Sexual violence

About sexual violence

Sexual violence is based on gender inequality, power and control, and historical injustices like sexism, racism, colonialism, hyper-masculinity, objectification of women, and patriarchy.^{Footnote 1}  These factors shape how society and individuals respond to sexual violence and how it can lead to victims and survivors not being believed or being blamed.^{Footnote 2} 

Consent is essential to addressing sexual violence. Consent means giving clear, voluntary agreement to engage in the sexual activity at the time it happens. All parties must actively, willingly, and continuously agree. Consent cannot be assumed or implied, and an unconscious or sleeping person cannot give consent.

There are many forms of sexual violence, including:

• Sexual assault (this includes any non-consensual sexual touching, and rape)
• Sexual harassment
• Human trafficking for sexual exploitation
• Child sexual abuse
• Online child sexual exploitation (such as child pornography and sharing intimate images without consent)
• Technology-facilitated sexual violence (like sharing intimate images without consent)

Sexual violence can happen:

• In intimate relationships, even after they end
• Within families
• At work
• Among friends or acquaintances
• Between strangers
• In-person or online

Anyone can experience sexual violence, regardless of their background or identity. However, women, young women and girls, women living with a disability, Indigenous women and girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals are more often affected.^{Footnote 3}  Racialized and immigrant women in particular experience sexual violence and other forms of gender-based violence because of the combined effects of sexism, racism, xenophobia, and systemic inequality.

Movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp have drawn attention to sexual violence, showing how common it is and exposing the systems that allow it to continue.

Impacts of sexual violence

Sexual violence can have serious and lasting consequences that may include:

People living with mental health disabilities are more likely to experience sexual violence.

Some populations in Canada are more likely to face mental health challenges because of sexual violence. For example, 23% of Indigenous people in Canada (24% of First Nations people, 23% of Métis and 14% of Inuit) who have experienced physical or sexual assault since age 15 say their mental health is fair or poor. This is much higher than the 11% of Indigenous people who have not experienced sexual violence.^{Footnote 4} 

Responding to sexual violence

For more information about responding safely to sexual violence, see the resources section.

Facts about sexual violence in Canada

Sexual violence is one the most common forms of violence in Canada that is not often reported to police.^{Footnote 5}

According to the 2025 Survey of Safety in Public and Private Spaces:

• Nearly 15 million people have been physically or sexually assaulted since the age of 15 years, representing 44% of the population over 15 years old.^{Footnote 6} 
• Women (37%) are more than 3 times more likely than men (11%) to have been sexually assaulted over their lifetime.^{Footnote 6}  
• Fewer than 1 in 10 victims of sexual assault (8.6%) reported the most serious incident to police—far lower than the proportion for victims of physical assault (28%).^{Footnote 6} 
• Persons living with disabilities are roughly twice as likely to experience sexual assault as people living without disabilities.^{Footnote 6}

Women experience sexual violence at higher rates than men, more so than with other types of violence. Additionally, Indigenous women, women living with disabilities, young women and girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals experience some of the highest rates of sexual violence.

• In 2022, police reported data shows that the vast majority (90%) of sexual assault victims and survivors are women.^{Footnote 7} 
• Of all the age groups, people aged between 15 and 24 experience the highest rates of sexual assault (43%).^{Footnote 6} 
• Bisexual Canadians report victimization rates over 29 times higher than heterosexual people.^{Footnote 8} 
• In 2025, 52% of Indigenous women reported being sexually assaulted since age 15.^{Footnote 6} 
• In 2025, youth and young adults had higher rates of sexual assault than the general population. 10% of girls and women aged 15 to 24 years were sexually assaulted in the 12 months preceding the survey, more than double the proportion of women aged 25 to 34 (4.6%), and at least four times higher than any other age group of women or men.^{Footnote 6} 
• In 2019, people with disabilities experienced violent crimes at almost 3 times the rate of those without disabilities (141 vs. 53 per 1,000 people). Women with disabilities were affected the most, with a rate of 184 per 1,000, compared to 84 for men with disabilities and 57 for women without disabilities.^{Footnote 9}

Men can also be victims and survivors of sexual violence, but are often overlooked as victims and survivors and seen solely as perpetrators of violence.

• In 2025, 1.1% of men reported being sexually assaulted.^{Footnote 6} 
• 0,4% of men were victims of sexual assault perpetrated by a current or former intimate partner during the previous 12 months.^{Footnote 6} 
• 16% of men who were physically assaulted and 24% who were sexually assaulted reported symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder.^{Footnote 6} 
• Between 2015 and 2019, charges were laid or recommended in 38% of sexual assault cases involving women or girls, but only in 29% of cases involving men or boys.
• In 2024, 97% of people accused of sexual assault in Canada were men and boys.^{Footnote 10 Footnote}

Sexual violence, like many forms of violence, is often not reported to the police and the reasons vary. Many victims or survivors choose not to report their experience, and even when they do, very few cases result in the offender facing legal consequences. Many people also lack trust in the justice system.

• Many sexual assaults are not reported to police. Only 8.6% of victims of sexual assault reported the most serious incident to police—far lower than the proportion for victims of physical assault (28%).^{Footnote 6} 
•  Sexual assault is reported far less often than other violent crimes—about 80% less. Of those reported to police, only 1 in 19 leads to an offender facing legal consequences.^{Footnote 11} 
• Many victims do not report sexual assault because they want to avoid dealing with the police (57% compared to 40% for other crimes), or because they fear or want to avoid the court process (42% compared to 21% for other crimes).^{Footnote 12}  

Resources

• WAGE's Get Help Now page provides resources for immediate support.
• Learn more about Gender-based Violence.
• WAGE's Provincial and territorial resources page provides provincial and territorial gender-based violence resources.
•  Justice Canada’s Victim Services Directory can help service providers as well as victims and survivors of sexual violence find services in their area.
• The Public Health Agency of Canada’s Stop Family Violence webpage provides resources and information for anyone experiencing sexual violence.
• The Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s Sexual assault webpage has information and resources on reporting, and support services available for victims and survivors of sexual violence.
• Explore the It’s Not Just youth awareness campaign for youth sexual violence and consent resources.