Researching violence against women: Statistics Canada's national survey

Abstract

This special issue of the Journal is dedicated to analysis of Statistics Canada's national survey on Violence Against Women. At the request of the federal Department of Health, Statistics Canada undertook this special survey in 1993. The methodology was based on the traditional crime victim survey approach and was conducted using telephone interviews and computer assisted interviewing. The sample consisted of 12,300 women 18 years ofage and older who were questioned about their experiences as victims of sexual and physical assault since the age of 16. This survey differs from crime victim surveys in design and in scope. For example, non-criminal acts of sexual harassment that form a component of women’s awareness and perceptions of vulnerability are included for a more comprehensive understanding of women's fear. It contains details about the circumstances, precursors, and dynamics of violent events necessary to test theories about the etiology of assaults on women. This article discusses the ethical considerations involved in conducting survey research on this topic, the concepts used in this survey to measure sexual and physical violence, and some general findings concerning the prevalence of violence, sexual harassment, and controlling and emotionally abusive acts by spouses. It concludes with a summary overview of this single topic issue of the Journal.