Child and Youth Victims and Witnesses of Crime in Canada What is the prevalence of the problem?

Child and Youth Victims and Witnesses of Crime in Canada

What is the prevalence of the problem?

Research and Statistics Division

Ottawa, February 28, 2011

2

Children and youth as victims of police-reported crime

In 2009, just over 75,000 children and youth were victims of police-reported violent crime.

Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Incident-based Uniform Crime Reporting Survey 2009

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Physical assaults the most common type of reported violence

• Assault (level 1) was the most common type of police-reported violence committed against children and youth with over 31,000 being reported to police in 2009.

• Overall, boys (59%) were more likely than girls (41%) to be victims of physical assault. Males under the age of 18 were victims of physical assault.

• 25% of child and youth victims were physically assaulted by a family member with 68% being perpetrated by a parent.

Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile

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Rates of violent victimization highest among youth aged 15 to 17, 2008

Note(s): Excludes incidents where the sex and/or age of the victim was unknown. The Incident-based Uniform Crime Reporting Survey collected data from 155 police services, representing approximately 98% of the population of Canada in 2008. Rate per 100,000 population under 18 years of age for the geographic areas policed by the Incident-based Uniform Crime Reporting Survey respondents.

Source(s): Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Incident-based Uniform Crime Reporting Survey.

422

1,863

289162733

2,710

0500

100015002000

25003000

Less than 3 3 to 5 6 to 8 9 to 11 12 to 14 15 to 17

Age

rate

per

100

,000

pop

ulat

ion

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Sexual violence against children and youth

• In 2009, over half (59%) of all victims of police-reported sexual assault were children and youth under the age of 18 with 60% of these victims being between the ages of 12 and 17.

• Sexual violence against children and youth was more commonly perpetrated by someone known to the victim (79%), including family members, friends or acquaintances.

Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile

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Police-reported sexual offences against children (0 to 5 years), by gender of victim and accused-victim relationship, Canada, 2009

16%

41%

7%

32%

4%

22%

42%

7%

27%

2%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

Parent (biological,adoptive, step or

foster parent)

Other familymembers (e.g.

sibling, uncle, aunt,grandparent)

Authority figure (e.g.teacher, babysitter,coach, counsellor)

Acquaintance (e.g.friend, neighbour

business associate)

Stranger

Male Female

Notes: Sexual offences include sexual assault levels 1-3, sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching, sexual exploitation, incest, bestiality and luring a child via the Internet. Also, a small number of incidents of corrupting morals of a child and anal intercourse are included. Victim data are not available for parent/guardian procuring sexual activity, indecent acts in the presence of a person under 16 years of age, and child pornography. As such, these offences are not included. Excludes victims of unknown age or gender.Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR2) Survey.

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15%

37%

7%

36%

5%

19%

39%

6%

29%

6%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%


foster parent)





business associate)

Stranger

Male Female


8


8%

23%

13%

46%

10%11%

16%

5%

54%

14%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%


foster parent)





business associate)

Stranger

Male Female


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Police-reported sexual assault against children (0-17 years), by age of victim, Canada, 2009

8 435

9322 14

84

202

288 262290 305 291 291

331378

658

1,043

1,2181,260

1,066

877

130134127100121121109

139145128120120111108

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Age of victim

Nu

mb

er

of

vic

tim

s

Male Female

Notes: Sexual assault includes sexual assault levels 1-3. Excludes victims of unknown age or gender Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR2) Survey.

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Police-reported sexual offences against children (0 to 17 years), by province/territory, 2009

198

120

217 236

161135

225

286

137 133

405

714

792

44

123

5919

50 40 57

140171

86999287

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

N.L. P.E.I. N.S. N.B. Que. Ont. Man. Sask. Alta. B.C. Y.T. N.W.T. Nvt.

rate

pe

r 1

00

,00

0 c

hild

ren

(b

y a

ge

)

Sexual Assault Other Sexual Offences

Rates for sexual assault and other sexual offences are calculated per 100,000 population 0 to 17 years.Notes: Sexual assault includes sexual assault levels 1-3. Other sexual offences include sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching, sexual exploitation, incest,

bestiality and luring a child via the Internet. Also, a small number of incidents of corrupting morals of a child and anal intercourse are included. Victim data are not available for parent/guardian procuring sexual activity or indecent acts in the presence of a person under 16 years of age. As such, these offences are not included. Excludes victims of unknown age or gender.

Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR2) Survey.

Canada’s rate of sexual assault (157)

Canada’s rate of other sexual assault (44)

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Proportion of cases with guilty sexual assault or other sexual offence charges in adult criminal courts, Canada, 2000/2001 to 2008/2009

Notes: Represents all completed cases containing at least one charge for sexual assault or “other sexual offences”. Sexual assault include the three levels of sexual assault (C.C.C. s. 271, 272, and 273). For the purpose of this presentation, other sexual offences include: sexual interference (s. 151), invitation to sexual touching (s. 152), sexual exploitation (s. 153), Incest (s. 155), bestiality (s. 160), child pornography (s. 163.1), parent or guardian procuring sexual activity (s. 170), householder permitting sexual activity (s. 171), luring a child via the internet (s. 172.1), and indecent acts (s. 173). Data represent the ten jurisdictions that have consistently reported to the Integrated Criminal Court Survey since 2000/2001. The jurisdictions not covered are Manitoba, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Integrated Criminal Court Survey.

38% 38%36%

34% 34% 35%33% 32% 32%

48% 48%46% 46%

48% 49%47% 48% 48%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09

Pro

po

rtio

n o

f co

mp

lete

d c

ase

s

Cases with guilty sexual assault charge(s) Cases with guilty other sexual offence(s)

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Police-reported child pornography and internet luring offences, by province and territory, 2009

Child pornography Luring a child via a computerNumber of incidents Rate 1

Number of incidents Rate 1

Canada 1,594 4.7 411 1.2Newfoundland and Labrador 20 3.9 10 2.0Prince Edward Island 11 7.8 2 1.4Nova Scotia 73 7.8 17 1.8New Brunswick 36 4.8 22 2.9

Quebec 601 7.7 130 1.7Ontario 383 2.9 115 0.9Manitoba 47 3.9 9 0.7Saskatchewan 70 6.8 5 0.5Alberta 137 3.7 44 1.2British Columbia 207 4.7 56 1.3Yukon 3 8.9 0 0.0Northwest Territories 4 9.2 0 0.0Nunavut 2 6.2 1 3.1

1. Rates are calculated per 100,000 populationSource: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey.

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Child pornography and Internet luring cases completed in adult criminal courts, Canada, 2000/2001 to 2008/2009

Notes: Represents all completed cases containing at least one charge for child pornography or internet luring offences. Data represent the ten jurisdictions that have consistently reported to the Integrated Criminal Court Survey since 2000/2001. The jurisdictions not covered are Manitoba, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Integrated Criminal Court Survey.

0

100

200

300

400

500

2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09

Nu

mb

er

of c

ase

s

Cases with child pornography charge(s) Cases with luring charge(s)

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Questions?

Susan McDonald, LLB, PhDPrincipal ResearcherResearch & Statistics DivisionDepartment of Justice284 Wellington, 6th floorOttawa, ON K1A OH8Tel: (613) 957-9315Email: [email protected]

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Child and Youth Victims and Witnesses of Crime in Canada What is the prevalence of the problem?