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Trends in police-reported serious assaults

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2008 

Serious assaults, as well as assaults against peace officers, have increased by more than 20% during the past decade. They are among the few police-reported violent crimes on the rise in Canada.

In 2008, police reported about 3,500 aggravated assaults and 54,000 assaults with a weapon or assaults causing bodily harm.

In addition, police reported almost 10,000 assaults against peace officers in 2008. Almost 70% of these occurred in conjunction with at least one other offence, most commonly obstruction of a peace officer, level 1 assault and uttering threats. The large majority of these assaults were committed without a weapon.

Increase in assaults seen across the country

The increase in serious assaults over the past 10 years occurred in virtually every province and territory. Some of the largest increases were reported in Nova Scotia, although rates in the province for these offences are similar to the national average.

Ontario reported a much smaller increase than other provinces between 1998 and 2008. The rate for aggravated assaults was up 6%, while that for assaults with a weapon or assaults causing bodily harm rose 2%.

Among the provinces, the highest rates for serious assaults and assaults against peace officers occurred in Saskatchewan, while the lowest were in Prince Edward Island, similar to overall violent crime.

Spouses, acquaintances and strangers each account for about one-third of serious assaults

There are three primary situations in which serious assaults occur, each accounting for about one-third of all serious assaults: incidents of family violence, disputes between acquaintances and disputes between strangers.

Note to readers

This release is based on an article in Juristat that analyzes data on three types of serious assault reported to, and substantiated by, Canadian police services between 1983 and 2008. The analysis focuses on the decade from 1998 to 2008, due to recent rising trends.

The three types of assault are: aggravated assault, referred to as level 3 assault, in which a victim is wounded, maimed, disfigured or whose life is endangered; assault with a weapon or assault causing bodily harm, both referred to as level 2 assault; and, assault against peace officers, which includes police, correctional officers and some court officials.

Most assaults are classified by police as level 1 assault (common assault), in which little or no physical harm is caused to victims. This report does not analyze these assaults.

Data are from the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, beginning in 1983, when major changes were made to the Criminal Code definitions of assault that affected the comparability of data prior to this time.

Females were most often seriously assaulted by a family member, usually a spouse, whereas males were most often assaulted by an acquaintance or a stranger.

Increases in serious assaults greatest for youth

In 2008, youth aged 12 to 17 accounted for 20% of all persons accused of committing serious assaults, slightly lower than the proportion of youth for all violent crimes. However, the growth in the rate of youth committing serious assaults was much higher than that for adults.

The 28% increase in the rate of youth committing aggravated assaults or assaults with a weapon or assaults causing bodily harm was more than double the 12% growth for adults over the past 10 years.

With respect to assaults against peace officers, the difference was even greater. The increase among youth was 52%, compared with 7% for adults.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 3302.

The Juristat article "Trends in police-reported serious assaults," Vol. 29, no. 4 (85-002-X, free), is now available. From the Publications module of our website, under All subjects, choose Crime and Justice, then Juristat.

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

Table 1

Police-reported serious assaults, by province and territory
  2008 1998 to 2008 2008 1998 to 2008
  Aggravated assault Assault with a weapon or causing bodily harm
  number rate per 100,000 population % change in rate number rate per 100,000 population % change in rate
Newfoundland and Labrador 29 5.7 62.3 713 140.4 54.7
Prince Edward Island 2 1.4 ... 105 75.1 56.9
Nova Scotia 87 9.3 41.6 1,498 159.6 110.7
New Brunswick 59 7.9 69.3 1,059 141.7 59.0
Quebec 245 3.2 -37.7 11,259 145.3 67.4
Ontario 1,290 10.0 6.1 14,762 114.2 1.5
Manitoba 324 26.8 46.7 3,976 329.2 23.3
Saskatchewan 357 35.1 70.3 3,921 385.9 61.4
Alberta 659 18.4 46.0 6,914 192.9 43.5
British Columbia 433 9.9 59.4 9,104 207.8 26.6
Yukon 12 36.2 2.5 158 476.7 78.9
Northwest Territories1 24 55.4 -9.8 413 954.2 167.5
Nunavut1 33 104.9 369.1 369 1,173.4 249.7
Canada 3,554 10.7 22.6 54,251 162.9 31.7
not applicable
The percent change is calculated from 1999 to 2008 as Nunavut was part of the Northwest Territories before 1999.

Table 2

Police-reported assaults against peace officers, by province and territory
  2008 1998 to 2008
  Assault against peace officers
  number rate per 100,000 population % change in rate
Newfoundland and Labrador 103 20.3 92.1
Prince Edward Island 13 9.3 -25.7
Nova Scotia 362 38.6 168.3
New Brunswick 259 34.7 15.1
Quebec 2,753 35.5 23.6
Ontario 2,834 21.9 23.7
Manitoba 439 36.3 35.1
Saskatchewan 532 52.4 66.0
Alberta 1,166 32.5 33.0
British Columbia 1,102 25.2 17.6
Yukon 23 69.4 35.1
Northwest Territories1 60 138.6 101.3
Nunavut1 53 168.5 73.9
Canada 9,699 29.1 28.7
The percent change is calculated from 1999 to 2008 as Nunavut was part of the Northwest Territories before 1999.