The Facts

• Abuse often starts or gets worse during pregnancy. (Government of Nova Scotia, 2006)
   

• Half of Canadian women, approximately 51%, have been victims of at least one act of physical or sexual violence since the age of 16. (CAEFS, 2006)
   

• According to homicide statistics from 2004 women were much more likely to be killed by their spouse than men, the spousal homicide rate against women was five times higher than the corresponding rate for men. (Statistics Canada, 2005)
   

• Young women (aged 25-34) had the highest rates of spousal violence reported to the police. (Statistics Canada, 2003)
   

• The victimization least likely to be reported was sexual assault. Only 8% of sexual assaults were reported to police. (Statistics Canada, 2005)
   

• Interviews with some women have found emotional abuse to be even more upsetting and disturbing than physical violence because of the lasting emotional scars. (Statistics Canada, 2005)
   

• Health Canada calculates a cost of $1.1 billion just for the direct medical costs of violence against women in Canada. (WHO, 2004)

In Newfoundland and Labrador

• During 2004-2005, there were 1,084 admissions of women and dependent children to shelters in Newfoundland and Labrador. Of those admitted for abuse, 100% were fleeing psychological abuse, 67% physical abuse, 60% threats, 33% harassment, 20% financial abuse, and 13% sexual abuse. (Statistics Canada 2005).
   

• In 2004 - 2005 Iris Kirby House in St. John’s, NL received a total of 9,900 crisis calls that included 826 distress calls, 826 calls from ex- residents and 7,974 other calls related to abuse. (Iris Kirby House Inc.)
   

• Statistics Canada reports that in 2004 sexual assault was reported at a rate of 1 per 1357 people. In Newfoundland and Labrador the rate of sexual assault was reported to be 1 per 1081 people. This was the highest rate of sexual assault reported in the Atlantic Provinces.
   

• According to Canadian statistics from the 2004 General Social Survey (GSS) there has not been any change in the percentage of Canadians (7%) 15 years of age and over in a current, previous, or common-law union who experienced spousal violence in the previous five years. The same survey found that female victims of spousal violence were three times more likely than male victims to fear for their life (34% versus 10%) and three times more likely to take time off from their everyday activities because of the violence (29% versus 10%). Individuals between the ages of 15 and 24 who have been in a common-law relationship for three years or less, and whose partner is a frequent heavy drinker, are at an increased risk of experiencing violence at the hands of their intimate partner.

Aboriginal Women

• In 2003 Aboriginal people were three times more likely to be victims of spousal violence than were those who are non-Aboriginal. In addition, 54% of Aboriginal women reported experiencing severe and potentially life threatening violence compared to 37% of non-Aboriginal women. (Statistics Canada, 2005)
   

• Over the last two decades, some 500 indigenous women in Canada have been murdered or are missing and feared dead. (NWAC, 2004)
   

• 24% of Aboriginal women, compared with18% of Aboriginal men, said that they had suffered violence from a current or previous spouse or common-law partner in the five-year period up to 2004. (Statistics Canada, 2005)
   

• Up to 75% of survivors of sexual assaults in Aboriginal communities are young women under 18 years old. 50% of those are under 14 years old, and almost 25% are younger than 7 years old. (METRAC, 2001)

• Eighty-two percent of all federally sentenced women report having been physically and/or sexually abused. This percentage rises to 90% for Aboriginal women. (CAEFS, 2006)
   

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