Analysis

While trafficking in persons has become a worldwide concern, current data collection activities reveal that data are limited in scope, incomparable and insufficient to ascertain the true extent of the problem in Canada. This study was conducted by the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics and funded by Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada to examine the feasibility of developing a national data collection framework to measure trafficking in persons in Canada. Consultations were undertaken with key stakeholders from provincial and federal government departments, the police community, non-government organizations and academics. This report identifies a number of data collection and research strategies that could contribute to a better understanding of the nature and scope of human trafficking in Canada.

While they may be young, children and youth under the age of 18 fall victim to the same types of violence as adults including physical and sexual assault, robbery, criminal harassment and homicide. They can be victimized by a family member, a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger while in their own home, in their neighbourhood or at school. Quantifying the incidence of violent victimization against children and youth continues to be a challenge. In Canada, detailed information about police-reported violent incidents committed against children and youth is collected through the Incident-based Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR2) Survey. This report analyzes the nature and extent of police-reported violence committed against children and youth under the age of 18. It examines differences in victimization based on sex and age of victims, type of offence, prevalence across the provinces and territories, relationship to the perpetrator, weapon used and level of injury. It also presents information on trends over time.

With the increasing proportion of seniors in Canada, there has been a growing concern about their risk of becoming victims of crime. Using data from self-reported victimization and police-reported surveys, this profile examines the nature and prevalence of violent and property crimes against seniors. The report also examines characteristics of offences committed against seniors, the level of reporting to the police and the proportion of incidents involving weapons and causing injuries to senior victims. Furthermore, information on seniors' fear of crime, the prevalence of spousal abuse and seniors' risk of telemarketing fraud is also presented. According to self-reported and police reported data, seniors' experience the lowest levels of violent and property crimes compared to their younger counterparts. However, seniors may be more vulnerable to telemarketing fraud. Seniors' level of satisfaction with their overall personal safety has improved over the last five years.

Recognizing that there is the need for better information and statistics on organized crime, and for methodologies to measure its impact on Canadians, the federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for Justice have endorsed a plan to begin addressing Canada's data gap in the area of organized crime.

The Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics was contracted by the Solicitor General of Canada to investigate the feasibility of collecting quantitative data on organized crime. This report highlights the lessons learned during consultations with selected police intelligence units and it presents a number of options for data collection.

Using results from the 1999 GSS, this chapter will examine Canadians' perceptions and fear of crime. In particular, attention is focused on four main area: pervasiveness of fear of crime, factors that can affect fear of crime, and the use of precautionary measures.

This report provides an in-depth analysis of the findings of the 1999 General Social Survey on victimization and public perceptions of crime and the justice system. The chapters examine the risks of violent and household victimization; urban and rural victimization; victims' use of services; and perceptions and fear of crime.

The Youth Custody and Community Services (YCCS) Survey is a micro-data survey, conducted annually since 1992. The YCCS survey collects data from jurisdictional operational systems via electronic interfaces. Data are forwarded to the Centre, processed, and returned to jurisdictions as aggregate data tables for verification and sign-off. The survey collects a wide array of information on young offender admissions to custody and community services (e.g., custody type, crime committed, sentence length, age, gender, Aboriginal/non-Aboriginal). The YCCS annual report is the primary vehicle for disseminating young offender information on prison populations and the use of community sanctions. To date, there have been four releases (Initiative only) of the YCCS annual report. Jurisdictional coverage varied from report to report since YCCS interfaces were phased-in over several years.

Interface projects have been completed, and data are being collected from Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia, and Yukon. In addition, the interface project for Nova Scotia is nearing completion. Together, these jurisdictions represent 47% of the national coverage of youth corrections. While the development of an electronic interface is presently not feasible in some jurisdictions, Ontario and Quebec are able to provide some of the aggregate data required to populate the tables contained in the annual report. With the addition of Ontario and Quebec in 1998-99, only data from Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories would be missing from the annual report.

Further, in preparation for the proposed release of YCCS data, and as part of Statistics Canada's ongoing survey review process, the YCCS survey is currently undergoing a detailed methodological review, with particular attention to data quality issues and output.

The inclusion of aggregate data from Ontario and Quebec will increase the coverage of the YCCS significantly. Also, the methodological review of the YCCS will assess the reliability of the data elements covered in the annual report. Since the survey has been in operation since 1992 and since the YCCS is the primary source of young offender information on prison populations and the use of community sanctions.

The purpose of this report is to reduce the level of confusion arising from the use of crime data originating from two very different sources (i.e., the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey - UCR and the General Social Survey - GSS) and to inform discussions about which is the better measure of crime. It explains why the findings based on these data sources diverge and summarizes the major differences between the two surveys.

While trafficking in persons has become a worldwide concern, current data collection activities reveal that data are limited in scope, incomparable and insufficient to ascertain the true extent of the problem in Canada. This study was conducted by the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics and funded by Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada to examine the feasibility of developing a national data collection framework to measure trafficking in persons in Canada. Consultations were undertaken with key stakeholders from provincial and federal government departments, the police community, non-government organizations and academics. This report identifies a number of data collection and research strategies that could contribute to a better understanding of the nature and scope of human trafficking in Canada.

While they may be young, children and youth under the age of 18 fall victim to the same types of violence as adults including physical and sexual assault, robbery, criminal harassment and homicide. They can be victimized by a family member, a friend, an acquaintance or a stranger while in their own home, in their neighbourhood or at school. Quantifying the incidence of violent victimization against children and youth continues to be a challenge. In Canada, detailed information about police-reported violent incidents committed against children and youth is collected through the Incident-based Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR2) Survey. This report analyzes the nature and extent of police-reported violence committed against children and youth under the age of 18. It examines differences in victimization based on sex and age of victims, type of offence, prevalence across the provinces and territories, relationship to the perpetrator, weapon used and level of injury. It also presents information on trends over time.

With the increasing proportion of seniors in Canada, there has been a growing concern about their risk of becoming victims of crime. Using data from self-reported victimization and police-reported surveys, this profile examines the nature and prevalence of violent and property crimes against seniors. The report also examines characteristics of offences committed against seniors, the level of reporting to the police and the proportion of incidents involving weapons and causing injuries to senior victims. Furthermore, information on seniors' fear of crime, the prevalence of spousal abuse and seniors' risk of telemarketing fraud is also presented. According to self-reported and police reported data, seniors' experience the lowest levels of violent and property crimes compared to their younger counterparts. However, seniors may be more vulnerable to telemarketing fraud. Seniors' level of satisfaction with their overall personal safety has improved over the last five years.

Using results from the 1999 GSS, this chapter will examine Canadians' perceptions and fear of crime. In particular, attention is focused on four main area: pervasiveness of fear of crime, factors that can affect fear of crime, and the use of precautionary measures.

Recognizing that there is the need for better information and statistics on organized crime, and for methodologies to measure its impact on Canadians, the federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for Justice have endorsed a plan to begin addressing Canada's data gap in the area of organized crime.

The Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics was contracted by the Solicitor General of Canada to investigate the feasibility of collecting quantitative data on organized crime. This report highlights the lessons learned during consultations with selected police intelligence units and it presents a number of options for data collection.

This report provides an in-depth analysis of the findings of the 1999 General Social Survey on victimization and public perceptions of crime and the justice system. The chapters examine the risks of violent and household victimization; urban and rural victimization; victims' use of services; and perceptions and fear of crime.

The Youth Custody and Community Services (YCCS) Survey is a micro-data survey, conducted annually since 1992. The YCCS survey collects data from jurisdictional operational systems via electronic interfaces. Data are forwarded to the Centre, processed, and returned to jurisdictions as aggregate data tables for verification and sign-off. The survey collects a wide array of information on young offender admissions to custody and community services (e.g., custody type, crime committed, sentence length, age, gender, Aboriginal/non-Aboriginal). The YCCS annual report is the primary vehicle for disseminating young offender information on prison populations and the use of community sanctions. To date, there have been four releases (Initiative only) of the YCCS annual report. Jurisdictional coverage varied from report to report since YCCS interfaces were phased-in over several years.

Interface projects have been completed, and data are being collected from Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia, and Yukon. In addition, the interface project for Nova Scotia is nearing completion. Together, these jurisdictions represent 47% of the national coverage of youth corrections. While the development of an electronic interface is presently not feasible in some jurisdictions, Ontario and Quebec are able to provide some of the aggregate data required to populate the tables contained in the annual report. With the addition of Ontario and Quebec in 1998-99, only data from Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories would be missing from the annual report.

Further, in preparation for the proposed release of YCCS data, and as part of Statistics Canada's ongoing survey review process, the YCCS survey is currently undergoing a detailed methodological review, with particular attention to data quality issues and output.

The inclusion of aggregate data from Ontario and Quebec will increase the coverage of the YCCS significantly. Also, the methodological review of the YCCS will assess the reliability of the data elements covered in the annual report. Since the survey has been in operation since 1992 and since the YCCS is the primary source of young offender information on prison populations and the use of community sanctions.

The purpose of this report is to reduce the level of confusion arising from the use of crime data originating from two very different sources (i.e., the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey - UCR and the General Social Survey - GSS) and to inform discussions about which is the better measure of crime. It explains why the findings based on these data sources diverge and summarizes the major differences between the two surveys.