Police-reported violence against men and boys in Canada, 2021
Released: 2023-01-12
Since 2016, the rate of police-reported violence against men and boys has increased by 12%, with the largest increase for men aged 45 and older (+22%).
The Juristat article, "Victimization of men and boys in Canada, 2021," was released today. It explores trends and characteristics of violence against men and boys using police-reported data from the Incident-based Uniform Crime Reporting Survey and the Homicide Survey.
Rates for many severe forms of police-reported violence are higher among men and boys
In 2021, there were 192,413 men and boys who were victims of police-reported violent crime in Canada. This represented a rate of 1,015 victims per 100,000 male population and accounted for just under half (46%) of all victims of violent crime reported by police. The overall rate of police-reported violence was lower among men and boys (1,015 per 100,000 male population) compared with women and girls (1,190 per 100,000 female population), due to a lower rate of sexual offences against men and boys reported to police. The rate of physical assault offences was higher among men and boys compared with women and girls up to and including age 10 to 14, and then again from age 45 to 49 until about age 85 to 89.
Chart 1
Victims of police-reported violent crime, by victim age group, gender and type of offence, Canada, 2021
With the exception of sexual offences, higher rates of many of the more severe forms of violence were seen among men and boys. Specifically, men and boys (6.0 per 100,000 male population) were victims of homicide, other violations causing death and attempted murder at a rate three times greater than that of women and girls (2.0 per 100,000 female population). Similarly, higher rates were documented for serious physical assault (i.e., assault with a weapon or causing bodily harm and aggravated assault), robbery and extortion among men and boys than among women and girls.
Rates of police-reported violent crime against men and boys increasing since 2016
While rates of police-reported violent crime against men and boys declined from 2011 to 2014, they have since been on the rise, except for declines in 2016 and 2020. This pattern was similar for women and girls. Specifically, since 2016, the rate of male victimization increased by 12%, with increases observed for every age group except for men aged 18 to 24, where there was a slight decline (-1.3%). Over the same period, rates for women and girls increased by 21% overall.
Among men and boys, the largest increase in violent victimization since 2016 was for those aged 45 and older (+22%). They were also the only age group with a higher rate of victimization in 2021 (659 per 100,000 male population), compared with similarly aged women (516 per 100,000 female population).
Rates of police-reported violence against men and boys highest in the territories, the Prairies and in rural areas
In 2021, the highest rate of violence against men and boys reported by police was in the Northwest Territories (7,926 per 100,000 male population), followed by Nunavut (7,003) and Yukon (3,276). In the provinces, the rate of violence against men and boys was highest in Manitoba (1,805 per 100,000 male population), followed by Saskatchewan (1,666). Of note, the rates of police-reported violence against women and girls were also the highest in these regions.
The overall rate of police-reported violence against men and boys in 2021 was 1.5 times higher in rural areas (1,438 per 100,000 male population), compared with urban areas (936). The high rates of rural violence were caused in large part by police-reported violence in the rural North. Specifically, the rate of violent victimization against men and boys was 3,519 per 100,000 male population in the rural North, more than three times higher than the rate in the rural South (1,034) and nearly four times higher than in urban areas (936).
It follows that the rate of violence against men and boys was lower in census metropolitan areas (CMAs) (871 per 100,000 male population), compared with non-CMAs (1,379), though rates varied widely among them. The highest rates of violence against men and boys were found in Thunder Bay (1,737), followed by Lethbridge (1,633) and Moncton (1,575). By contrast, the lowest rates of violence were documented in Guelph (454), followed by Barrie (550) and Ottawa (624).
Most young boys victimized by a family member, while older boys and men victimized by a casual acquaintance or stranger
Of the men and boys who reported experiencing violent victimization to police in 2021, nearly 8 in 10 (79%) were victimized by someone outside their family, compared with about 6 in 10 (61%) women and girls. The largest proportion of males who were victimized by a family member were aged 11 and younger (59%), three-quarters (75%) of whom were victimized by a parent. Just over 1 in 10 (13%) men and boys were victimized by an intimate partner, compared with 4 in 10 (40%) women and girls.
With increasing age, and as the social networks of individuals begin to extend beyond family, proportionately more males were victimized by someone outside of their family. For instance, boys aged 12 to 17 were most commonly victimized by a casual acquaintance (39%), or by a stranger (28%). From age 18 onward, a stranger was the most common perpetrator of violent crime against men. Moreover, the relationships shared between victims and accused appear to align with the location of victimization. For instance, the largest proportion (42%) of men aged 18 to 24 were victimized by a stranger. Of these stranger victimizations, 75% were victimized at a school, outdoor or commercial location.
In 2021, 4 in 10 men and boys sustained a physical injury as a result of the victimization
Of violent crimes reported by police in 2021, physical force was used against just over half (51%) of all men and boys. An additional 30% of men and boys experienced victimization where a weapon was present, which is twice the amount documented among women and girls (15%).
Overall, 4 in 10 (40%) men and boys sustained a physical injury as a result of the violence, which was least common among boys aged 11 and younger (35%) and most common among men aged 25 to 34 (43%). Of the men and boys who sustained an injury, around 9 in 10 (91%) had a minor injury and the remaining 9% had a major injury.
Increase in homicide rate involving male victims
While men and boys accounted for just under half of the victims of violent crime in general, they comprised three-quarters (75%) of all homicide victims in 2021. Specifically, 586 men and boys were victims of homicide in Canada, with a rate of 3.08 victims per 100,000 male population. This rate is almost unchanged from the previous year (3.04 in 2020), but is more than three times the homicide rate for women and girls (1.02) in 2021. From 2011 to 2021, the homicide rate among men and boys increased by 22%, driven largely by an increase in homicides of men aged 25 and older (+32%).
From 2011 to 2021, the large majority (87%) of male homicide victims aged 11 and younger were killed by a family member. However, for all other age groups, an average of more than 8 in 10 (83%) male victims were killed by someone outside of their family—most commonly by a friend, stranger or acquaintance. Of these homicides, 16% were confirmed or suspected as being related to organized crime or street gang involvement.
Overall, from 2011 to 2021, shooting was the most common primary method used to cause the death of men and boys (40%), almost double the rate documented for women and girls (22%).
Note to readers
The Incident-based Uniform Crime Reporting Survey collects detailed information on criminal incidents that have come to the attention of police services in Canada. Information includes characteristics of victims, accused persons and incidents. In 2021, data from police services covered 99% of the population of Canada. Victim age is calculated based on the end date of an incident, as reported by the police. Some victims experience violence over a period of time—sometimes years—which may be considered by police to be part of one continuous incident. Information about the number and dates of individual incidents for these victims of continuous violence is not available. Analyses exclude victims whose gender or age was coded as unknown and those where age was greater than 110 because of possible instances of miscoding of unknown age within this age category. Analyses also exclude victim data reported by the Canadian Forces Military Police.
The Homicide Survey collects detailed information on all homicides that have come to the attention of, and have been substantiated by, police services in Canada. Information includes characteristics of victims, accused persons and incidents. Homicides are counted according to the year they were reported to Statistics Canada. Victims and accused persons identified as gender diverse have been distributed to either the male or female category, based on the regional distribution of victims' or accused persons' gender. Accused characteristics are updated as homicide cases are solved, and new information is submitted to the Homicide Survey. For incidents involving more than one accused, only the relationship between the victim and the closest accused is recorded.
Products
The article "Victimization of men and boys in Canada, 2021" is now available as part of the publication Juristat (85-002-X).
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).
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