Violence Against Women Includes:

 Sexual Assault

 Violence in Relationships:
Also called Domestic Violence, Domestic Abuse,
Family Violence, Battering, Spousal Abuse,
Intimate Partner Violence

 Criminal Harassment or Stalking

 How Common Is
Violence Against Women?
1 in 3 women in Canada over the age of 16 experiences
sexual assault

Measuring Violence Against Women: Statistical Trends 2006

Statistics Canada
 How Common Is
Violence Against Women?
 6% of sexual assaults are reported to the police in Canada
(E Division, RCMP, 2005)

 In the year 2000, 24,000 sexual assaults were reported to

police in Canada. (Statistics Canada)

 In the year 2000, 3,700 sexual assaults were reported to

police in BC. (Statistics Canada)

 This means that in the year 2000 over 400,000

women in Canada and over 61,000 women in BC
were sexually assaulted.
 How Common Is
Violence Against Women?
 61% of sexual offences reported to police in 2003 involved
victims under 18 years old. About 80% of those victims
were girls.
 In some First Nations communities in BC, over 90% of the
women have experienced sexual violence.
 53% of women who live with disabilities from birth have
been raped, abused or assaulted.

 As with all forms of violence against women, immigrant

women, refugee women, poor women and trans-gendered
people are more vulnerable to sexual violence.
How Common Is
Violence Against Women?

 10,273 incidents of violence in relationships were

reported to BC police in 2005:

 9% increase since 2004

 74% involved a male offender
 16% involved a female offender
 represents 26% of all assaults in BC
How Common Is
Violence Against Women?
Number of spousal homicide victims in Canada
1975- 2004

Female
Newfoundland and Labrador 15
Prince Edward Island 6
Nova Scotia 62
New Brunswick 52
Quebec 497
Ontario 753
Manitoba 123
Saskatchewan 98
Alberta 244
British Columbia 293
Yukon 9
Northwest Territories 22
Nunavut 4

Canada 2,178
How Common Is
Violence Against Women?
 In 2004:

 75% of criminal harassment (“stalking”) incidents reported to

the police were directed at women
 50% of the women were stalked by a person with whom they
had an intimate relationship
 Stalking is the number one risk factor for actual and attempted
murders of women (McFarlane et. Al, 2002)

 90% of people reported for stalking are men Measuring Violence

Against Women: Statistical Trends, Statistics Canada, 2006)

 Two thirds (66%) of all criminal harassment incidents occurred

at the victim’s home.
 Sexual Assault Against Women and Children in BC, 2005

10%
2%

88%
Level 1 Sexual Assault: any forced sexual contact without bodily harm

Level 2 Sexual Assault: forced sexual contact causing or threatening to cause bodily harm using a weapon (imitation or real)Level 3 Sexual Assault:
forced sexual contact that causes aggravated bodily harm or endangers the life of the survivor or others
Sexual Offences Against Children: sexual touching or interference, sexual exploitation and incest
Types of Violence Experienced by Women in Canada, 2004

T hreatened, threw
something (27,900)
Beaten, choked, 11%
used a gun/knife,
sexually assaulted
(99,060)
39%

Pushed, shoved,
slapped (101,600)
40%
Kicked, bit, hit, hit
with something
(25,400)
10%
 Rate of Criminal Harassment Against Women, By Age
In Canada, 2004

45 years and over

14%

under 25 years
34 to 44 year olds 41%
18%

25 to 34 year olds
27%
Why Focus On Women?

International Agencies such as the

United Nations, the World Health
Organization, and Amnesty
International have identified
violence against women as a global
human rights issue.
What is Violence Against Women?
Violence In Relationships
Violence in Relationships
 Physical assault: hitting, punching, choking,
slapping, pulling hair
 Sexual assault: any form of forced sexual
activity
 Threats and Intimidation
 Emotional abuse: insults, intimidation,
control, isolation, mind games, put downs
 Financial abuse: controlling, stealing and
withholding money
 Spiritual/cultural abuse: restricting spiritual
or cultural practices or beliefs
 Murder
Violence In Relationships –
The Law
 The Canadian Criminal Code has no specific
offence called “violence against women” or
“spousal assault”.

 Criminal Code provisions that most commonly

apply include the offences of assault, sexual
assault, criminal harassment, threats of
violence, forcible confinement and
homicide.
The Criminal Justice System
response in BC is guided by:

• The Attorney General

Violence Against Women In
Relationship (VAWIR) Policy

•The RCMP Violence In

Relationship (VIR) Policy

•The Crown Counsel Spouse

Assault Policy
Violence In Relationships - Pregnancy

In Canada, 1 In Every 5 Women Assaulted

By A Partner Is Assaulted During Pregnancy
Statistics Canada, Family Violence in Canada, 1999
Canadian Women’s Foundation’s Violence Against Women Fact Sheet
Violence In Relationships - Separation

In Canada:
· 1,056 intimate partner
homicides in a ten year
period
 846 women killed (80%)
 210 men killed (20%)

 70% of deaths had a history

of domestic violence as noted
by police*

 Family Violence in Canada, A

Statistical Profile, 2004
Statistics Canada
 What is the Impact?
Violence In Relationships
 Physical & Psychological
Effects
Health problems
Self-harming behaviours
Long-lasting effects
More likely to commit suicide

 Decrease in income
 Injury/permanent
disability
 Death
Ending Violence Together
Support Services
Community Support Services Can Provide Practical
Assistance for Survivors:
• development and/or revision of safety plan
• assistance with getting copies of court orders
• explanation of procedures and accompaniment to
meetings with police, Crown, etc.
• assistance in completing forms
• liaison with systems
• court accompaniment, accompaniment to sentencing,
hearing, if requested
• assistance with transportation, if requested
• provision of, or assistance in securing, translation where
needed or available
Ending Violence Together
Safety Planning

 Support workers are trained to assist a woman

to develop a plan which addresses her unique
situation and risks

 A safety plan is important because it is easier to

plan ahead than to plan while dealing with a
crisis.

 Women are able to assess and adapt safety tips

from other women who have abusive current
and former partners.
END VIOLENCE TOGETHER
FOR THE DIGNITY OF EVERY WOMAN

Funding for the production of this presentation was provided by

the BC Ministry of Community Services and created by the BC
Association of Specialized Victim Assistance and Counselling
Programs