Childhood maltreatment

Proportion of the population who self-reported childhood maltreatment before age 15.

Child maltreatment includes physical and/or sexual abuse by someone aged 18 or older, and/or witnessing violence by a parent or guardian against another adult.

This indicator is measured in the Survey of Safety in Public and Private Spaces (SSPPS) and the General Social Survey (GSS) - Canadians' Safety (Victimization).

Survey respondents are asked about physical and sexual abuse during childhood in the SSPPS and the GSS using the following series of questions:

Before age 15, how many times did any adult do any of the following to you?

• Slap you on the face, head or ears, or hit you with something hard to hurt you
  • Never
  • 1 or 2 times
  • 3 to 5 times
  • 6 to 10 times
  • More than 10 times
• Push, grab, shove or throw something at you to hurt you
  • Never
  • 1 or 2 times
  • 3 to 5 times
  • 6 to 10 times
  • More than 10 times
• Kick, bite, punch, choke, burn you, or physically attack you in some way
  • Never
  • 1 or 2 times
  • 3 to 5 times
  • 6 to 10 times
  • More than 10 times

Before age 15, how many times did any adult do any of the following to you?

• Force you or attempt to force you into any unwanted sexual activity, by threatening you, holding you down or hurting you in some way
  • Never
  • 1 or 2 times
  • 3 to 5 times
  • 6 to 10 times
  • More than 10 times
• Touch you against your will in any sexual way, meaning anything from unwanted touching or grabbing, to kissing or fondling
  • Never
  • 1 or 2 times
  • 3 to 5 times
  • 6 to 10 times
  • More than 10 times

In both the SSPPS and the GSS, respondents who reported each type of assault (physical and/or sexual), by an adult before age 15 are asked questions about their relationship to the adult and the gender of the adult involved in the most serious incident. They are also asked questions about whether they reported the incident to the police or child protective services.

The GSS asked a number of additional contextual questions on these assaults including:

• where the incident occurred;
• the respondent's age at the time of the incident;
• whether or not the respondent ever talked to anyone other than the police or child protective services about any of the incidents mentioned: family member; friend; neighbour; doctor or nurse; priest, rabbi, imam, elder or another spiritual advisor; teacher; other.  

The SSPPS measured witnessing violence by a parent or guardian against another adult by using the following question:

Before age 15, how many times did you see or hear any one of your parents, step-parents or guardians hit each other or another adult?

• Never
• 1 or 2 times
• 3 to 5 times
• 6 to 10 times
• More than 10 times

In comparison, the GSS on Canadians' safety asked a series of questions witnessing violence by a parent or guardian against another adult:

Before age 15, how many times did you see or hear any one of your parents, stepparents or guardians do any of the following?

• Hit each other
  • Never
  • 1 or 2 times
  • 3 to 5 times
  • 6 to 10 times
  • More than 10 times
• Hit an adult besides each other
  • Never
  • 1 or 2 times
  • 3 to 5 times
  • 6 to 10 times
  • More than 10 times
• Hit a child other than yourself
  • Never
  • 1 or 2 times
  • 3 to 5 times
  • 6 to 10 times
  • More than 10 times

• Survey of Safety in Public and Private Spaces (SSPPS)
  • Table 35-10-0167-01 – Self-reported physical and sexual abuse during childhood
  • Victimization of First Nations people, Métis and Inuit in Canada (Juristat, July 19, 2022)
    • Table 3 – Population aged 15 and over who experienced sexual or physical assault before the age of 15, since age 15 or in the 12 months preceding the survey, by Indigenous identity group, Canada, 2018 and 2019
  • Violent victimization and perceptions of safety: Experiences of First Nations, Métis and Inuit women in Canada (Juristat, April 26, 2022)
    • Table 7A – Childhood abuse and maltreatment among women, by Indigenous identity, Canada, 2018
    • Table 7B – Childhood abuse and maltreatment among women, by Indigenous identity group, Canada, 2018
  • Gender-based violence: Sexual and physical assault in Canada's territories, 2018 (Juristat, December 2, 2020)
    • Table 1 – Violent victimization before age 15, since age 15 and in the 12 months preceding the survey, by type of victimization and gender of victim, territories, 2018
    • Table 2 – Violent victimization before age 15, since age 15 and in the 12 months preceding the survey, by type of victimization, gender of victim and territory, 2018
• General Social Survey (GSS) - Canadians' Safety (Victimization)
  • Victimization of First Nations people, Métis and Inuit in Canada (Juristat, July 19, 2022)
    • Table 1 – Population aged 15 and over who experienced harsh parenting or neglect or witnessed violence before the age of 15, by Indigenous identity group, Canada, 2019
    • Table 2 – Population aged 15 and over who experienced sexual or physical violence by an adult before the age of 15, by type of violence and frequency, and by Indigenous identity group, Canada, 2019
    • Table 3 – Population aged 15 and over who experienced sexual or physical assault before the age of 15, since age 15 or in the 12 months preceding the survey, by Indigenous identity group, Canada, 2018 and 2019
    • Table 4 – Population aged 15 and over who experienced sexual or physical violence by an adult before the age of 15, by selected characteristics of the most serious incident, and Indigenous identity, Canada, 2019

• Childhood maltreatment and the link with victimization in adulthood: Findings from the 2019 General Social Survey (Statistics Canada – Infographics, August 25, 2021)

• Health Reports, September 2024 (The Daily, September 18, 2024)
• Understanding experiences of non-physical maltreatment in childhood in Canada: What is the relationship with suicidal ideation and mental health disorders? (Health Reports, September 18, 2024)
• What do we know about physical and non-physical childhood maltreatment in Canada? (Economic and Social Reports, January 25, 2023)
• Profile of Canadians who experienced victimization during childhood, 2018 (Juristat, December 12, 2022)
• Criminal victimization of First Nations, Métis and Inuit people in Canada, 2018 to 2020 (The Daily, July 19, 2022)
• Women's experiences of victimization in Canada's remote communities (Juristat, April 16, 2022)
• Violent victimization and perceptions of safety: Experiences of First Nations, Métis and Inuit women in Canada (Juristat, April 26, 2022)
• Gender-based violence: Sexual and physical assault in Canada's territories, 2018 (Juristat, December 2, 2020)
• Violent victimization of Canadians with mental health-related disabilities, 2014 (Juristat, October 18, 2018)
• Family violence in Canada: A statistical profile, 2015 – Section 1: Profile of Canadian adults who experienced childhood maltreatment (Juristat, Feb 21, 2017)

In addition to measuring childhood maltreatment, the GSS on Canadians' safety asked a series of questions about other experiences before age 15:

Before age 15, how many times did your parents and other caregivers do any of the following?

• Spank you with their hand or slap you on your hand
  • Never
  • 1 or 2 times
  • 3 to 5 times
  • 6 to 10 times
  • More than 10 times
• Say things that really hurt your feelings
  • Never
  • 1 or 2 times
  • 3 to 5 times
  • 6 to 10 times
  • More than 10 times
• Made you feel like you were not wanted or loved
  • Never
  • 1 or 2 times
  • 3 to 5 times
  • 6 to 10 times
  • More than 10 times
• Did not take care of your basic needs, such as keeping you clean or providing food or clothing
  • Never
  • 1 or 2 times
  • 3 to 5 times
  • 6 to 10 times
  • More than 10 times

Before age 15, how many times did you see or hear any of your parents or caregivers say hurtful or mean things to each other or to another adult in your home?

• Never
• 1 or 2 times
• 3 to 5 times
• 6 to 10 times
• More than 10 times

Statistics Canada will include a module relevant to childhood maltreatment in the 2023 iteration of the Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth (CHSCY).