Conclusion

Violence against women affects all of Canadian society.  It occurs in public, family and intimate contexts and can be experienced by women at any stage of their lives. Violence against women is a complex matter that is linked to women’s equality in society. Ethnicity, culture, age, relationship type and economic status can all affect the rate and impact of violence against women.

The statistical indicators in this document provide a partial portrait of women’s experiences of violence. Since the release of the 2002 indicators report, important advancements have been made in the availability of data on Aboriginal women and women in the northern territories, criminal harassment, sentencing outcomes, the availability of victim services, and victims’ use of these services. However, gaps remain in the data required to paint a complete picture of the nature, extent and impacts of violence against women. More detailed data are needed for:

• diverse groups of women in the population, such as visible minority, immigrant, Aboriginal, Northern and homeless women;
• sexual assault victimization;
• perpetrators of violence;
• attitudes and perceptions of violence among Canadians;
• the economic costs of violence;
• other forms of violence, such as trafficking of persons.

This set of statistical indicators addresses the major areas of concern on violence against women, including severity and prevalence, impact, risk factors, institutional and community-based responses, and victims’ use of services.

In terms of severity and prevalence, these data indicate that women are more likely than men to be victims of the most severe forms of spousal assault, as well as spousal homicide, sexual assault and criminal harassment. Following evidence of a decline in the incidence of spousal assault against women in the 1990s, the most recent surveys suggest no change since 1999. The past decade has witnessed a general decline in the number of spousal homicides. This downward shift may be partly attributed to institutional and community-based responses, a diminished tolerance for violence against women, and improvements in women’s socio-economic status.

Additional data are needed to answer the questions of whether violence against women has decreased for all sub-groups of the population, and whether intervention efforts have made a difference.

Governments and communities have responded to violence by providing shelters, treatment programs for abusers, specialized domestic violence courts and other victim services. Victimization surveys suggest that there has been a rise in the percentage of spousal assaults reported to the police since 1993, although this stabilized between 1999 and 2004. A similar pattern was shown for seeking help from other services. Data from victim services indicate that two-thirds of clients they serve are female victims of sexual assault, partner violence or stalking. These are an indication not only of the impact of violence on individuals, but of the direct and indirect costs to society.

The risk factors identify young women as particularly vulnerable to criminal harassment, sexual assault and spousal homicide. One of the most important risk factors of physical or sexual violence against women in relationships is the presence of emotional abuse. This type of abuse, including jealous and controlling behaviour, the use of verbal bullying, and financial abuse, provides a significantly stronger predictor of violent behaviour towards women in relationships than does alcohol use, income or education. Women living in common-law unions are at higher risk of assault and homicide by their partners than married women. Separation can also increase the risk of violence and potentially trigger homicide for women in violent relationships.

Ultimately, the impact of violence against women is felt by everyone, either directly or indirectly. Ongoing collection and analysis of reliable statistical data is important for monitoring the prevalence, risk factors, and intergenerational impacts of violence. Data such as these indicators are intended as a useful tool for all levels of government as well as non-governmental groups for tracking change over time, highlighting new and emerging issues, and developing legislative, policy and program responses to help prevent violence and assist victims.