Family violence in Canada A statistical profile 2011"Historically, seniors have experienced the lowest rates of victimization. However, there are mounting concerns that the growth of the senior population may result in increased victimization and violence against this group (Sev'er 2009). As a result, many provinces are developing strategies to address this issue. As family members often assume the role of caregiver for aging seniors, many of the strategies focus on preventing violence within families (see, for example, Province of British Columbia 2013, Together to Reduce Elder Abuse – B.C.’s Strategy).

Using police-reported data from the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey, this section [section 5 of the report] will present information on the nature and extent of family violence against seniors. It will examine the prevalence of family violence against seniors at the national, provincial/territorial and census metropolitan area levels. In addition, this section will explore the characteristics of family violence against seniors, presenting information on the most common types of violence experienced, the use of weapons, injuries sustained and how these incidents are cleared by police. Finally, this section will conclude with a discussion of homicide, the most serious form of family violence against seniors."

Source: Statistics Canada