POLICE ASSOCIATION OF NOVA SCOTIA 99 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE “DOMESTIC VIOLENCE is deliberate and purposeful violence, abuse, and intimidation perpetrated by one person against another in an intimate relationship. It occurs between two persons where one exercises power over the other, causing fear, physical, and/or psychological harm. It may be a single act or a series of acts forming a pattern of abuse. Domestic violence can occur in any relationship, however, women are primarily the victims and men are primarily the perpetrators. Children and young people may experience harm by being exposed to violence in adult relationships, being the direct victims of violence, or a combination of the two.” (Domestic Violence Prevention Committee Report, 2009) • In 2010, there were 3,255 victims of spousal and intimate partner violence, (or ‘domestic violence’) who reported the incident to the police in Nova Scotia. This includes 2,539 female victims (or 78%) and 704 male victims (or 22%) (see Figure 1). In other words, about four out of five victims of police-reported domestic violence in Nova Scotia are women. (Note that the sex of the victim was not captured for 12 of the victims during data collection.) • Comparing how the incidence of domestic violence changed in Nova Scotia, in 2006, there were 2,270 victims. About 79% or 1,792 victims were women, and 20% or 463 were men (see Table 1). (Note that the sex of the victim was not captured for 15 of the victims during data collection.) • From 2006 to 2010, the total number of policereported domestic violence victims and domestic violence rates in Nova Scotia increased by 43.4% and 41.5% respectively (see Table 1). Table 1 Police-reported spousal intimate partner violence, Nova Scotia, 2006 and 2010 Number Percent 2006 2010 Change Total, victims of domestic violence 2,270 3,255 43.4% Female victims of domestic violence 1,792 2,539 41.7% Male victims of domestic violence 463 704 52.1% Domestic violence rate, total, per 100,000 population 287 406 41.5% Domestic violence rate, for female victims, per 100,000 population 438 609 39.0% Domestic violence rate, for male victims, per 100,000 population 121 183 51.2% SOURCE: Statistics Canada, CCJS, UCR2 2006 and 2010. FIGURE 1 SOURCE: Statistics Canada, CCJS, Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR2), 2010. Total police-reported spousal and intimate partner violence by sex of victim, Nova Scotia, 2010 continued... www.women.gov.ns.ca
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