Victims of police-reported violent crime in Alberta, 2023
In 2023, police services across Alberta reported 62,365 victims of violent crime and traffic offences causing death or bodily harm (Table 10.1). This represented 1,326 victims per 100,000 population, which was higher than the national rate (1,207 per 100,000).Footnote 77
Most (83%) victims were adults aged 18 and older;Footnote 78 almost half (45%) of all victims were aged 25 to 44 years, representing the largest proportion of any age group (Table 10.1). Meanwhile, 13% of victims were youth aged 12 to 17 years, and 4% were children 11 years and younger. The rate of victims was highest among young adults aged 18 to 24 years (2,433 per 100,000 population), followed by youth aged 12 to 17 years (2,388 per 100,000) and adults aged 25 to 44 years (1,951 per 100,000).Footnote 79
Just over two-thirds (68%) of victims of police-reported violent crime in 2023 were victims of assault.Footnote 80 Assault victims accounted for the vast majority (72%) of adult victims aged 18 years and older, and half (51%) of child and youth victims aged 17 years and younger.
The second most commonly reported offence was “other violent violations” which accounted for one in five victims (22%).Footnote 81 This category includes offences such as robbery, extortion, and uttering threats, among other violent crimes.
Overall, 7% of police-reported victims of violent crime in Alberta in 2023 were victims of sexual assault.Footnote 82 Most (66%) sexual assault victims were adults aged 18 years and older, and one-quarter (26%) were youth aged 12 to 17 years. A small number (8%) were children aged 11 years and younger (Table 10.1).
More than half (54%) of victims of sexual violations against children were youth aged 12 to 17 years, and just under half (45%) were children aged 11 years and younger (Table 10.1).
While slightly more than half (52%) of all police-reported victims were female, they represented much larger proportions of victims of sexual assault (90%) and sexual violations against children (85%) (Table 10.2).
Almost three-quarters (73%) of victims of homicide, attempted murder and other violations causing death were male, as well as most (60%) victims of other violent violations (Table 10.2).
Male and female victims of police-reported sexual assault differed notably by age. Most (68%) female sexual assault victims were adults aged 18 years and older, while less than half (47%) of male sexual assault victims were adults.Footnote 83
Compared to female victims, sexual offences were less common among male children and youth aged 17 years and younger, as 5% were victims of sexual assault and 4% were victims of sexual violations against children (21% and 19%, respectively, among female victims).Footnote 84 However, assault was more commonly reported among male child and youth victims (63%) than female child and youth victims (41%).
Victim services in Alberta
The Alberta Ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Services (PSES) provides direct services through the Victims of Crime Assistance Program (VCAP) in addition to funding Police-Based Victim Services (PBVS), specialized community-based (Specialized) organizations, and Integrated organizations that offer services to victims of crime as they navigate the criminal justice system. PBVS personnel provide information, support, and referrals to victims of crime and/or tragedy throughout the province and are primarily co-located in police agency facilities. Specialized and Integrated organizations deliver in-depth services that focus on victims of specific types of crime, including but not limited to, victims of intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and human trafficking. The Government of Alberta also supports a network of Child Advocacy Centres (CACs) / Child and Youth Advocacy Centres (CYACs), the Family Information Liaison Unit, in addition to services for victims of elder abuse and victims who are members of ethnic and cultural minority communities.
The information provided below reflects data provided by the Victims of Crime Assistance Program (VCAP) as well as funded community-based agencies and police-based victim services programs. Victims who make use of services from more than one agency may be counted more than once in the data.
In 2023, provincially funded victim service programs in Alberta assisted 92,675 newly referred victims of crime. Children and youth (under 18 years old) accounted for 15% of victims served.
The VCAP served 1,649 direct victims in addition to providing services to secondary victims, including 208 individuals who received grief counselling, 170 minors who witnessed violence, and 190 individuals who received assistance with medical collection costs.
Children and youth accounted for 23% of victims served by the VCAP. One-quarter (25%) of victims were between 31 to 40 years old.
Over half (54%) of newly referred VCAP clients were victims of physical assault, and another 19% were victims of sexual assault.
Of all individual services provided to newly referred VCAP clients, 46% were related to the program’s Extended Medical Benefits, including treatments such as counselling and physiotherapy. Additionally, 46% of services offered took the form of Emergency Assistance, providing urgently needed financial assistance for victims having to flee their primary residence.
Detailed data tables
Table 10.1: Number and percentage of victims of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing death or bodily harm, by type of violation and age group, Alberta, 2023
Table 10.1: Number and percentage of victims of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing death or bodily harm, by type of violation and age group, Alberta, 2023
Type of violation
Total victims, all ages
Child and youth victims
Adult victims
11 years and younger
12 to 17 years
18 to 24 years
25 to 44 years
45 to 64 years
65 years and older
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
Homicide, other violations causing death, and attempted murder
174
100%
14
8.2%
3
1.8%
20
11.7%
90
52.6%
35
20.5%
9
5.3%
Sexual assaults
4,326
100%
335
7.8%
1,131
26.2%
972
22.6%
1,447
33.6%
386
9.0%
39
0.9%
Sexual violations against children
1,308
100%
577
44.6%
703
54.4%
8
0.6%
3
0.2%
2
0.2%
0
0
Assaults
42,908
100%
1,230
3.0%
4,157
10.0%
6,342
15.2%
20,138
48.4%
8,339
20.0%
1,387
3.3%
Other violent violations
13,441
100%
365
2.8%
2,084
15.8%
2,176
16.5%
5,486
41.5%
2,609
19.8%
489
3.7%
Criminal Code traffic violations causing death or bodily harm
208
100%
11
5.3%
13
6.3%
47
22.8%
92
44.7%
33
16.0%
10
4.9%
Total violent violations
62,365
100%
2,532
4.2%
8,091
13.3%
9,565
15.7%
27,256
44.8%
11,404
18.8%
1,934
3.2%
Table 10.2: Number and percentage of victims of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing death or bodily harm, by type of violation and sex, Alberta, 2023
Table 10.2: Number and percentage of victims of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing death or bodily harm, by type of violation and sex, Alberta, 2023
Type of violation
Total victims
Female victims
Male victims
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
Homicide, other violations causing death, and attempted murder
174
100%
46
26.9%
125
73.1%
Sexual assaults
4,326
100%
3,869
90.1%
426
9.9%
Sexual violations against children
1,308
100%
1,097
84.6%
200
15.4%
Assaults
42,908
100%
20,246
47.7%
22,156
52.3%
Other violent violations
13,441
100%
6,417
48.2%
6,904
51.8%
Criminal Code traffic violations causing death or bodily harm
208
100%
83
40.3%
123
59.7%
Total violent violations
62,365
100%
31,758
51.5%
29,934
48.5%
Table 10.3: Number and percentage of female victims of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing death or bodily harm, by type of violation and age group, Alberta, 2023
Table 10.3: Number and percentage of female victims of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing death or bodily harm, by type of violation and age group, Alberta, 2023
Type of violation
Female victims, all ages
Female child and youth victims
Female adult victims
11 years and younger
12 to 17 years
18 to 24 years
25 to 44 years
45 to 64 years
65 years and older
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
Homicide, other violations causing death, and attempted murder
46
100%
7
15.2%
2
4.3%
4
8.7%
17
37.0%
11
23.9%
5
10.9%
Sexual assaults
3,869
100%
227
5.9%
1,002
26.0%
907
23.5%
1,334
34.6%
351
9.1%
36
0.9%
Sexual violations against children
1,097
100%
461
42.3%
616
56.6%
8
0.7%
3
0.3%
1
0.1%
0
0
Assaults
20,246
100%
461
2.3%
1,883
9.4%
3,222
16.2%
10,310
51.7%
3,553
17.8%
512
2.6%
Other violent violations
6,417
100%
187
2.9%
890
14.0%
1,008
15.9%
2,891
45.5%
1,168
18.4%
209
3.3%
Criminal Code traffic violations causing death or bodily harm
83
100%
3
3.6%
7
8.4%
22
26.5%
32
38.6%
15
18.1%
4
4.8%
Total violent violations
31,758
100%
1,346
4.3%
4,400
14.0%
5,171
16.5%
14,587
46.5%
5,099
16.3%
766
2.4%
Table 10.4: Number and percentage of male victims of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing death or bodily harm, by type of violation and age group, Alberta, 2023
Table 10.4: Number and percentage of male victims of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing death or bodily harm, by type of violation and age group, Alberta, 2023
Type of violation
Male victims, all ages
Male child and youth victims
Male adult victims
11 years and younger
12 to 17 years
18 to 24 years
25 to 44 years
45 to 64 years
65 years and older
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
Homicide, other violations causing death, and attempted murder
125
100%
6
4.9%
1
0.8%
16
13.0%
72
58.5%
24
19.5%
4
3.3%
Sexual assaults
426
100%
107
25.2%
118
27.8%
58
13.6%
107
25.2%
33
7.8%
2
0.5%
Sexual violations against children
200
100%
110
56.7%
83
42.8%
0
0
0
0
1
0.5%
0
0
Assaults
22,156
100%
761
3.6%
2,235
10.4%
3,084
14.4%
9,719
45.4%
4,745
22.2%
867
4.0%
Other violent violations
6,904
100%
175
2.6%
1,177
17.3%
1,153
17.0%
2,573
37.9%
1,430
21.1%
279
4.1%
Criminal Code traffic violations causing death or bodily harm
