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Levels of Sexual Assault in Canada

Updated: Mar 23

If you are in immediate danger, please dial 9-1-1. If in Nunavut, call your local RCMP detachment. See local numbers by clicking here.


Content warning: sexual assault

My name is Brittany Pompilii, and my pronouns are she/her. I reside on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinabewaki, Attiwonderonk, Mississauga, and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nations peoples. This land is currently known as Niagara, Ontario. As the author of this post, I acknowledge that my privilege, and therefore my experiences, inform my perspectives on sexual violence, the criminal justice system, and reporting sexual assault. I want to acknowledge that my privilege has provided me safety and protection within the criminal justice system across my life as a white, able-bodied, heterosexual, cisgender woman. I do not intend to speak on behalf of all women who have experienced sexual assault or have reported sexual assault to police, especially the experiences of BIPOC, disabled, and LGBTQ2S+ folks.


As a research team member, I am committed to using my research and writing skills to contribute to helping all women access public health information - a right that all women are entitled to yet do not always receive. I hope that one day, the public health system represents all peoples’ experiences and treats all people equitably. Until that day, I hope to continue advocating for women and their health and safety in any way I can.

Lastly, as you read this post, please keep in mind that previous research indicates that BIPOC, disabled, and LGBTQ2S+ folks are disproportionately impacted by sexual assault and are treated differently within the criminal justice system than white, able-bodied, heterosexual, cisgender women. Since women who identify as BIPOC, disabled, and/or LGBTQ2S+ do not fit the criminal justice system’s view of an ‘ideal victim’ of sexual assault, these folks are often dismissed, trivialized, and treated unfairly during sexual assault reporting processes for any level of sexual assault.


If you would like more information about Sexual Assault Evidence Kits (i.e. rape kits), please read our FAQ here.

For more information about how to report sexual assault in Canada, please read our FAQ here.


In Canada, there are varying degrees of sexual assault that can be summarized into three levels (1).

Please click here to learn the process on how to report a sexual assault in Canada


If you have any feedback on this post or any of the content created by missINFORMED, please reach out to us at info@missinformed.ca. We appreciate and welcome all feedback as we are committed to continuous growth and improvement of our organization.


References

1. Brennan S & Taylor-Butts A. Sexual assault in Canada: 2004 and 2007. Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics; Statistics Canada. 2008 Dec. Available from: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/pub/85f0033m/85f0033m2008019-eng.pdf?st=WHBV2NES


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missINFORMED is a national non-profit designed to provide health education & to promote informed advocacy through evidence-based teachings and by centring the lived experiences of women and gender diverse folks.

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missINFORMED primarily operates on the traditional land belonging to the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, Attiwonderonk, Mississauga Peoples, and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. However, we hope to support Nations across Turtle Island. We acknowledge that our actions contribute to the land we live on, and as such, we are tasked to be caretakers of this land and the people that inhabit it. For the individuals of immigrant and settler Canadian descent present on our team, we acknowledge that our positions on health, and our accessibility to healthcare, have been largely shaped by our own lived experiences, which encompass many privileges. We are committed to evaluate & decolonize our practices continually and do our best to incorporate the lived experiences of the land defenders and protectors within our work. We plan to use our platform to be inclusive of all women and gender diverse folks who call the geographical confines of what is currently known as Canada, home. We hope to build our organization to represent and support those with multiple identities, including but not limited to queer, trans, two-spirit, and non-binary folk, as well as those who are Black, Indigenous, or Persons of Colour. As an organization, we will try our utmost best to ensure that only individuals with lived experiences speak on behalf of their communities while still recognizing that communities of colour and the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community are not a monolith. While each member of missINFORMED brings their own experiences, education, and expertise, we are always motivated to keep learning and to keep expanding our repertoire and knowledge capacity.

Land acknowledgements like this one are a great start to decolonizing the current colonial systems by which we operate, but they are not the only thing we can do. For example, actively supporting the sovereignty of Indigenous Nations such as supporting policies and movements that give the land back to Indigenous Nations, policies that do not condemn Indigenous communities or make it more difficult for them to receive the support that they deserve, paying Indigenous people when their knowledge and emotional labour are requested, and so much more. You can learn more about the Nations you share this land with here. 

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