15% of men reported the spousal violence to the police. Lower reporting rates by men may reflect the less severe nature of the violent incidents experienced by men and the fact that social services for male victims may not be as widely available.

The fifth annual Family violence in Canada report analyses data on the impact and consequences of spousal violence from the 1999 GSS. Its findings are largely consistent with a variety of other studies. Among other things, these studies show that spousal violence has been associated with a range of symptoms such as increased fears, sleeping disorders and anxiety and depression.

More frequent emotional consequences of spousal violence for women

According to the 1999 GSS, the most commonly reported emotional consequence for both male and female victims of spousal violence was being upset, confused and frustrated. Anger and hurt or disappointment were also frequently cited.

Women were more fearful than men as a result of the violence. They were also more likely to state that they experienced sleeping problems, depression or anxiety attacks and were almost four times more likely to report reduced self-esteem (23% versus 6%).

Female victims of spousal violence were twice as likely as men to have used medication during the month preceding the survey interview to help them sleep, to calm down and to help get them out of depression. Among women, 39% of victims had problems going to sleep or staying asleep, compared with 29% for men.

Violence against children and youth

According to police-reported statistics, children aged five and under were more than twice as likely to be physically assaulted by a family member than by someone who was not a member of their family. The reverse is true for children aged six and older, who were more likely to be physically assaulted by non-family members than family members.

In 2000, parents were the most likely perpetrators in assaults against children and youth within families. Parents were the accused for 67% of child victims of physical assault and 39% of child victims of sexual assault reported to the police.

According to police-reported data, 59% of child and youth victims in 2000 suffered minor physical injury due to physical assaults by family members. About 2% had a major physical injury, and the remaining victims had no visible injuries.

Older adults at lowest risk of being a victim of violent crime

According to police-reported statistics in 2000, older adults had the lowest risk of being a victim of violent crime, compared with other age groups. The rate of adults aged 65 and over reporting violent crime was 2.5 times lower than that of those aged 55 to 64 years, the next lowest rate. Older adults were twice as likely to be victimized by non-family members - the largest proportion of whom were strangers - than by family members.

In cases where family members were the accused, 43% of older men were victimized by their adult children, while older women were almost as likely to be victimized by their spouses as by their adult children.

Older adults who are victims of family violence may be more vulnerable to complications resulting from physical violence, since physical injuries may worsen pre-existing health problems or inhibit an older person's ability to function independently. In 2000, according to police statistics, 37% of older victims suffered minor injuries and 2% suffered major physical injuries or death from violent crimes committed by family members; 52% of older adult victims suffered no physical injuries.

Decline in rate of family homicides during past three decades

Since 1974, there has been a decline in the overall rate of family homicides recorded in Canada and in family homicides as a percentage of total homicides.

Nearly 2,600 spousal homicides (which includes legally married, common-law, divorced and separated spouses) have been recorded in Canada since 1974, the majority of which (77%) have been against women.

While spousal homicide rates for both women and men have fluctuated over the past two decades, they have generally declined. Since 1974, the homicide rate for women decreased 62%, while the homicide rate for men dropped more than half (-55%).

In 2000, family members killed a total of 10 adults aged 65 and over, representing about one-quarter of all senior homicides in Canada. From 1997 to 2000, 43% of persons accused of committing homicide against an older family member had a history of family violence with that victim. These homicide victims were equally likely to be women or men.

In 2000, 55 children and youth were victims of homicide. Of these, 31 were killed by family members, the lowest number and rate in 27 years.

Juristat: National trends in intimate partner homicides, 1974-2000, available today, presents more detailed analysis than is covered in Family violence in Canada. It examines spousal homicide trends from 1974 to 2000, as well as trends in other intimate partner homicides (e.g., boyfriends and girlfriends) from 1991 to 2000.

The 2002 edition of Family violence in Canada: A statistical profile (85-224-XIE, free) is now available on Statistics Canada's Web site (). From the Our products and services page, choose Free publications, then Justice. A hard copy is also available from the National Clearinghouse on Family Violence (1-800-267-1291; 613-957-2938). Also available is Juristat: National trends in intimate partner homicides, 1974-2000, Vol. 22, no. 5 (85-002-XIE, $8/$70; 85-002-XPE, $10/$93).

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of these releases, contact Information and Client Services (1-800-387-2231; 613-951-9023), Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics.