More than 38,000 incidents of spousal violence were reported to Canadian police forces in 2006, with assaults more prevalent on the Prairies and in the North, while stalking and threats were most common in Quebec, Statistics Canada says.

In a study issued Thursday, the federal agency says four types of acts make up the bulk of offences between spouses or ex-spouses:

  • Common assault (which includes slapping and punching but does not involve a weapon or serious injury).
  • Major assault (which involves a weapon or serious injury).
  • Uttering threats.
  • Criminal harassment or stalking.

Nationally, 14 per cent of the reported offences were major assaults and 61 per cent were common assaults, the study says. The regional patterns were different, however.

Major assault made up a disproportionate share of reported offences in Manitoba (22 per cent), the Yukon (21 per cent) and Saskatchewan (19 per cent).

Common assault was most prevalent in the Northwest Territories (83 per cent) and the Yukon (77 per cent).

Fewer assaults, more threats and harassment in Quebec

Quebec, for its part, showed unusual incidences of criminal harassment (12 per cent) and uttering threats (16 per cent). The nationwide percentages for those offences were eight per cent and 11 per cent, respectively.

The statisticians offered no explanation of the differences, except to say there is a similar pattern for violent crime in general: Major assaults are more prevalent in the West and North, while offences such as stalking and uttering threats make up a greater than average share of crime in Quebec.

Most victims are women

In every province and territory, about eight out of 10 victims of spousal violence were women, the study says.

However, major assaults accounted for 23 per cent of the incidents where men were victims, compared with 13 per cent for female victims, it said.

The study is based on reports made to 149 police forces serving about 90 per cent of the Canadian population, but does not purport to be even 90 per cent complete.

"Not all incidents of spousal violence are reported to the police," it says. "Disclosing spousal violence is difficult for many victims."