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Crime and Abuse Against Seniors:
A Review of the Research Literature With Special Reference to the Canadian Situation
4. CANADIAN RESEARCH AND DATA ON CRIMES COMMITTED AGAINST SENIORS
4.8 Perpetrator Characteristics
The profile of the accused, as far as the variable of sex is concerned, is similar in cases involving seniors and non-seniors. In 2007, male accused persons accounted for 79 percent of the reported crimes against seniors and 81 percent of the reported crimes against non-seniors (Statistics Canada, 2009). Some interesting patterns emerge, however, when the age distributions of the accused and victims are examined. Table 4.11 shows that Canadians under 65 years of age are most likely to be victimized by individuals between 18 and 44 years of age. On the other hand, seniors tend to be victimized by individuals who are older. The accused are most likely to fall in the 35 54 age bracket or to be 65 and over themselves.
Table 4.11 Age Distribution of Persons Accused of Crimes Against Seniors and Non-Seniors, 2007
| Accused Age Group | % of Non-Seniors | % of Seniors |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 12 | .9 | .1 |
| 12-17 | 13.6 | 3.5 |
| 18-24 | 20.1 | 8.0 |
| 25-34 | 24.6 | 12.8 |
| 35-44 | 23.0 | 23.3 |
| 45-54 | 12.7 | 19.3 |
| 55-64 | 3.7 | 11.8 |
| 65 and older | 1.3 | 21.3 |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 |
Source: Statistics Canada, (2009) Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Incident Based Uniform Crime Reporting Survey.
