Section 4: Police-reported family violence against seniors in Canada, 2019
Violence against seniors—sometimes referred to as elder abuse—is often perpetrated by family members and occurs in residential settings. It can take on many forms, including physical, sexual, emotional and financial abuse, and neglect and abandonment (Justice Canada 2015; World Health Organization 2020). Controlling and coercive behaviours from family members may also isolate seniors from others outside the home. Consequences for seniors who experience this type of violence may include loneliness and depression, increased dependency, financial problems and a shorter life span (Public Health Agency of Canada 2014).
As the Canadian population ages, this issue will continue to grow in importance. COVID-19 restrictions have had widespread impacts for the older population. Due to their age, seniors were designated as high risk for severe illness and complications with the virus. Thus, for many seniors, their social contacts and supports outside the family have been drastically reduced. An important area for further analysis will be violence against seniors in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. While not necessarily family-related, the relationship between a caregiver and a dependant in these environments mirrors that which typically exists within a family.
In this section, family violence refers to violence committed by spouses (legally married, separated, divorced and common-law), children (biological, step, adopted and foster), siblings (biological, step, half, adopted and foster) and extended family members (e.g., grandchildren, nephews, nieces, cousins and in-laws). Victims refer to those aged 65 to 89 years.Note
One in three senior victims of police-reported violence victimized by a family member
In 2019, there were 14,156 senior victims of police-reported violence in Canada, and over half (55%) were men (Table 4.1). One-third (32%) of senior victims were victimized by a family member, which represented 4,518 victims.
Family violence against seniors that came to the attention of police was most often perpetrated by their child (34%) followed by a spouse (26%) and a sibling (12%), and this pattern was the same for female and male seniors. Similar to family violence in general, women were overrepresented as victims of family violence against seniors (58%).
Family violence against seniors increases for the fourth consecutive year
The rate of police-reported family violence against seniors was 8% higher in 2019 compared with the previous year, while the rate of non-family violence against seniors increased 13% (Chart 4.1).Note For family violence against seniors, this marked the fourth consecutive annual increase, up 20% from 2015. During this time, the rate of family violence against seniors increased 18% for women and 23% for men. Between 2009 and 2019, the rate increased 19% overall while the rate of non-family violence against seniors increased 31%.
Data table for Chart 4.1
Family violence | Non-family violence | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Female victims | Male victims | Total victims | Female victims | Male victims | Total victims | |
rate per 100,000 population | ||||||
2009 | 65 | 55 | 60 | 83 | 160 | 118 |
2010 | 69 | 51 | 61 | 90 | 167 | 125 |
2011 | 67 | 53 | 61 | 84 | 160 | 119 |
2012 | 68 | 51 | 60 | 86 | 159 | 120 |
2013 | 64 | 51 | 58 | 86 | 156 | 118 |
2014 | 66 | 53 | 60 | 80 | 154 | 115 |
2015 | 66 | 53 | 60 | 90 | 161 | 123 |
2016 | 68 | 56 | 62 | 87 | 163 | 122 |
2017 | 71 | 58 | 65 | 96 | 173 | 132 |
2018 | 73 | 60 | 67 | 98 | 179 | 136 |
2019 | 78 | 65 | 72 | 115 | 199 | 154 |
Note: Rates are calculated on the basis of 100,000 population aged 65 to 89 years. Populations based on July 1 estimates from Statistics Canada, Centre for Demography. Victims refer to those aged 65 to 89 years. Victims aged 90 years and older are excluded from analyses due to possible instances of miscoding of unknown age within this age category. Excludes victims where the gender or the age was unknown or where the accused-victim relationship was unknown. Based on the Incident-based Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, Trend Database, which, as of 2009, includes data for 99% of the population in Canada. As a result, numbers may not match those presented elsewhere in the report. Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics, Incident-based Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, Trend Database. |
Physical assault most common form of family violence against seniors
In 2019, the rate of police-reported family violence against seniors was 72 victims per 100,000 population (Table 4.2). The most common type of family violence perpetrated against seniors was physical assaultNote (accounting for 72% of victims, a rate of 52 per 100,000 population) followed by other offences involving violence or the threat of violence (19).Note This pattern was similar for women and men.
Two-thirds (67%) of senior victims of family violence were assaulted using physical force (Table 4.3).Note A further 16% of victims were assaulted with a weapon present, such as a knife, club or firearm. Four in ten (41%) senior victims of family violence suffered a physical injury, somewhat higher than those who experienced non-family violence (36%).Note Of the seniors who were physically injured as a result of family violence, the vast majority (93%) had minor injuries. Physical injury resulting from family violence against seniors was similar for women and men (40% and 42%, respectively).
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Violence against seniors in nursing and retirement homes
Seniors represent nearly one-fifth (18%) of the Canadian population (Statistics Canada 2021). According to the 2016 Census, 7% of all seniors live in collective dwellings such as nursing homes, residences for seniors and other residential care facilities (Employment and Social Development Canada 2019). These environments are often an extension of the family unit, a place where their needs are met and where trust is built over time. As the senior age group continues to grow in size, so too will their need for adequate, suitable and affordable housing—and, most importantly, housing that is safe.
Of the 14,156 senior victims of police-reported violence in Canada in 2019, 1,530 (11%) were victimized in a nursing or retirement home and two-thirds (66%) of these seniors were women.Note Most (81%) seniors who experienced violence in these settings were physically assaulted, while around one in seven (15%) were sexually assaulted. Differences emerged according to gender, however: 76% of female victims were physically assaulted (while 20% were sexually assaulted) and 90% of male victims were physically assaulted (while 5% were sexually assaulted). The remaining victims experienced other types of violence.
Where incidents involved a single victim and a single accused person—and occurred in a nursing or retirement home—a small proportion (5%) of senior victims experienced violence by a family member. They were most commonly victimized by a casual acquaintance (48%), a neighbour (18%), a stranger (11%) or a roommate (10%) in the nursing or retirement home. The large majority (81%) of these senior victims experienced violence perpetrated by another senior.Note
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Saskatchewan and Manitoba have highest provincial rates of family violence against seniors
Similar to crime in general, rates of police-reported family violence against seniors were highest in the territories. Among the provinces, the rate of family violence against seniors was highest in Saskatchewan (101 per 100,000 population) followed by Manitoba (98) (Table 4.4).Note Meanwhile, it was lowest in Ontario (53) and Nova Scotia (61). Compared with the provinces, rates were notably higher in the territories, with Nunavut reporting the highest rate (1,970) followed by the Northwest Territories (1,403) and Yukon (276).
Female seniors experienced a higher rate of family violence than their male counterparts in every province and territory, with the exception of Saskatchewan and New Brunswick.Note
In most provinces and territories in 2019, the rate of family violence against seniors increased from the previous year.Note Provincially, the rate decreased by 7% in Alberta while it remained relatively stable in Ontario (-0.2%).
The rate of family violence against seniors in the provinces was higher in rural areas than urban areas (98 versus 65 per 100,000 population), and this pattern was the same for women and men (Chart 4.2).Note In rural areas, senior women had a rate of family violence that was 1.2 times higher than senior men (107 versus 89). Of note, when it came to senior victims, the difference between rural and urban rates was larger for family violence (1.5 times higher in rural areas) as rates of non-family violence were comparable regardless of the type of area.
Data table for Chart 4.2
Family violence | Non-family violence | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Female victims | Male victims | Total victims | Female victims | Male victims | Total victims | |
rate per 100,000 population | ||||||
Urban area | 70 | 58 | 65 | 114 | 196 | 152 |
Rural area | 107 | 89 | 98 | 114 | 204 | 159 |
Note: An urban area is defined as a census metropolitan area (CMA) or a census agglomeration (CA). A CMA consists of one or more neighbouring municipalities situated around a major urban core. A CMA must have a total population of at least 100,000, of which 50,000 or more live in the urban core. To be included in the CMA, adjacent municipalities must have a high degree of integration with the central urban area, as measured by commuting flows derived from census data. A CA must have a core population of at least 10,000. Rural areas are all areas outside of CMAs and CAs. Rates are calculated on the basis of 100,000 population aged 65 to 89 years. Populations based on July 1 estimates from Statistics Canada, Centre for Demography. Victims refer to those aged 65 to 89 years. Victims aged 90 years and older are excluded from analyses due to possible instances of miscoding of unknown age within this age category. Excludes victims where the gender or the age was unknown or where the accused-victim relationship was unknown. Excludes data from the territories. Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics, Incident-based Uniform Crime Reporting Survey. |
The rate of family violence against seniors was 1.4 times lower in Canada’s largest cities—referred to as census metropolitan areasNote or CMAs—than it was in non-CMAs (64 versus 89) (Table 4.5).Note Among the CMAs, rates were highest in Kitchener–Cambridge–Waterloo (123), GatineauNote (107) and Kelowna (94). Meanwhile, they were lowest in Peterborough (26), OttawaNote (28) and Thunder Bay (28).
Contrary to family violence in general, family violence against seniors was higher for men than women in several CMAs: Peterborough, Moncton, Thunder Bay, Halifax, Barrie, Greater Sudbury and Saskatoon.
Detailed data tables
References
Employment and Social Development Canada. 2019. “Report on housing needs of seniors.”
Justice Canada. 2015. Crime and abuse against seniors: A review of the research literature with special reference to the Canadian situation.
Public Health Agency of Canada. 2014. Family Violence Initiative.
Statistics Canada. 2021. Table 17-10-0005-01 – Population estimates on July 1st, by age and sex.
World Health Organization. 2020. Elder abuse.
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