NCJ Number
163640
Date Published
1995
Length
47 pages
Annotation
Data from surveys, official statistics, and other sources were used to estimate the selected economic costs of three forms of violence against women in Canada: sexual assault, domestic assault, and child sexual abuse.
Abstract
The analysis focused on costs in four areas: health and medicine, criminal justice, social services and education, and labor and employment. The results revealed that violence has profound effects not only on the lives of Canadian women but also on governments, institutions, and businesses. However, the available data provide only partial estimates of the economic costs of violence against women. These partial estimates indicate that the total selected costs of $4.2 billion include approximately $2.369 billion related to social services and education, $872 million related to criminal justice, $577 million related to labor and employment, and $408 million related to health and medicine. A total of 87.5 percent of the costs are government costs, 11.5 percent are individual costs, and 0.9 percent are third-party costs. These costs do not include the human and social costs related to emotional suffering, deterioration of the quality of life, and loss of life. Further research is needed to support comprehensive, effective policy and program developments to respond to violence against women in Canada. Figure, tables, footnotes, and 48 references