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National Sexual Assault Awareness Month

SAAM

May is recognized as National Sexual Assault Awareness Month in Canada. This is an important time to reflect on the prevalence of sexual violence in Canada and how we can work towards improving support and services for those who have been subjected to this violence.

Sexual violence is highly gendered. Women, girls, and gender-diverse people are far more likely to be sexually assaulted than men. Self-report data from 2018 indicates that 33% of women have been sexually assaulted at some point since the age of 15, which was more than three times higher than the rate reported by men. Some women are more vulnerable to this violence than others, including Indigenous women and women with disabilities. The perpetrator of this violence is often someone who is known to them, for instance, a friend, acquaintance, neighbour, family member, or intimate partner.  

Sexual violence occurring in intimate relationships is referred to as intimate partner sexual violence. This violence may look different from relationship to relationship, but at its core, it involves the use of coercion, threats, or physical force to make a person do something they don’t want to do and don’t consent to do. For more information on identifying intimate partner sexual violence, please visit our Forms of Abuse Checklist on Family Court and Beyond and the Intimate Partner Power and Control Wheel.

It’s hard to paint an accurate picture of the prevalence of intimate partner sexual violence in Canada because, like many other forms of intimate partner violence, it is underreported to the police. Of that which is reported, according to Statistics Canada, the rate of police-reported sexual assault in intimate partner relationships increased by 22% from 2020 to 2021. Self-report data from 2014 indicates that rates of sexual violence have been consistent since 2004, unlike other crimes that saw an overall decrease in this same period. Intimate partner sexual violence is also a risk factor for domestic homicides. The risk of lethality for women who have been both physically and sexually abused by their intimate partner is more than seven times higher than the risk for other women who have been abused.

Intimate partner sexual violence can have significant and long-term consequences. These consequences can impact a woman’s physical, mental, emotional, and sexual well-being. Women can experience financial hardship and homelessness when trying to escape this abuse and many are less likely to reach out for support when they have been subjected to this form of violence.

There are many reasons why sexual violence may not be reported. This includes fear of not being believed and mistrust of police and other legal system stakeholders. When talking about intimate partner sexual violence, there is still a clear lack of understanding of what this violence may look like. A woman who has been subjected to this violence may not understand that what she has experienced is abuse and, even if she does realize it is abuse, may not know where to turn for support. For more information on why women may not report intimate partner sexual violence to friends, family members or even police, please see our past blog post “What do I need to know to support women whose partners have sexually assaulted them?“.

For more resources on intimate partner sexual violence, please see some of the following:

Luke’s Place provides support and services to women who have experienced intimate partner sexual violence and are engaging in the family court process:  Call us at 905.728.0978 ext.235 or toll-free at 1.866.516.3116 ext.235 or email us to learn more or book an appointment.

Our Oshawa office is open to in-person services by appointment only. Walk-in services are available at our Courthouse office on Monday (9:30am-4:30pm), Wednesday (9:00am-12:30pm) and Friday (9:30am-4:30pm).

For a list of other organizations you can turn to for support, please see Ending Violence Association of Canada’s list of sexual assault centres, crisis lines and support services organized by province and territory.