Victims of police-reported violent crime in the Northwest Territories, 2023
In 2023, police services across the Northwest Territories reported 4,450 victims of violent crime and traffic offences causing death or bodily harm (Table 13.1). This represented 9,841 victims per 100,000 population, more than eight times the national rate (1,207 per 100,000).Footnote 103
Most (91%) victims were adults aged 18 and older;Footnote 104 half (51%) of all victims were aged 25 to 44 years, representing the largest proportion of any age group (Table 13.1). Meanwhile, 6% of victims were youth aged 12 to 17 years, and 3% were children aged 11 years and younger. The rate of victims was highest among young adults aged 18 to 24 years (16,696 per 100,000 population), and adults aged 25 to 44 years (15,638 per 100,000 population).Footnote 105
Eight in ten (81%) victims of police-reported crime in 2023 were victims of assault.Footnote 106 Assault victims accounted for the vast majority (83%) of adult victims aged 18 years and older, and more than half (56%) of child and youth victims aged 17 years and younger.
The second most commonly reported offence was “other violent violations” which accounted for 13% of victims.Footnote 107 This category includes offences such as robbery, extortion, and uttering threats, among other violent crimes.
Overall, 5% of police-reported victims of violent crime in the Northwest Territories in 2023 were victims of sexual assault.Footnote 108 Most (80%) sexual assault victims were adults aged 18 years and older, and 17% were youth aged 12 to 17 years. A small number (4%) were children aged 11 years and younger (Table 13.1).
More than half (56%) of victims of sexual violations against children were youth aged 12 to 17 years, and less than half (44%) were children aged 11 years and younger (Table 13.1).
Six in ten (60%) police-reported victims were female, and they represented much larger proportions of victims of sexual assault (94%) and sexual violations against children (87%) (Table 13.2).
All victims of homicide, attempted murder and other violations causing death were male,Footnote 109 and nearly half (46%) of victims of other violent violations were male (Table 13.2).
Male and female victims of police-reported sexual assault differed notably by age. The vast majority (82%) of female sexual assault victims were adults aged 18 years and older, and 58% of male sexual assault victims were adults.Footnote 110
Compared to female victims, sexual offences were less common among male children and youth aged 17 years and younger, as 3% were victims of sexual assault and 5% were victims of sexual violations against children (14% and 19%, respectively, among female victims).Footnote 111 However, assault was more commonly reported among male child and youth victims (66%) than female child and youth victims (49%).
Victim services in the Northwest Territories
The Government of the Northwest Territories Department of Justice – Community Justice Division is responsible for the NWT Victim Services program, working in partnership with other government departments and local First Nations communities to support victims of crime. The Department offers direct services such as the Victims of Crime Emergency Fund, the Victim Notification Program, and the Victims Assistance Fund. The Victims Assistance Fund provides funding for community-based projects and activities that directly support or benefit victims of crime. Additionally, funding is provided to regional Victim Services programs that utilize local First Nations knowledge to provide primary support to victims in a culturally sensitive and respectful way. Such programs are delivered by 11 community-based coordinators from ten regional offices around the territory. Additionally, community-based Transition House services provide support to women and children fleeing violence and are available in five communities in the Northwest Territories (Hay River, Yellowknife, Fort Smith, Inuvik, and Tuktoyaktuk). The Family Information Liaison Unit (FILU) also supports and assists families of missing or murdered Indigenous women and girls.
The information provided below reflects data on victims directly served by the Northwest Territories Victim Services Programs.Footnote 112 Only victim files opened in the 2023 calendar year are included in this data. Individuals who were the victim in multiple cases with the same or different accused person(s) during the year will only be counted once since each victim has only one open file with victim services. Additionally, the data exclude individuals who had an open file with Victim Services Programs from a previous year but were re-victimized in 2023.
In 2023, the Northwest Territories Victim Services Programs assisted 567 newly-referred direct victims of crime and 43 secondary victims.
Children and youth accounted for 9% of victims assisted by the program. Three quarters (75%) of victims served were female.
Most direct victims who received assistance (92%) were victims of a violent crime. Over half (56%) were victims of physical assault, and another 17% were victims of a sexual offence. Almost one-third (30%) of those receiving services related to a sexual offence were victims of a sexual violation against a child.
In 2023, 65 victims of crime requested or received assistance with the completion of a Victim Impact Statement.
Detailed data tables
Table 13.1: 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, Northwest Territories, 2023
Table 13.1: 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, Northwest Territories, 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
7
100%
0
0
1
14.3%
0
0
5
71.4%
1
14.3%
0
0
Sexual assaults
199
100%
7
3.5%
33
16.7%
44
22.2%
86
43.4%
24
12.1%
4
2.0%
Sexual violations against children
53
100%
23
44.2%
29
55.8%
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Assaults
3,599
100%
59
1.7%
159
4.5%
545
15.4%
1,855
52.6%
834
23.6%
76
2.2%
Other violent violations
579
100%
22
3.8%
54
9.4%
79
13.7%
264
45.8%
137
23.8%
20
3.5%
Criminal Code traffic violations causing death or bodily harm
13
100%
2
15.4%
2
15.4%
2
15.4%
7
53.8%
0
0
0
0
Total violent violations
4,450
100%
113
2.6%
278
6.4%
670
15.3%
2,217
50.7%
996
22.8%
100
2.3%
Table 13.2: Number and percentage of victims of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing death or bodily harm, by type of violation and sex, Northwest Territories, 2023
Table 13.2: Number and percentage of victims of police-reported violent crime and traffic violations causing death or bodily harm, by type of violation and sex, Northwest Territories, 2023
Type of violation
Total victims
Female victims
Male victims
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
Homicide, other violations causing death, and attempted murder
7
100%
0
0
7
100.0%
Sexual assaults
199
100%
184
93.9%
12
6.1%
Sexual violations against children
53
100%
45
86.5%
7
13.5%
Assaults
3,599
100%
2,058
58.4%
1,467
41.6%
Other violent violations
579
100%
334
58.2%
240
41.8%
Criminal Code traffic violations causing death or bodily harm
13
100%
7
53.8%
6
46.2%
Total violent violations
4,450
100%
2,628
60.2%
1,739
39.8%
Table 13.3: 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, Northwest Territories, 2023
Table 13.3: 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, Northwest Territories, 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
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Sexual assaults
184
100%
4
2.2%
30
16.3%
43
23.4%
81
44.0%
22
12.0%
4
2.2%
Sexual violations against children
45
100%
17
37.8%
28
62.2%
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Assaults
2,058
100%
17
0.8%
99
4.8%
383
18.6%
1,127
54.8%
398
19.3%
33
1.6%
Other violent violations
334
100%
11
3.3%
29
8.7%
56
16.8%
156
46.7%
74
22.2%
8
2.4%
Criminal Code traffic violations causing death or bodily harm
7
100%
2
28.6%
1
14.3%
2
28.6%
2
28.6%
0
0
0
0
Total violent violations
2,628
100%
51
1.9%
187
7.1%
484
18.4%
1,366
52.0%
494
18.8%
45
1.7%
Table 13.4: 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, Northwest Territories, 2023
Table 13.4: 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, Northwest Territories, 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
7
100%
0
0
1
14.3%
0
0
5
71.4%
1
14.3%
0
0
Sexual assaults
12
100%
2
16.7%
3
25.0%
1
8.3%
4
33.3%
2
16.7%
0
0
Sexual violations against children
7
100%
6
85.7%
1
14.3%
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Assaults
1,467
100%
38
2.6%
60
4.1%
160
11.0%
725
49.6%
435
29.8%
43
2.9%
Other violent violations
240
100%
11
4.6%
25
10.4%
21
8.8%
108
45.0%
63
26.3%
12
5.0%
Criminal Code traffic violations causing death or bodily harm
