Rates of gun-related intimate partner violence rising: StatsCan
A report from Statistics Canada indicates that gun-related intimate partner violence has risen by 58 percent between 2020 and 2024 compared to the previous decade. Experts highlight that the presence of a firearm significantly increases the lethality of domestic abuse situations.
Why it matters
The data underscores a critical public safety crisis, emphasizing the need for better risk assessment and intervention strategies for domestic violence survivors.
The average annual rate of these offences was 58 per cent higher between 2020 and 2024 than 2010 to 2014. The majority of victims – 85 per cent – were women and girls aged 12 and over.
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Most intimate partner violence crimes don't involve firearms, but those that do are five times more likely to be lethal than incidents that don't involve firearms, according to Public Safety Canada .
The most dangerous time is during or immediately after a separation, said Angela Marie MacDougall, executive director of Battered Women's Support Services in Vancouver.
"When somebody is leaving an abusive relationship and a firearm is present, we consider that high risk for potential lethality and that it means a different kind of … safety planning and risk assessment that needs to be factored in."
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