Multi-Site Survey of Victims of Crime and Criminal Justice Professionals across Canada: Summary of Victims of Crime Respondents
3. Findings from the Victims of Crime Respondents
3. Findings from the Victims of Crime Respondents
Responsibility of Criminal Justice Professionals
This section presents the results from the victims of crime respondents. Unlike the data gathering methodology used with the criminal justice system respondents, all data from victims were gathered through in person interviews only.
3.1. Overview of Case and Victim Respondent Characteristics
A total of 112 victims of crime took part in this study. Overall:
- About four-fifths are female.
- Almost three-quarters are between the ages of 25 and 64.
- Over half (57%) of victims are from large urban cities. Just over one-quarter are from medium-sized cities, and one-sixth are from small towns and rural areas.
- For just over one-tenth, French is their first language.
- Less than one-tenth is of Aboriginal origin.
Table 1 below presents their demographic characteristics.
TABLE 1: VICTIM RESPONDENT DEMOGRAPHICS
| Victims (N = 112) | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | % | |
| Female | 88 | 79% |
| Male | 24 | 21% |
| Victims (N = 112) | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | % | |
| Aboriginal | 8 | 7% |
| Non-Aboriginal | 102 | 91% |
| No response | 2 | 2% |
| Victims (N = 112) | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | % | |
| Less than 18 | 4 | 4% |
| 18-24 | 14 | 13% |
| 25-34 | 23 | 21% |
| 35-44 | 29 | 26% |
| 45-54 | 23 | 21% |
| 55-64 | 7 | 6% |
| 65 and over | 10 | 9% |
| No response | 2 | 2% |
| Victims (N = 112) | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | % | |
| English | 92 | 82% |
| French | 14 | 13% |
| Other | 6 | 5% |
| Victims (N = 112) | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | % | |
| Large | 64 | 57% |
| Medium | 30 | 27% |
| Small | 18 | 16% |
Among these 112 victim respondents, four-fifths (n=92) directly experienced the crime, 16 had family members who were victims of crime, and four were representatives of corporate victims. Of the 16 with family members who were victims of crime, ten were parents of the victim, four were siblings, one was a child, and one was a spouse.
Overall, the victim respondents had experienced a variety of a total of 141 violent and/or property crimes, ranging from uttering threats to murder. The most common were sexual assault (27), common assault (17), assault causing bodily harm (17), and uttering threats (14). While violent crimes predominated, i.e., violent crimes accounted for 74% of all crimes experienced by victim respondents, some respondents were victims of property crimes, such as theft and break and enter. Table 2 provides the complete results of the crimes upon which victim respondents based their experience of the criminal justice system.
| Type of crime | Victims (N = 112) | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of crimes (N = 144) | % | |
| Sexual assault | 27 | 24% |
| Assault (common) | 17 | 15% |
| Assault causing bodily harm | 17 | 15% |
| Uttering threats | 14 | 13% |
| Theft | 9 | 8% |
| Break and enter | 9 | 8% |
| Criminal harassment | 9 | 8% |
| Murder or manslaughter | 9 | 8% |
| Assault with a weapon | 8 | 7% |
| Fraud | 5 | 4% |
| Child molestation or interference with a child | 3 | 3% |
| Impaired or dangerous driving causing death | 2 | 2% |
| Property damage | 2 | 2% |
| Other | 8 | 7% |
| No response | 1 | 1% |
Note: Some incidents involved more than one crime; total does not sum to 100%.
Most (75%) victims knew the accused. Almost 40% reported that they had a current or former intimate relationship with the accused, and 8% said that the accused was some other family member. Most of the remaining victims identified the accused as an acquaintance (19%), a neighbour (4%), or a friend (4%). About one-quarter (23%) of victims reported that a stranger committed the crime. Another 2% either did not know or chose not to respond to the question.
Over nine-tenths of victims (93%) discussed a crime that had occurred since 1990, and over half (56%) had experienced the crime since 2001. Thirteen percent of victims reported that they first became involved with the criminal justice system between 1990 and 1998. Most (85%) said that their involvement with the system began on or after 1999 (Bill C-79). Table 3 provides more detailed results.
| Year in which crime first occurred (N =112) | Year first involved with criminal justice system (N =112) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | |
| Pre-1990 | 7 | 6% | 0 | -- |
| 1990-1998 | 16 | 14% | 14 | 13% |
| 1999 | 9 | 8% | 12 | 11% |
| 2000 | 16 | 14% | 15 | 13% |
| 2001 | 24 | 21% | 22 | 20% |
| 2002 | 38 | 34% | 44 | 39% |
| 2003 | 1 | 1% | 2 | 2% |
| Not applicable | 0 | -- | 2 | 2% |
| Don't know | 1 | 1% | 1 | 1% |
Note: Totals do not sum to 100% due to rounding.
About two-thirds of all cases resulted in either guilty pleas (37%) or convictions at trial (28%). In these cases, the most common sentences were jail time (46%) and/or probation (44%). About one-sixth of victims' cases had not yet been concluded at the time of the interview. Complete results are in Tables 4 and 5.
| Victims (N = 112) | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | % | |
| No charges laid | 9 | 8% |
| Charges dropped | 4 | 4% |
| Awaiting final disposition | 18 | 16% |
| Pleaded guilty | 41 | 37% |
| Convicted at trial | 31 | 28% |
| Found not guilty at trial | 5 | 5% |
| Other | 4 | 4% |
Note: Total does not sum to 100% due to rounding.
| Sentence | # (n=72) | % |
|---|---|---|
| Incarcerated | 33 | 46% |
| Probation | 32 | 44% |
| Conditional sentence | 16 | 22% |
| Suspended sentence | 2 | 3% |
| Convicted at trial | 2 | 3% |
| Found not guilty at trial | 5 | 7% |
| Other | 5 | 7% |
Note: Total does not sum to 100% due to rounding.
3.2. Services Received by Victims
Almost nine-tenths (88%) of victims received some form of assistance. Of the 13 victims (12%) who did not receive any type of assistance, six refused the services that were offered to them, five said that they were unaware of the services that were available (one had not reported the crime to police), and two were promised assistance but victim services never contacted them. Table 6 presents these results.
TABLE 6: DID YOU RECEIVE ANY VICTIM ASSISTANCE AS A RESULT OF THIS EXPERIENCE?
| Victims (N=112) | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | % | |
| Yes | 99 | 88% |
| No | 13 | 12% |
| Reasons for no support | Victims (N=112) | |
|---|---|---|
| # | % | |
| Refused the services offered to them | 6 | 46% |
| Unaware of the services available | 5 | 38% |
| Promised services but were never contacted | 2 | 15% |
Note: Total does not sum to 100% due to rounding.
Nature of Assistance Received
A total of 99 victims received assistance from a variety of victim services organizations. About one-third reported receiving help from police-based victim services (36%) and another third from community-based victim services (31%). Just over one-quarter were assisted by court-based victim services and about one-fifth by system-based victim services (i.e., services delivered by the province to assist victims throughout their contact with the criminal justice system). Approximately one-fifth received medical assistance (e.g., from hospitals, clinics, private counsellors). As seen in Table 7 below, fewer victims used specialized victim services.
| Victims (n=99) | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | % | |
| Police-based victim services | 36 | 36% |
| Community-based victim services | 31 | 31% |
| Court-based victim services | 28 | 28% |
| Medical assistance and/or counselling | 23 | 23% |
| System-based victim services | 21 | 21% |
| Specialized victim services for domestic violence | 13 | 13% |
| Victim compensation | 8 | 8% |
| Specialized victim services for sexual assault | 3 | 3% |
| Other | 2 | 2% |
Note 1: Victims could provide more than one response; total sums to more than 100%.
Note 2: Some victim services organizations are categorized as more than one type of service (e.g., both community-based and specialized service for domestic violence).
Victims were asked about the types of assistance they received. Most victims (85%) received information in areas such as the police investigation, court procedures, and court outcomes. About half reported receiving counselling (53%) and an equal number reported receiving witness support (53%). Fewer (41%) had help with preparing their victim impact statement. About one-quarter (27%) received medical assistance, and about one-fifth received crisis assistance after the crime (18%), or financial assistance (18%). Table 8 gives the complete results.
| Type of assistance received | Victims (n=99) | |
|---|---|---|
| # | % | |
| Information (e.g., about police investigation, court procedures, outcomes) | 84 | 85% |
| Counselling | 52 | 53% |
| Witness support / court accompaniment | 52 | 53% |
| With preparing victim impact statement | 41 | 41% |
| Medical assistance | 27 | 27% |
| Crisis assistance immediately after the crime | 18 | 18% |
| Financial assistance | 18 | 18% |
| Referrals | 9 | 9% |
| Shelter | 7 | 7% |
| Shelter | 7 | 7% |
| Emotional support | 6 | 6% |
| Compensation | 3 | 3% |
| Post-sentencing services | 2 | 2% |
| Other | 6 | 6% |
Note: Victims could provide more than one response; total sums to more than 100%.
When asked to identify what was most helpful about the assistance received, victims most often mentioned counseling and emotional support (36%). Victims believe that this support enabled them to get through the initial shock of the crime and to cope with the subsequent fear and trauma. Victims also said that it was important to have someone objective to talk to.
About a third (31%) of victims considered provision of information to be the most helpful type of assistance. Of these victims, 11 singled out receiving information about the criminal justice system as important. They noted that this information was comforting because it gave them some idea what to expect, and without this assistance, they would not have understood the court process. Eleven victims also mentioned that they appreciated receiving information about the case against their accused.
About a quarter of victims said that assistance received from victim services organizations generally was beneficial. These victims did not identify specific ways in which the services were helpful but, instead, reported that overall, they found the assistance useful. Others did comment on specific aspects of the services they received. Fourteen commented that witness support and court accompaniment gave them the confidence to proceed with the case and testify in court. Nine mentioned that they found the assistance with their victim impact statement helpful because they had trouble discussing the crime and they valued the instruction on what they could include in their statement.
Three or four victims mentioned each of the following types of assistance as being particularly beneficial: the assistance of shelters in providing a place to stay after the crime as well as emotional support; financial assistance through victim compensation funds; and assistance with establishing security measures so that they felt safe returning home. Six victims reported that they did not find any of the assistance useful. Table 9 provides the complete findings.
| Type of assistance found most helpful | Victims (n=99) | |
|---|---|---|
| # | % | |
| Counselling | 36 | 36% |
| Information (e.g., about police investigation, court procedures, outcomes) | 31 | 31% |
| Victim services generally | 23 | 23% |
| Witness support / court accompaniment | 14 | 14% |
| With preparing victim impact statement | 9 | 9% |
| Shelter | 4 | 4% |
| Financial assistance or compensation | 3 | 3% |
| Assistance with security measures | 3 | 3% |
| Other | 4 | 4% |
| Nothing or was not much help | 6 | 6% |
| No response | 6 | 6% |
Note: Victims could provide more than one response; total sums to more than 100%.
Informing Victims about Services Available
How Victims were Informed
Victims relied on various referral sources to direct them to available services. Police were the most common source of referrals for all types of victim services. Other sources of referrals were Crown Attorneys, other victim services, community organizations, family or friends, and medical care providers. Several victims cited the service itself as the source of their referral. Table 10 presents the sources of referrals for each type of victim services organization.
| Type of assistance found most helpful | Types of victim services referred to | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Police-based victim services (n=36) | Court-based victim services (n=28) | System-based victim services (n=21) | Community-based victim services (n=31) | |||||
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | |
| Referred by police | 20 | 56% | 12 | 43% | 9 | 43% | 9 | 29% |
| Referred by Crown Attorney | 0 | -- | 6 | 21% | 1 | 5% | 2 | 6% |
| Referred by other victim services | 2 | 6% | 0 | -- | 3 | 14% | 5 | 16% |
| Referred by community organization | 1 | 3% | 0 | -- | 0 | -- | 3 | 10% |
| From service itself | 7 | 19% | 2 | 7% | 7 | 33% | 1 | 3% |
| Medical service provider | 0 | -- | 1 | 4% | 0 | -- | 6 | 19% |
| Family or friend or co-worker | 1 | 3% | 1 | 4% | 1 | 5% | 2 | 6% |
| Telephone book | 0 | -- | 0 | -- | 0 | -- | 2 | 6% |
| Other | 2 | 6% | 4 | 14% | 1 | 5% | 3 | 10% |
| Don't know | 4 | 11% | 4 | 14% | 4 | 19% | 3 | 10% |
Note: Victims could provide more than one response; totals sum to more than 100%.
Fifty-eight organizations initiated contact with victims, and victims initiated contact with 47. System-based and police-based organizations were more likely to initiate contact with victims. About three-quarters of system-based organizations contacted the victim, and two-thirds of police-based victim services contacted the victim. Just over half of the court-based services initiated contact. In community-based victim services it was the victim who usually initiated the contact. Table 11 provides details.
| Type of assistance found most helpful | Types of victim services referred to | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Police-based victim services (n=36) | Court-based victim services (n=28) | System-based victim services (n=21) | Community-based victim services (n=31) | |||||
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | |
| Victim services contacted victim | 23 | 64% | 16 | 57% | 15 | 71% | 4 | 13% |
| Victim initiated contact | 7 | 19% | 10 | 36% | 4 | 19% | 26 | 84% |
| Don't know | 6 | 17% | 2 | 7% | 2 | 10% | 1 | 3% |
Note: Victims could provide more than one response; totals sum to more than 100%.
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