Statistics Canada Report on Criminal Victimization in the Territories, 2014

Statistics Canada has released numbers on Criminal victimization in the territories, 2014 that shows that the number of residents of Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut who report having been the victims of crime is much higher than for residents of Canada's provinces.

Among the highlights:

•More than one-quarter of residents of the territories (28%) reported being the victim of at least one crime in 2014. This was down from the proportion reported in 2009 (34%), but remains higher than the figure reported in the provinces (18%).
•Both violent victimization (-29%) and household victimization (-34%) decreased from 2009. However, the rate of theft of personal property remained stable.
•Nunavut recorded the highest rates of both violent victimization (241E per 1,000 population) and household victimization (313 per 1,000 population) among the territories. On the other hand, this territory also reported the lowest rate of theft of personal property (68E per 1,000 population).
•Overall, the proportion of people who reported being the victim of at least one crime was higher in communities with a population of 2,000 or more (32%) than in smaller communities (19%).
•Approximately one-third of residents of the territories (34%) reported having been the victim of abuse by an adult at least once before the age of 15. This proportion was higher among those aged 45 to 64 years (45%) than those aged 15 to 34 years (26%).
•Among those with a spouse or common-law partner (current or ex), 12% reported at least one spousal violence incident in the preceding five years, similar to the proportion reported in 2009. Three-quarters (75%) of victims were Aboriginal.
•Consistent with data in the provinces, Aboriginal identity was not associated with an increased risk of violent victimization when other risk factors were taken into account.
•Approximately one-half (49%) of victims of spousal violence reported sustaining injuries due to the violence. This proportion was higher than the proportion observed in the provinces (31%).
•Almost half (49%) of cases of spousal violence were reported to the police, and so were 36% of victimization incidents other than spousal violence.
•About one-third (34%) of females in the territories reported feeling very safe walking alone at night, compared with almost two-thirds (62%) of males.
•Over one-third of territorial residents (36%) reported having a great deal of confidence in the police. Aboriginal residents were less likely to report having a great deal of confidence in the police compared to non-Aboriginal residents (30% compared with 43%, respectively).