This Statistics Canada report presents the most current self-reported data on the lifetime (since age 15) prevalence of violent victimization, as well as the prevalence of violent victimization in the past 12 months, of Indigenous women in Canada. The report uses data from multiple sources, including the 2018 Survey of Safety in Public and Private Spaces (SSPPS), 2019 General Social Survey (GSS) on Canadian’s Safety (Victimization), and five years (2015 to 2020) of data from the Homicide Survey.
The article presents information about experiences of childhood abuse and maltreatment, and explores the intersectionality of violent victimization with other demographic and socioeconomic factors. It assesses perceptions of safety and neighbourhood disorder, and confidence and trust in the police and the justice system among Indigenous women. Homicide data highlights the prevalence and characteristics among homicide of Indigenous women in Canada.
Report highlights include:
– Results from the SSPPS indicate that more than six in ten (63%) Indigenous women have experienced physical or sexual assault in their lifetime.
– Almost six in ten (56%) Indigenous women have experienced physical assault while almost half (46%) of Indigenous women have experienced sexual assault. In comparison, about a third of non-Indigenous women have experienced physical assault (34%) or sexual assault (33%) in their lifetime.
– About two-thirds of First Nations (64%) and Métis (65%) women have experienced violent victimization in their lifetime.
– Certain characteristics were associated with a higher likelihood of experiencing lifetime violent victimization among Indigenous women, including having a disability or ever experiencing homelessness.
– Indigenous women (42%) were more likely than non-Indigenous women (27%) to have been physically or sexually abused by an adult during childhood and to have experienced harsh parenting by a parent or guardian. These childhood experiences were associated with an increased prevalence of lifetime violent victimization.
Published By: Statistics Canada, Juristat series
Publication Date: April 26, 2022
Click here to access Violent victimization and perceptions of safety: Experiences of First Nations, Métis and Inuit women in Canada
