Publications

Victim services in Canada: National, provincial and territorial fact sheets, 2009/2010

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.

Archived

This page has been archived on the Web.

In Canada, there are a variety of government-funded agencies whose mandate is to provide assistance to both primary and secondary victims of crime. A primary victim of crime is a person who is the direct victim of a criminal offence, while a secondary victim of crime is a person who has suffered harm or loss as a result of an incident perpetrated against another person, for example, the spouse of a homicide victim.

Information on the types of programs offered by victim service providers as well as those who utilize these services is collected by the Victim Services Survey (VSS). 1  This series of fact sheets presents results from the 2009/2010 cycle of the VSS at the national, provincial and territorial levels. 2 , 3 

All of the provinces and territories have their own models of service delivery for victims of crime and each has passed legislation to assist victims of crime (Department of Justice Canada 2010). Services offered to victims can cover a wide range, from counselling and financial compensation to public education and crisis intervention. As such, any comparisons made between jurisdictions should be interpreted with caution.

It is important to note that two reference periods are used in these fact sheets. Information on the providers themselves, including the types of programs and the services offered, is based upon the fiscal year period from April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010. 4  Information on the victims who utilized these services is based upon a snapshot date of May 27, 2010. Not all victim service providers were able to report complete data. Where this is the case, exclusions are noted. 5 

Text box 1

Types of victim service providers

In 2009/2010, the Victim Services Survey questionnaires were sent to victim service providers and head offices throughout Canada. The term "victim service provider" is used to refer to a wide variety of agencies. Based upon the following definitions, respondents were asked to indicate the type of service that best described their agency or organization.

Police-based provider: Victim services that are offered by a federal, provincial or municipal police service.

Court-based victim/witness assistance program: Programs specifically mandated to provide support services for individuals who have become involved in the court process as either victims or witnesses of crime. They generally provide information, assistance, and referrals with the goal of making the court process less intimidating. Specific types of services provided can include court orientation, preparation and accompaniment, updates on the progress of a case, coordination of meetings with the Crown, and an assessment of children's ability to testify. Programs can be geared toward specific clientele such as children or victims of family violence.

Community-based victim/witness assistance program: Community-based, non-profit organizations that participate in the implementation of a victim and/or witness assistance program. 6 

Sexual assault/rape crisis centre or hospital-based sexual assault treatment centre: Victim service whose mandate is to exclusively serve victims of recent or historical sexual assault or rape. Sexual assault/rape crisis centres will often have 24-hour crisis telephone lines and are community–based, non-profit providers. Hospital-based sexual assault centres consist of a team of nurses and physicians that are on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through the emergency department so that victims of sexual assault can receive specialized medical and emotional care.

System-based provider: A model of service delivery for victims of crime that is independent from police, courts and Crown attorneys and assist victims throughout their contact with the criminal justice system. System-based providers may also serve and assist clients who choose not to involve the criminal justice system. These models of service are found in Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba and Yukon where they are administered by the provincial or territorial government.

Victim Crisis Assistance and Referral Service: Specific to Ontario, programs or victim service providers that work closely with the police and are community-based, non-government services. They provide on-scene and short-term assistance to victims of crime and other traumatic events and make referrals to community services for longer-term assistance.

Fact Sheet – Canada

Profile of victim service providers in 2009/2010

  1. From April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, there were 911 victim service providers operating in Canada. Among the 787 victim service providers in Canada that responded, 38% were police-based, 24% were community-based, 15% were sexual assault centres, 10% were court-based, 7% were Ontario Victim Crisis Assistance and Referral Services, 6% were system-based, and less than 1% of service providers were categorized as other, unspecified types. In addition to these service providers, there were nine provincial criminal injuries compensation programs, four of which were administered in conjunction with other service providers.
  2. The victim service providers in Canada that provided information for 2009/2010 reported that they had assisted close to 410,000 primary and secondary victims of crime. 7 
  3. The types of assistance most often provided directly by victim service providers across Canada in 2009/2010 included: general information (95%), emotional support (93%), liaising with other agencies on behalf of clients (91%) and offering public education and prevention (89%).
  4. In 2009/2010, 4 in 10 victim service providers in Canada indicated that they offered dedicated programs to specific groups of victims. The most frequently reported groups for which dedicated programs were provided included: children and youth (25%), Aboriginal people (23%), female adults (23%), adults in general (22%), persons with mental disabilities (20%) and persons with physical disabilities (19%).
  5. Of the victim service providers in Canada for which information was available in 2009/2010, 12% of providers reported involvement in the delivery or coordination of restorative justice processes for criminal justice matters. In addition, 16% of victim service providers reported offering orientation and information for restorative justice or mediation measures, and 25% offered accompaniment and support for restorative justice or mediation measures.
  6. In addition to being able to serve clients in English (91%) or French (62%), victim service providers in Canada who responded to the survey were able to communicate verbally with clients in other languages such as Spanish (27%), German (21%), Punjabi (19%) and Hindi (18%). Some victim service providers were also able to communicate verbally with clients in Ojibway (13%), Cree (12%), Inuktitut (3%) or other Aboriginal languages (19%).
  7. The vast majority (97%) of the victim service providers who responded to the survey were able to accommodate clients with reduced mobility. In addition, 7 in 10 victim services reported being able to provide services to people with hearing impairments and just over three-quarters (76%) reported being able to accommodate clients with visual impairments.
  8. From April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, those victim service providers who provided information indicated that they employed the equivalent of 1,880 full-time paid staff across Canada. In addition, victim service providers reported using the services of 8,553 volunteers throughout the year.
  9. In 2009/2010, the majority (68%) of victim service providers in Canada served areas that have minimum population concentrations of 1,000 and 58% served areas that include small towns, villages and other populated places with less than 1,000 population. In addition, 29% served reserves, with 4% located on a reserve.

Profile of victims on May 27, 2010

  1. On May 27, 2010 the 729 victim service providers in Canada that provided information reported serving 9,462 people (Table 1). Of the victims where the sex was recorded, 75% were female and 25% were male. 8 
  2. Of those victims who received services, 81% said they had been the victim of a violent crime. Of these, 33% were victims of sexual assault, and 61% had been the victim of another violent offence such as physical assault. The remaining victims of violence who received services on May 27, 2010 were secondary victims of homicide (3%) and secondary victims of other offences causing death (2%).
  3. Among the victims of sexual assault in Canada who received assistance on May 27, 2010, 27% indicated that they had been victimized by a current or former spouse or intimate partner and 30% reported having been victimized by another family member. The other 43% of victims said they had been sexually assaulted by a non-family member such as a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger.
  4. Of those who reported being the victim of other violent offences, 9  61% reported being victimized by a current or former spouse or intimate partner. In addition, 12% stated that they had been victimized by another family member and 27% indicated they had been victimized by another person such as a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger.
Table 1
Number of clients served by victim service agencies, by sex of victim and type of crime, Canada, May 27, 2010

Fact Sheet – Newfoundland and Labrador

Profile of victim service providers in 2009/2010

  1. From April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, there were 13 victim service providers operating in Newfoundland and Labrador. Among the 13 victim service providers in Newfoundland and Labrador, 12 were system-based, and one was a sexual assault centre.
  2. The victim service providers in Newfoundland and Labrador that provided information for 2009/2010 reported that they had assisted 6,760 primary and secondary victims of crime. 10 
  3. The types of assistance provided directly by 100% of victim service providers in Newfoundland and Labrador in 2009/2010 included: court accompaniment, information on criminal justice system structure and process, crisis counselling, crisis intervention and response, emotional support, general information, liaising with other agencies on behalf of client, offering public education and prevention, immediate safety planning, long-term safety planning, training (of other agencies, justice personnel, etc.), and transportation.
  4. All victim service providers indicated that they offered dedicated programs to specific groups of victims. The most frequently reported groups for which dedicated programs were provided included: adults (100%), children and youth (92%) and seniors (8%).
  5. All of the victim service providers in Newfoundland and Labrador were able to accommodate clients with reduced mobility, and all reported being able to provide services to people with hearing impairments. One victim service provider reported being able to accommodate clients with visual impairments.
  6. From April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, those victim service providers who provided information indicated that they employed the equivalent of 23 full-time paid staff in Newfoundland and Labrador. In addition, victim service providers reported using the services of 15 volunteers throughout the year.
  7. In 2009/2010, all victim service providers in Newfoundland and Labrador served areas that include small towns, villages and other populated places with less than 1,000 population and just over 3 in 10 agencies served areas that have minimum population concentrations of 1,000 (31%). In addition, 23% served reserves.

Profile of victims on May 27, 2010

  1. On May 27, 2010, the 13 victim service providers in Newfoundland and Labrador that provided information reported serving 198 people (Table 2). Of the victims where the sex was recorded, 66% were female and 34% were male. 11 
  2. Among those who received services, 79% were victims of a violent crime. Of these, just over one-third were victims of sexual assault, and 65% were victims of other violent offences, such as physical assault. The remaining 2% of victims who received service on May 27, 2010 were victims of other offences causing death.
  3. Of the victims of sexual assault in Newfoundland and Labrador who received assistance on May 27, 2010, 14% said they had been victimized by their current or former spouse, or intimate partner and 24% reported being victimized by another family member. The other 63% of sexual assault victims stated they had been victimized by another person such as a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger.
  4. Of those who had been the victim of another type of violent offence, 12  35% reported being victimized by their current of former spouse or intimate partner. Nearly 16% indicated that they had been victimized by another family member, and almost half (49%) reported being victimized by another person such as a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger.
Table 2
Number of clients served by victim service agencies, by sex of victim and type of crime, Newfoundland and Labrador, May 27, 2010

Fact Sheet – Prince Edward Island

Profile of victim service providers in 2009/2010

  1. From April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, there were three victim service providers operating in Prince Edward Island. Among the three victim service providers in Prince Edward Island, two were system-based and one was a sexual assault centre. In addition to these service providers, there was one provincial criminal injuries compensation program that was offered in conjunction with another service provider.
  2. The victim service providers in Prince Edward Island that provided information for 2009/2010 reported that they had assisted 1,054 primary and secondary victims of crime. 13 
  3. The types of assistance provided directly by all victim service providers in Prince Edward Island in 2009/2010 included: crisis intervention and response, emotional support, general information, hospital accompaniment, liaising with other agencies on behalf of client, public education and prevention, and training (of other agencies, justice personnel, etc.).
  4. In 2009/2010, two victim service providers in Prince Edward Island reported offering orientation and information, as well as accompaniment and support for restorative justice or mediation measures.
  5. In addition to being able to serve clients in English (100%), 2 victim service providers in Prince Edward Island who responded to the survey were able to communicate verbally with clients in French.
  6. All the victim service providers were able to accommodate clients with reduced mobility and all victim service providers reported being able to accommodate people with visual impairments. In addition, two victim service providers reported being able to provide services to people with hearing impairments.
  7. From April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, victim service providers in Prince Edward Island indicated that they employed the equivalent of 9 full-time paid staff. In addition, victim service providers reported using the services of 18 volunteers throughout the year.
  8. In 2009/2010, all victim service providers in Prince Edward Island served areas that have minimum population concentrations of 1,000 and areas that include small towns, villages and other populated places with less than 1,000 populations.

Profile of victims on May 27, 2010

  1. On May 27, 2010, the 3 victim service providers in Prince Edward Island reported serving 88 people (Table 3). Of the victims, 83% were female and 17% were male.
  2. Of the victims who received services, 69% said they had been the victim of violent crime. Of these, 48% said they had been victims of sexual assault, and just over half (52%) of the victims who received assistance on May 27, 2010 stated that they were victims of another type of violent offence, such as physical assault.
  3. Among the victims of sexual assault in Prince Edward Island who received assistance on May 27, 2010, 7% indicated that they had been victimized by a current or former spouse, or an intimate partner. Nearly 6 in 10 (59%) victims said that they were victimized by another family member and 34% reported that they had been sexually assaulted by another person such as a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger.
  4. Of those who had been the victim of another type of violent offence, 59% reported being victimized by their current or former spouse or an intimate partner. The remainder said that they had been victimized by another family member and another person such as a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger.
Table 3
Number of clients served by victim service agencies, by sex of victim and type of crime, Prince Edward Island, May 27, 2010

Fact Sheet – Nova Scotia

Profile of victim service providers in 2009/2010

  1. From April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, there were 20 victim service providers operating in Nova Scotia and one provincial criminal injuries compensation program. Among the 16 victim service providers in Nova Scotia that participated in the survey, eight were police-based, five were system-based, one was community-based, and one was a sexual assault centre. One of the providers was a compensation or financial benefits program for victims of crime.
  2. The victim service providers in Nova Scotia that provided information for 2009/2010 reported that they had assisted 9,011 primary or secondary victims of crime. 14 , 15 
  3. The types of assistance most often provided directly by victim service providers in Nova Scotia in 2009/2010 included: general information (94%), liaising with other agencies on behalf of client and immediate safety planning (both at 88%) and providing information on criminal justice system structure and process (81%).
  4. In 2009/2010, 6 in 10 victim service providers in Nova Scotia reported offering dedicated programs to specific groups of victims. The most frequently reported groups for which dedicated programs were provided included: Aboriginals (53%), children and youth (33%) and female adults (27%). 16 
  5. Of the victim service providers in Nova Scotia for which information was available in 2009/2010, 27% reported involvement in the delivery or coordination of restorative justice processes for criminal justice matters. In addition, 7% of victim service providers reported offering orientation and information for restorative justice or mediation measures, and just over half (53%) reported offering accompaniment and support for restorative justice or mediation measures.
  6. In addition to being able to serve clients in English (100%) or French (93%), victim service providers in Nova Scotia who responded to the survey were able to communicate verbally with clients in other languages such as Aboriginal language 17  (67%), German (7%) and Dutch (7%).
  7. All of the victim service providers who reported to the survey were able to accommodate clients with reduced mobility. In addition, 93% of the victim service providers reported being able to provide services to people with hearing impairments and 73% reported being able to accommodate clients with visual impairments.
  8. From April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, victim service providers in Nova Scotia indicated that they employed the equivalent of 41 full-time paid staff. In addition, providers in Nova Scotia indicated having used the services of 65 volunteers.
  9. In 2009/2010, the majority (73%) of victim service providers in Nova Scotia served areas that have minimum population concentrations of 1,000. In addition, 67% served areas that include small towns, villages and other populated places with less than 1,000 populations and 33% served reserves, with 7% located on a reserve.

Profile of victims on May 27, 2010

  1. On May 27, 2010, the 13 victim service providers in Nova Scotia that provided information reported serving 272 people (Table 4). Of the victims where the sex was recorded, 70% were female and 30% were male. 18 
  2. Of those who received services, 87% said they had been the victim of a violent crime. Of this number, 13% were victims of sexual assault while most (85%) had been the victim of another violent offence, such as physical assault. The remaining 1% were secondary victims of homicide.
  3. Of the victims of sexual assault in Nova Scotia who received assistance on May 27, 2010, 41% reported being victimized by a current or former spouse, or intimate partner. In addition, one-third (33%) stated they were victimized by another family member, and just over one-quarter (26%) indicated they were victimized by another person such as a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger.
  4. Among the victims of other violent offences, 19  8 in 10 indicated that they had victimized by a current or former spouse or intimate partner, and 4% reported having been victimized by another family member. The other 16% of victims said they had been victimized by another person such as a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger.
Table 4
Number of clients served by victim service agencies, by sex of victim and type of crime, Nova Scotia, May 27, 2010

Fact Sheet – New Brunswick

Profile of victim service providers in 2009/2010

  1. From April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, there were 22 victim service providers operating in New Brunswick. Among the 21 victim service providers in New Brunswick that responded to the survey, 13 were system-based, five were police-based, one was community-based, one was sexual assault centres and one was categorized as other, unspecified types. In addition to these service providers, there was one provincial criminal injuries compensation program that was offered in conjunction with another service provider.
  2. The victim service providers in New Brunswick that provided information for 2009/2010 reported that they had assisted 4,848 primary and secondary victims of crime. 20 
  3. The types of assistance provided directly by 100% of victim service providers in New Brunswick in 2009/2010 included: crisis intervention and response, emotional support and liaising with other agencies on behalf of the client.
  4. In 2009/2010, 86% of victim service providers in New Brunswick reported that they offered dedicated programs to specific groups of victims. The most frequently reported groups for which dedicated programs were provided included: children and youth (81%), Francophones (81%), adults (76%), Aboriginals (76%) and seniors (76%).
  5. Of the victim service providers in New Brunswick for which information was available in 2009/2010, almost one-quarter (24%) indicated involvement in the delivery or coordination of restorative justice processes for criminal justice matters. In addition, nearly one-quarter (24%) of victim service providers reported offering orientation and information for restorative justice or mediation measures, and 24% reported offering accompaniment and support for restorative justice or mediation measures.
  6. In addition to being able to serve clients in English (100%) or French (100%), victim service providers in New Brunswick who responded to the survey were able to communicate with clients in an Aboriginal language 21  (62%).
  7. Most (90%) of the victim service providers who responded to the survey were able to accommodate clients with reduced mobility. As well, 86% reported being able to provide services to people with hearing impairments and just over one-quarter (29%) reported being able to accommodate clients with visual impairments.
  8. From April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, victim service providers in New Brunswick indicated that they employed the equivalent of 71 full-time paid staff. In addition to this number, victim service providers indicated having used the services of 158 volunteers throughout the year.
  9. In 2009/2010, the majority (67%) of victim service providers in New Brunswick served areas considered to be areas that include small towns, villages and other populated places with less than 1,000 populations, and 62% served areas that have minimum population concentrations of 1,000. In addition, 62% served reserves, with 5% located on a reserve.

Profile of victims on May 27, 2010

  1. On May 27, 2010, the 21 victim service providers in New Brunswick reported serving 1,385 people (Table 5). Of the victims where the sex was recorded, 69% were female and 31% were male. 22 
  2. Of those who received services, 65% said they had been the victim of a violent crime. Of this number, 34% were victims of sexual assault, and most people (63%) had been the victim of another violent offence, such as physical assault. The remaining 2% victims who received services on May 27, 2010 were secondary victims of homicide and 1% were secondary victims of other offences causing death.
  3. Among the victims of sexual assault who received assistance in New Brunswick on May 27, 2010, 4% indicated that they had been victimized by a current or former spouse or an intimate partner and 8% reported having been victimized by another family member. The majority (87%) stated they had been sexually assaulted by another person such as a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger.
  4. Of those who had been the victim of another type of violent offence, 23  35% said that they had been victimized by a current or former spouse or an intimate partner. Another 5% reported that they had been victimized by another family member and 61% indicated that they had been victimized by another person such as a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger.
Table 5
Number of clients served by victim service agencies, by sex of victim and type of crime, New Brunswick, May 27, 2010

Fact Sheet – Quebec

Profile of victim service providers in 2009/2010

  1. From April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, there were 103 victim service providers operating in Quebec. Among the victim service providers in Quebec that participated in the survey, 71 were community-based, 13 were sexual assault centres, and five were police-based. In addition to these service providers, there was one provincial criminal injuries compensation program.
  2. The victim service providers in Quebec who provided information for 2009/2010 reported that they had assisted 69,475 primary and secondary victims of crime. 24 
  3. The types of assistance most often provided directly by victim service providers in Quebec in 2009/2010 included: court orientation and information, court accompaniment, information on criminal justice system structure and process, victim and witness preparation, and claims assistance (all at 96%).
  4. In 2009/2010, over 3 in 10 (32%) victim service providers in Quebec indicated that they offered dedicated programs to specific groups of victims. The most frequently reported groups for which dedicated programs were provided included: adults (13%), female adults, Anglophones, Aboriginal persons, people with physical disabilities, and lesbian/bisexuals (all at 11%).
  5. Of the victim service providers in Quebec for which information was available in 2009/2010, 2% reported involvement in the delivery or coordination of restorative justice processes for criminal justice matters. In addition, 13% of victim service providers reported offering orientation and information for restorative justice or mediation measures, and 10% reported offering accompaniment and support for restorative justice or mediation measures.
  6. In addition to being able to serve clients in French (90%) or English (84%), victim service providers in Quebec who responded to the survey were able to communicate verbally with clients in other languages such as Spanish (49%), an Aboriginal language 25  (22%), Italian (12%) and Arabic (10%).
  7. Most (92%) of the victim service providers who responded to the survey were able to accommodate clients with reduced mobility. In addition, 81% of victim service providers reported being able to provide services to people with hearing impairments and all reported being able to accommodate clients with visual impairments.
  8. From April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, those victim service providers in Quebec who provided information indicated that they employed the equivalent of 282 full-time staff. In addition, victim service providers indicated having used the services of 334 volunteers throughout the year.
  9. In 2009/2010, the majority (79%) of victim service providers in Quebec served areas that have minimum population concentrations of 1,000, and just over half (57%) served areas that include small towns, villages and other populated places with less than 1,000 population. In addition, almost one-quarter (24%) served reserves, with 3% located on a reserve.

Profile of victims on May 27, 2010

  1. On May 27, 2010, the 77 victim service providers in Quebec that provided information reported serving 815 people (Table 6). Of the victims where the sex was reported, 70% were female and 30% were male. 26 
  2. Among those victims who received services, 92% said they had been the victim of a violent crime. Of these, 45% were victims of sexual assault and just over half (54%) had been the victim of another violent offence, such as physical assault. The remaining victims of violence who received services on May 27, 2010 were secondary victims of homicide or another offence causing death (1%).
  3. Among the victims of sexual assault in Quebec who received assistance on May 27, 2010, 39% said that they had been victimized by a current or former spouse or an intimate partner, and 37% reported being victimized by another family member. Almost one-quarter (24%) stated that they had been sexually assaulted by a non-family member such as a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger.
  4. Of those who reported being the victim of other violent offences, 27  29% reported being victimized by a current or former spouse or an intimate partner. In addition, 35% stated that they had been victimized by another family member and 36% reported being victimized by another person such as a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger.
Table 6
Number of clients served by victim service agencies, by sex of victim and type of crime, Quebec, May 27, 2010

Fact Sheet – Ontario

Profile of victim service providers in 2009/2010

  1. From April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, there were 266 victim service providers operating in Ontario. Among the victim service providers in Ontario that participated in the survey, 81 were sexual assault centres, 66 were court-based, 58 were Victim Crisis Assistance and Referral Service centres, 16 were community-based and 14 were police-based. In addition to these service providers, there was one provincial criminal injuries compensation program.
  2. The victim service providers in Ontario that provided information for 2009/2010 reported that they had assisted 138,615 primary and secondary victims of crime. 28 
  3. The types of assistance most often provided directly by victim service providers in Ontario in 2009/2010 included: emotional support (97%), general information (94%), and liaising with other agencies on behalf of the client (92%).
  4. In 2009/2010, 37% of victim service providers in Ontario reported that they offered dedicated programs to specific groups of victims. The most frequently reported groups for which dedicated programs were provided included: adult females (28%), persons with mental disabilities (22%), senior females (21%), and lesbian/bisexual women (20%).
  5. Of the victim service providers in Ontario for which information was available in 2009/2010, 4% of service providers reported involvement in the delivery or coordination of restorative justice processes for criminal justice matters. In addition, 3% of victim service providers reported offering orientation and information for restorative justice or mediation measures, and 11% reported offering accompaniment and support for restorative justice or mediation measures.
  6. In addition to being able to serve clients in English (97%) or French (81%), victim service providers in Ontario who responded to the survey were able to communicate verbally with clients in other languages such as Italian (48%), Spanish (44%), German (44%) and Ojibway (41%).
  7. The majority (98%) of victim service providers in Ontario who responded to the survey were able to accommodate clients with reduced mobility. In addition, 87% of the victim service providers reported being able to provide services to people with hearing impairments and 93% reported being able to accommodate clients with visual impairments.
  8. From April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, those victim service providers in Ontario who provided information indicated that they employed the equivalent of 657 full-time paid staff. In addition, victim service providers reported using the services of 4,153 volunteers.
  9. In 2009/2010, the majority (77%) of victim service providers in Ontario served areas that have minimum population concentrations of 1,000. In addition, over 7 in 10 (71%) served areas that include small towns, villages and other populated places with less than 1,000 populations and 17% served reserves, with 2% located on a reserve.

Profile of victims on May 27, 2010

  1. On May 27, 2010, the 221 victim service providers in Ontario that provided information reported serving 2,828 people (Table 7). Of the victims where the sex was recorded, 86% were female and 14% were male. 29 
  2. Among those victims who received services in Ontario, 95% were victims of a violent crime. Of these, 31% were victims of sexual assault, and 61% were the victim of another violent offence, such as physical assault. The remaining victims of violence who received services on May 27, 2010 were secondary victims of homicide (4%), and other offences causing death (4%).
  3. Of the victims of sexual assault who received assistance in Ontario on May 27, 2010, almost one-quarter (23%) said that they had been victimized by a current or former spouse or an intimate partner, and 38% reported that they had been victimized by another family member. The other 40% of sexual assault victims said they had been sexually assaulted by non-family members such as a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger.
  4. Of those who reported being the victim of other violent offences, 30  72% reported being victimized by a current or former spouse or an intimate partner. In addition, 9% indicated that they were victimized by another family member and 19% reported being victimized by another person such as a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger.
Table 7
Number of clients served by victim service agencies, by sex of victim and type of crime, Ontario, May 27, 2010

Fact Sheet – Manitoba

Profile of victim service providers in 2009/2010

  1. From April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, there were 15 victim service providers operating in Manitoba. Among the victim service providers in Manitoba, nine were system-based, five were police-based and one was court-based. In addition to these service providers, there was one provincial criminal injuries compensation program that was offered in conjunction with another service provider.
  2. The victim service providers in Manitoba that provided information for 2009/2010 reported that they had assisted 29,152 victims of crime. 31 
  3. The types of assistance most often provided directly by victim service providers in Manitoba in 2009/2010 included: general information and emotional support (both at 100%), victim notification (e.g., hearings, offender relocation, offender release, etc.,) and public education and prevention (both at 93%).
  4. In 2009/2010, 67% of providers offered dedicated programs to specific groups of victims. The most frequently reported groups for which dedicated programs were provided included: adults (60%), children and youth (60%), and seniors (7%).
  5. Of the victim service providers in Manitoba for which information was available in 2009/2010, 27% of providers reported being involved in the delivery or coordination of restorative justice processes for criminal justice matters. In addition, 67% of victim service providers reported offering orientation and information for restorative justice or mediation measures, and 67% reported offering accompaniment and support for restorative justice or mediation measures.
  6. In addition to being able to serve clients in English (100%) or French (80%), victim service providers in Manitoba who responded to the survey were able to communicate verbally with clients in other languages such as Polish (67%), Cree (60%), Croatian (60%) and Spanish (60%).
  7. All the victim service providers were able to accommodate clients with impaired mobility. In addition, 67% of the victim service providers reported being able to provide services to people with hearing impairments and 67% reported being able to accommodate clients with visual impairments.
  8. From April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, those victim service providers in Manitoba who provided information indicated that they employed the equivalent of 44 full-time paid staff. In addition, victim service providers reported using the services of 74 volunteers throughout the year.
  9. In 2009/2010, the majority (60%) of victim service providers in Manitoba served areas that have minimum population concentrations of 1,000, and 4 in 10 served areas that include small towns, villages and other populated places with less than 1,000 populations.

Profile of victims on May 27, 2010

  1. On May 27, 2010, the 15 victim service providers in Manitoba that provided information reported serving 390 people (Table 8). Of the victims where the sex was reported, 74% were female, 26% were male. 32 
  2. Of those victims in Manitoba who received services, 75% said they had been the victim of a violent crime. Of these, 22% were victims of sexual assault, and most people (68%) had been the victim of another violent offence, such as physical assault. The remaining victims who received services on May 27, 2010 were secondary victims of homicide (8%), and other offences causing death (2%).
  3. Among the victims of sexual assault in Manitoba who received assistance on May 27, 2010, 21% indicated that they had been victimized by a current or former spouse or an intimate partner, and 40% reported having been victimized by another family member. The other 40% reported said they had been sexually assaulted by a non-family member such as a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger.
  4. Of those who reported being the victim of another type of violent offence, 33  67% reported being victimized by a current or former spouse or an intimate partner. In addition, 12% stated that they had been victimized by another family member and 22% said they had been victimized by another person such as a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger.
Table 8
Number of clients served by victim service agencies, by sex of victim and type of crime, Manitoba, May 27, 2010

Fact Sheet – Saskatchewan

Profile of victim service providers in 2009/2010

  1. From April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, there were 101 victim service providers operating in Saskatchewan. Among the 93 victim service providers in Saskatchewan that participated in the 2009/2010 survey, 67 were police-based, 10 were community-based, 10 were sexual assault centres, and six were court-based. In addition to these service providers, there was one provincial criminal injuries compensation program that was offered in conjunction with another service provider.
  2. The victim service providers in Saskatchewan that provided information for 2009/2010 reported that they had assisted 27,933 primary and secondary victims of crime. 34 
  3. The types of assistance most often provided directly by victim service providers in Saskatchewan in 2009/2010 included: emotional support (99%), general information (98%), and liaising with other agencies on behalf of the client (96%).
  4. In 2009/2010, 43% of victim service providers in Saskatchewan that responded to the survey indicated that they offered dedicated programs to specific groups of victims. The most frequently reported groups for which dedicated programs were provided included: children and youth (37%), adults (28%), female adults (26%), Aboriginal persons (25%), and seniors (23%).
  5. Of the service providers in Saskatchewan for which information was available in 2009/2010, 20% reported involvement in the delivery or coordination of restorative justice processes for criminal justice matters. In addition, just over half (51%) of victim service providers reported offering orientation and information for restorative justice or mediation measures, and 58% reported offering accompaniment and support for restorative justice or mediation measures.
  6. In addition to being able to serve clients in English (99%), victim service providers in Saskatchewan who responded to the survey were able to communicate verbally with clients in other languages such as Cree (46%), French (23%), an Aboriginal language 35  (18%), and Ukrainian (9%).
  7. Almost all (99%) of the victim service providers in Saskatchewan who responded to the survey were able to accommodate clients with mobility impairments. In addition, just over half (57%) of the victim service providers reported being able to provide services to people with hearing impairments, and 76% providers reported being able to accommodate clients with visual impairments.
  8. From April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, those victim service providers in Saskatchewan who provided information indicated that they employed the equivalent of 135 full-time paid staff. In addition, victim service providers reported using the services of 640 volunteers throughout the year.
  9. In 2009/2010, the majority (73%) of victim service providers in Saskatchewan served areas that include small towns, villages and other populated places with less than 1,000 populations and nearly 6 in 10 (57%) served areas that have minimum population concentrations of 1,000. In addition, nearly half (49%) served reserves, with 8% located on a reserve.

Profile of victims on May 27, 2010

  1. On May 27, 2010, the 90 victim service providers in Saskatchewan that provided information reported serving 822 people (Table 9). Of the victims where sex was reported, 75% were female and 25% were male, identical to the proportions for Canada as a whole. 36 
  2. Of those who received services in Saskatchewan, 85% said they had been the victim of a violent crime. Of these, 34% were victims of sexual assault, and 62% had been the victim of another violent offence, such as physical assault. The remaining victims of violence (4%) who received services on May 27, 2010 were secondary victims of homicide and other offences causing death.
  3. Among victims of sexual assault in Saskatchewan who received assistance on May 27, 2010, 64% said that they had been victimized by a current or former spouse or intimate partner. In addition, 12% indicated that they had been victimized by another family member, and 24% stated that they had been sexually assaulted by a non-family member such as a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger.
  4. Of those who reported being the victim of another type of violent offence, 37  65% indicated being victimized by a current or former spouse or intimate partner. In addition, 15% reported that they had been victimized by another family member and 21% said they had been victimized by another person such as a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger.
Table 9
Number of clients served by victim service agencies, by sex of victim and type of crime, Saskatchewan, May 27, 2010

Fact Sheet – Alberta

Profile of victim service providers in 2009/2010

  1. From April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, there were 138 victim service providers operating in Alberta. Among the 121 victim service providers who participated in the survey, 98 were police-based, 11 were community-based, five were sexual assault centres, four were court-based and three victim service providers were categorized as other, unspecified types. In addition to these service providers, there was one provincial criminal injuries compensation program.
  2. The victim service providers in Alberta that provided information in 2009/2010 reported that they had assisted 55,692 primary and secondary victims of crime. 38 
  3. The types of assistance most often provided directly by victim service providers in Alberta in 2009/2010 included: general information (98%), court orientation and information (97%), and court accompaniment and emotional support (both at 96%).
  4. In 2009/2010, 3 in 10 (31%) victim service providers in Alberta that responded to the survey indicated that they offered dedicated programs to specific groups of victims. The most frequently reported groups for which dedicated programs were provided included: Aboriginal persons (27%), adults of both sexes (26%), seniors (25%), adult females (24%) and adult males (22%).
  5. Of the victim service providers in Alberta for which information was available in 2009/2010, 19% reported involvement in the delivery or coordination of restorative justice processes for criminal justice matters. In addition, one in ten victim service providers reported offering orientation and information for restorative justice or mediation measures, and 19% reported offering accompaniment and support for restorative justice or mediation measures.
  6. In addition to being able to serve clients in English (79%) and French (41%), victim service providers in Alberta who responded to the survey were able to communicate verbally with clients in other languages such as German (17%), Cree (15%), Spanish (15%), and Ukrainian (8%).
  7. The vast majority (97%) of victim service providers in Alberta who responded to the survey were able to accommodate clients with reduced mobility. In addition, 59% of the victim service providers reported being able to provide services to people with hearing impairments and 63% reported being able to accommodate clients with visual impairments.
  8. From April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, those victim service providers in Alberta who provided information indicated that they employed the equivalent of 330 full-time paid staff. In addition, victim service providers indicated having used the services of 1,834 volunteers throughout the year.
  9. In 2009/2010, victim service providers in Alberta served areas that have minimum population concentrations of 1,000 and areas that include small towns, villages and other populated places with less than 1,000 population (both at 60%). In addition, just over one-quarter (26%) served reserves, with 11% located on a reserve.

Profile of victims on May 27, 2010

  1. On May 27, 2010, the 113 victim service providers in Alberta that provided information reported serving 980 people (Table 10). Of the victims where the sex was reported, 64% were female and 36% were male. 39 
  2. Of those victims who received services in Alberta, 62% said they had been the victim of a violent crime. Of the victims of violent crimes, 36% were victims of sexual assault, and the majority (55%) had been the victim of another violent offence, such as physical assault. Of the remaining victims of a violent offence who received services, 6% were secondary victims of homicide, and 3% were victims of other offences causing death.
  3. Among victims of sexual assault in Alberta who received assistance on May 27, 2010, 18% indicated that they had been victimized by a current or former spouse or intimate partner and 30% reported having been victimized by another family member. The other 52% of victims stated they had been sexually assaulted by a non-family member such as a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger.
  4. Of those who reported being the victim of other violent offences, 40  just over half (54%) indicated being victimized by a current or former spouse or intimate partner. In addition, 13% stated that they had been victimized by another family member and 33% indicated they had been victimized by another person such as a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger.
Table 10
Number of clients served by victim service agencies, by sex of victim and type of crime, Alberta, May 27, 2010

Fact Sheet – British Columbia

Profile of victim service providers in 2009/2010

  1. From April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, there were 213 victim service providers operating in British Columbia. Among the 174 victim service providers who participated in the survey, 94 were police-based, 75 were community-based, three were court-based and two were sexual assault centres. In addition to these service providers, there was one provincial criminal injuries compensation program.
  2. The victim service providers in British Columbia that provided information in 2009/2010 reported that they had assisted 65,218 primary and secondary victims of crime. 41 
  3. The types of assistance most often provided directly by victim service providers in British Columbia in 2009/2010 included: emotional support (98%), general information (97%), liaising with other agencies on behalf of the client (95%), and immediate safety planning (94%).
  4. In 2009/2010, nearly 4 in 10 (39%) victim service providers in British Columbia indicated that they offered dedicated programs to specific groups of victims. The most frequently reported groups for which dedicated programs were provided included: Aboriginal persons (29%), lesbian/bisexual women (25%), children and youth (25%), persons with physical disabilities (23%) and persons with mental disabilities (21%).
  5. Of the victim service providers in British Columbia for which information was available in 2009/2010, 13% reported involvement in the delivery or coordination of restorative justice processes for criminal justice matters. In addition, 17% of victim service providers reported offering orientation and information for restorative justice or mediation measures, and 32% reported offering accompaniment and support for restorative justice or mediation measures.
  6. In addition to being able to serve clients in English (84%) and French (45%), victim service providers in British Columbia who responded to the survey were able to communicate verbally with clients in other languages such as Punjabi (28%), Hindi (25%) and Spanish (16%).
  7. The vast majority (97%) of victim service providers who responded to the survey were able to accommodate clients with reduced mobility. Half of the victim service providers reported being able to provide services to people with hearing impairments, and 63% reported being able to accommodate clients with visual impairments.
  8. From April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, those victim service providers in British Columbia who provided information indicated that they employed the equivalent of 275 full-time paid staff. In addition, victim service providers reported using the services of 1,258 volunteers throughout the year.
  9. In 2009/2010, the majority (66%) of victim service providers in British Columbia served areas that have minimum population concentrations of 1,000 and just over half (57%) served areas that include small towns, villages and other populated places with less than 1,000 population. In addition, nearly 4 in 10 (39%) served reserves, with 3% located on a reserve.

Profile of victims on May 27, 2010

  1. On May 27, 2010, the 157 victim service providers in British Columbia that provided information reported serving 1,647 people (Table 11). Of the victims where sex was reported, 72% were female and 28% were male. 42 
  2. Of those victims who received services, 74% were victims of a violent crime. Of these, 35% were victims of sexual assault, and just over 6 in 10 (61%) had been the victim of another violent offence, such as physical assault. Of the remaining victims of violent offences who received services on May 27, 2010, 2% were secondary victims of homicide and 3% were victims of other offences causing death.
  3. Among the victims of sexual assault in British Columbia who received assistance on May 27, 2010, 29% said that they had been victimized by a current or former spouse or intimate partner, and 31% reported having been victimized by another family member. The other 40% of victims said they had been sexually assaulted by a non-family member such as a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger.
  4. Of those who reported being the victim of other violent offences, 43  70% reported being victimized by their current or former spouse or intimate partner. In addition, 10% stated that they had been victimized by another family member and 20% indicated they had been victimized by another person such as a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger.
Table 11
Number of clients served by victim service agencies, by sex of victim and type of crime, British Columbia, May 27, 2010

Fact Sheet – Yukon 44 

Profile of victim service providers in 2009/2010

  1. From April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, there were five victim service providers operating in Yukon. Among the four victim service providers who participated in the survey, three were system-based, and one was court-based.
  2. The victim service providers in Yukon that provided information for 2009/2010 reported that they had assisted 1,771 primary and secondary victims of crime. 45 
  3. The types of assistance provided throughout 2009/2010 by 100% of victim service providers in Yukon included: victim/witness preparation, basic needs provision (e.g., food, clothing), and emotional support (all at 100%).
  4. In 2009/2010, three-quarters of the victim service providers in Yukon indicated that they offered dedicated programs to specific groups of victims. The most frequently reported groups for which dedicated programs were provided included: persons with physical disabilities, persons with mental disabilities, Aboriginal persons, adults, and children and youth (all at 75%).
  5. Of the victim service providers in Yukon for which information was available in 2009/2010, all reported involvement in the delivery or coordination of restorative justice processes for criminal justice matters. In addition, three-quarters reported offering accompaniment and support for restorative justice or mediation measures.
  6. In addition to being able to serve clients in English (100%) and French (100%), victim service providers in Yukon who responded to the survey were able to communicate verbally with clients in German (75%).
  7. All of the victim service providers were able to accommodate clients with reduced mobility. In addition, one provider reported being able to provide services to people with hearing impairments, and there were no providers able to accommodate clients with visual impairments. 46 
  8. From April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, 4 victim service providers in Yukon reported employing the equivalent of 7 paid full-time staff. There were no victim service providers in Yukon that indicated having used the services of volunteers throughout the year.
  9. In 2009/2010, three-quarters (75%) of victim service providers in Yukon served areas considered to be areas that include small towns, villages and other populated places with less than 1,000 populations. In addition, half served areas that have minimum population concentrations of 1,000.

Profile of victims on May 27, 2010

  1. On May 27, 2010, the 4 victim service providers in Yukon reported serving 33 people (Table 12). Of these, 88% were female and 12% were male.
Table 12
Number of clients served by victim service agencies, by sex of victim and type of crime, Yukon, May 27, 2010

Fact Sheet – Northwest Territories 47 

Profile of victim service providers in 2009/2010

  1. From April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, there were eight victim service providers operating in the Northwest Territories. Among the two victim service providers who participated in the 2009/2010 survey, one was court-based and one was community-based. In addition to these service providers, there was one financial benefit program administered by the territory. 48 
  2. The types of assistance provided throughout 2009/2010 by both victim service providers in Northwest Territories included: emergency shelter/housing, assistance with victim impact statements, and prevention training.
  3. In 2009/2010, both victim service providers in Northwest Territories that responded to the survey indicated that they offered dedicated programs to specific groups of victims. The most frequently reported groups for which dedicated programs were provided included: adults (100%), seniors (50%), and Aboriginal persons (50%).
  4. Of the two service providers in the Northwest Territories who responded in 2009/2010, one reported involvement in the delivery or coordination of restorative justice processes for criminal justice matters. In addition, one victim service provider reported offering orientation and information for restorative justice or mediation measures, and both reported offering accompaniment and support for restorative justice or mediation measures.
  5. In addition to being able to serve clients in English, both victim service providers in the Northwest Territories who responded to the survey were able to communicate verbally with clients in Inuktitut and an Aboriginal language. 49 
  6. Of the victim service providers who responded, two were able to accommodate clients with reduced mobility. In addition, one victim service provider reported being able to provide services to people with hearing impairments and one reported being able to accommodate clients with visual impairments.
  7. From April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, the two victim service providers in Northwest Territories reported employing the equivalent of 2 paid full-time staff. In addition, one victim service provider indicated having used the services of 2 volunteers throughout the year. 50 
  8. In 2009/2010, one of the victim service providers in Northwest Territories that responded to the survey served areas considered to be areas that include small towns, villages and other populated places with less than 1,000 populations.

Fact Sheet – Nunavut 51 

Profile of victim service providers in 2009/2010

  1. From April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, there were four victim service providers operating in Nunavut. 52  Among the two victim service providers who participated in the survey, both were community-based.
  2. The victim service providers in Nunavut that provided information for 2009/2010 reported that 67 victims of crime were assisted. 53 
  3. The types of assistance provided throughout 2009/2010 by the two reporting victim service providers in Nunavut included: crisis intervention and response, emotional support and liaising with other agencies on behalf of the client.
  4. In 2009/2010, there was one victim service provider in Nunavut that indicated it offered dedicated programs to adults, seniors, and children and youth.
  5. Of the two victim service providers in Nunavut who provided information in 2009/2010, both had staff members or volunteers who were able to verbally communicate in English, and half were able to assist victims in Inuktitut.
  6. There was one victim service provider in Nunavut that reported being able to accommodate clients with visual impairments.
  7. From April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010, the two victim service providers in Nunavut that responded to the survey reported employing the equivalent of 4 paid full-time staff. In addition, the two victim service providers indicated having used the services of 2 volunteers throughout the year.
  8. In 2009/2010, both victim service providers in Nunavut served areas that include small towns, villages and other populated places with less than 1,000 populations.
Date modified: