Statistics Canada Report on Victimization of Older Canadians

The Statistics Canada publication Juristat today released an article on Victimization of older Canadians, 2009.

Among the highlights:

• In 2009, more than 154,000 or 2% of people aged 55 or older living in the 10 provinces reported that they had been the victim of a violent crime in the previous 12 months
• Older Canadians reported the lowest rates of violent victimization. For example, the rate of violent victimization among people aged 55 and older was about one-tenth the rate for the youngest group, aged 15 to 24
• The types of violence experienced by older individuals were similar to those reported by Canadians under the age of 55. Both groups cited physical assault as the most common type of violent victimization
• Older people who experienced a violent incident were more likely than younger people to report it to police
• The rate of household victimization for older households was less than one-half the rate reported by younger households. Theft of household property was the most common form of non-violent crime reported by both groups
• Overall, the rate of household victimization among older households has remained stable since 2004