Family and intimate partner violence in Canada is rising and while women and girls remain the primary victims, the number of cases where men and boys are the victims appears to also be growing, new data shows.
Police-reported family violence rose by 17 per cent and intimate partner violence by 13 per cent from 2018 to 2023, according to a Statistics Canada report published Thursday.
In 2023, there were a total of 139,020 victims of family violence and 123,319 victims of intimate partner violence as reported to police across the country.
Those numbers represent a three per cent total rise last year in family violence, which is committed by spouses, parents, children, siblings and extended family members, and a one per cent total increase in intimate partner violence committed by current and former legally married spouses, common-law partners, dating partners and others.
“Increases were noted regardless of gender, although they were larger for men and boys,” Statistics Canada noted in the data.
Humberto Carolo, chief executive officer of White Ribbon, a Canadian organization that works with men and boys to end gender-based violence and discrimination, said the data is “concerning” but likely underreported as many people don’t come forward or are unable to seek support.
The rate of reported family violence for women and girls in 2023 was double that reported for men and boys, while reports of intimate partner violence were nearly four times higher.
Women and girls also made up the majority of victims of such violence last year.
This comes as the term “femicide” — generally defined as the killing of a woman or girl based on their gender — was used for the first time in August by the Ottawa Police Service.
Carolo said the disproportionate impact of violence on women and girls is rooted in the “power imbalance” that exists between men and women as well as the way that boys and young men are often socialized to be dominant and withhold their emotions.
Get weekly health news
“Many men resort to using violence as a way to address their pains, as a way to control the situation and that has significant impacts on the lives of women and girls who are on the receiving end of that experience, of those actions, of that violence,” he said.
Why are men reporting a larger rise in family violence?
StatCan data showed that the rate of family violence observed against men and boys increased by 19 per cent and the rate of intimate partner violence rose by 20 per cent between 2018 and 2023.
In comparison, women and girls reported a 15 per cent rise in the rate of family violence and a 12 per cent increase in the rate of intimate partner violence during that same time period.
This rise is noteworthy because it may reflect greater awareness and better education following the Me Too movement beginning in 2017 that is leading to “more men stepping forward,” Carolo said.
“We’re trying to break through those stereotypes and expectations and gender norms where men are expected to just put up with the challenges and the difficulties in their life,” he said.
“Instead, we are encouraging men to step outside of those stereotypes and come forward and seek and look for help to deal with the difficulties, the stresses, the crises, and in many cases, the violence that they are too experiencing.”
StatCan pointed to research suggesting “men and boys who experience intimate partner violence may be more reluctant to report it to authorities because of the stigma surrounding male victims.”
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, some men and boys find it hard to talk about intimate partner violence because of pressure to seem strong, in control and like they don’t need help.
Carolo said there appears to be a better understanding among men and boys of the signs of violence, its impact and the need to seek support to prevent escalation.
Are other kinds of violence climbing too?
Family violence against children, youth and seniors soared to a record high last year, StatCan also reported.
Family violence against children and youth most often came from a parent (60 per cent), while that against seniors was perpetrated by their child in 35 per cent of cases.
Carolo said greater investment in primary prevention is needed, as well as continued awareness for men and boys, in particular, to help them “break through those stereotypes.”
Developing community programs, ending police biases and providing better training and capacity to law enforcement could also help curb the violence, he said.
Carolo urged Canadians to speak up when they see signs of violence happening, whether at home, in the neighbourhood or even in the workplace.
“We all need to play a role because violence, intimate partner violence, family violence is a public matter. And we all need to step up and accept our responsibility to help put an end to this and to help better support those who experience violence.”
