Statistics – The Victims and the Perpetrators
No matter how she is dressed, the state she is in, her behavior or the circumstances, the sexual assault victim is never responsible !
The Victims of Sexual Assault
- 1 woman out of 3 has been the victim of a sexual assault.
- 1 man out of 6 will be victim of a sexual assault during the course of his life.
- 83% of sexual assault victims are female.
- More than 75% of native girls under the age of 18 have been sexually assaulted.
- 40% of physically handicapped women will be victim of at least one sexual assault during the course of their lives.
- Women living with disabilities are two to three times more at risk of being sexually assaulted than women with no disabilities.
- 7 to 9 women out of 10 with an intellectual disability will be victim of at least one sexual assault during the course of their lives.
- 1 woman out of 7 has been sexually assaulted at least once by her spouse.
- Close to 8 victims out of 10 know the perpetrator.
- Up to 90% of sexual assaults are not reported to the police.
- Reported sexual assaults against people of 55 years of age and older have increased since 2001.
- Victims of sexual assault come from all sorts of social and economical backgrounds.
- No matter what their age, all women can be sexually assaulted. On the other hand, women victims of discrimination in regards to their origin, sexual orientation or disability are more vulnerable to violence and abuse.
The Perpetrators
- In 98% of reported sexual assaults, the perpetrator is male.
- 20% of perpetrators are under the age of 18.
- In 2% of cases, the perpetrator is female.
- In 70% of cases, the perpetrator commits this crime in a private home (usually his own or the victim’s).
- 50% of perpetrators are married men living with a woman.
- 95% of perpetrators have regular sexual intercourse with a consenting woman.
- The perpetrator is generally a person of sound mind who knows the victim and takes advantage of their trust relationship or his position of authority to sexually assault her.
The perpetrator can be a family member, a friend, an acquaintance, a spouse, a professional, a co-worker, an employer, a teacher, a fellow student, a neighbour, a client, a patient or a stranger.
Sources :
- Ministère de la Sécurité publique (2006). Les Agressions sexuelles au Québec. Statistiques 2004, Sainte-Foy, Québec. Direction de la prévention et de la lutte contre la criminalité. Ministère de la Sécurité publique.
- Gouvernement du Québec, Orientations gouvernementales en matière d’agression sexuelle. Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux. 2001.
- Statistiques 2008 sur les agressions sexuelles au Québec, ministère de la Sécurité publique, décembre 2009.
- Feuerstein, 1997; Tyiska, 1998, dans Mercier 2005.
