Victim Services Survey

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In 2009/2010, 911 programs or organizations provided a wide range of services to victims of crime in Canada. In addition, there were nine provincial criminal injuries compensation programs in operation that year, four of which were administered in conjunction with other service providers.

Between April 1, 2009, and March 31, 2010, these service providers helped more than 410,000 victims. Of the clients, three-quarters were women and the vast majority of them (88%) were over 18 years of age.

Service providers were asked for information on the characteristics of victims seeking services on a specific snapshot day, May 27, 2010. On this day, almost 9,500 victims were served by 711 agencies. The majority (81%) of victims who sought assistance were victims of a violent crime. Other clients obtained assistance as a result of an experience with a non-violent crime (9%), such as a break and enter or a motor vehicle theft, or in response to non-criminal matters (7%), which consist of other traumatic events such as natural disasters, suicides and drowning.

In 2009/2010, the nine provincial compensation programs, together with financial benefits programs available through other victim service providers, awarded more than $137 million (correction) to victims of crime.

Victim service providers employed the equivalent of about 1,950 full-time employees in 2009/2010. In addition, three-quarters of service providers relied on the assistance of over 8,500 volunteers.

Note: Data are collected through the Victim Services Survey, which is funded by the Department of Justice Canada's Policy Centre for Victim Issues and has been conducted every two years since 2003/2004. The survey was developed in consultation with federal, provincial and territorial ministries responsible for justice and victim services, as well as a number of victim service providers from across Canada. Its objective is to provide a profile of victim service providers, information on the types of services offered and an overview of the clients who use them through a snapshot of clients on a given day. In addition, the survey collects standardized information from criminal injuries compensation and other financial benefit programs regarding applications for compensation and awards to victims of crime.

Available without charge in CANSIM: tables 256-0018 to 256-0021.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 5035.

The Juristat article "Victim services in Canada, 2009/2010" (85-002-X, free), is now available. From the Key resource module of our website under Publications, choose All subjects, then Crime and justice, and Juristat.

Also available is the biennial report Victim Services in Canada: National, Provincial and Territorial Fact Sheets, 2009/2010 (85-003-X, free). From the Key resource module of our website under Publications, choose All subjects, then Crime and Justice.

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Statistics Canada's National Contact Centre (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 613-951-8116; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or the Media Hotline (613-951-4636), Communications Division.