BCIFV home > Overview of Family Violence > 5. Criminal harrassment (stalking)

OVERVIEW OF FAMILY VIOLENCE

CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. What Do We Mean By Family Violence?
3. How Common Is Violence In The Family?
4. Familial Homicide
5. Criminal Harassment (Stalking)
6. Effects Of Family Violence
7. Is All Family Violence Criminal Behavior?
8. Application Of Civil And Legal Remedies
9. What Services Are Available In BC?
10. References
11. Resources

CRIMINAL HARASSMENT (STALKING)

Legislation against criminal harassment, or stalking, came into effect in Canada in 1993. It's defined as repeated following or communicating, watching someone's home or workplace, or directly threatening the person or a family member, causing the person to fear for their safety or the safety of someone known to them.

In 1997, 79% of reported victims were female and 88% of accused were male. Family members accounted for 37% of stalking incidents; however, women were more likely to be stalked by family members (41%) than men (21%). For women, former spouses were perpetrators 82% of the time and current spouses 9% of the time. For men, former spouses were perpetrators 67% of the time, and current spouses 4% of the time (Statistics Canada, 1999). For this reason, criminal harassment is often characterized as a form of spousal abuse.

Earlier studies showed that one-quarter of criminal harassment incidents involved other offences, such as uttering threats (24%) and/or assault (22%). Criminal harassment accounts for about 7% of spousal-violence offenses. Less than 1% of offences surveyed involved homicide or attempted homicide. However, police would only have been aware of prior stalking if the victim had reported it (Statistics Canada, 1996). In a 1994 study of family homicide conducted by the BC Institute Against Family Violence, at least one-sixth of male perpetrators who killed former intimate partners had stalked their victims for some time (Cooper, 1994).

However, 99% of reported victims in the first few years after passage of current legislation experienced no physical harm. Of those who did, 20% experienced minor abuse, consisting of grabbing, pushing, and slapping. Fifty-five percent of incidents took place at the victim's home (Statistics Canada, 1996).

Next: Effects Of Family Violence

This page last updated September 20, 2000.
Copyright (c) 1996 BC Institute Against Family Violence.