Sexual violence is a serious health, social and public safety issue in Nova Scotia. We know that incidents of sexual violence are under-reported in our province. In June 2015, the province released its first sexual violence strategy, which you can read here.
Available data indicates that sexual assault is significantly under reported, with approximately 9 in 10 incidents (88%) going unreported to the police. In 2014, 591 sexual assaults were reported to police in Nova Scotia. Data collected through the 2014 General Social Survey also indicate that:
Available statistics are limited and do not adequately represent the incidence of sexual violence in diverse populations. Existing data from Statistics Canada’s General Social Survey indicates that some populations are at an increased risk for sexual violence victimization. For instance, in 2009, the rate of self-reported violent victimization among Aboriginal women was almost three times higher than the rate reported by non-aboriginal women.
Given this context, it is critical to consider the need of individuals in all their diversity in the aftermath of an incident of sexual violence.
We invite you to read the plan and look for ways to get involved at the community level. It will take the effort of communities, victims, service organizations, governments and individuals to prevent sexual violence in Nova Scotia.