Before and after #MeToo: A look at police-reported sexual assaults in Canada

Warning View the most recent version.

Archived Content

Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please "contact us" to request a format other than those available.

Release date: November 8, 2018
Infographic: Before and after #MeToo: A look at police-reported sexual assaults in Canada
Description: Before and after #MeToo: A look at police-reported sexual assaults in Canada
Police-reported sexual assaults peaked after #MeToo
Date reported to police Number of victims
January 2016 1,643
February 2016 1,571
March 2016 1,639
April 2016 1,758
May 2016 1,848
June 2016 1,924
July 2016 1,872
August 2016 1,921
September 2016 1,768
October 2016 1,693
November 2016 1,807
December 2016 1,412
January 2017 1,584
February 2017 1,556
March 2017 1,883
April 2017 1,881
May 2017 2,147
June 2017 2,160
July 2017 2,008
August 2017 1,933
September 2017 1,916
October 2017Footnote 1. 2,469
November 2017Footnote 1. 2,358
December 2017Footnote 1. 1,939

9 in 10 victims were female

Average daily number of police-reported sexual assaults:

  • Before #MeToo: 59
  • After #MeToo: 74

Increases after #MeToo (Percentages reflect the increase in victims reported per average quarter):

  • Female victims under 25: 27%
  • Perpetrators aged 12 to 17: 25%
  • Victims who had a business relationship with perpetrator: 65%
  • On school grounds (Mostly elementary and high schools) (Percent increase between the last quarter [Oct-Dec] of 2016 and 2017): 59%

Change in rate after #MeToo by province

Police-reported sexual assaults (Percent change in rate per 100,000 population)
Geography Percentage
Canada +24%
British Columbia +16%
Alberta +7%
Saskatchewan +1%
Manitoba +27%
Ontario +19%
Quebec +61%
New Brunswick +9%
Nova Scotia +15%
Prince Edward Island +3%
Newfoundland and Labrador +36%
Yukon -18%
Northwest Territories -10%
Nunavut +8%

For more information, see the full Juristat article: Police-reported sexual assaults in Canada before and after #MeToo, 2016 and 2017.

Source : Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey.

Date modified: