Criminal threats or harassing phone calls were more likely in cases of dating violence than in cases of spousal violence. (CBC)

Rates of dating violence reported to police increased steeply between 2004 and 2008, Statistics Canada says.

The number of incidents rose 40 per cent for women and 47 per cent for men over the study period, according to the report released Tuesday.

Dating violence — incidents reported by police that were committed by a current boyfriend or girlfriend, an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend, or by a person with whom the victim had an intimate but non-spousal relationship — represented seven per cent of total violent crimes in the country in 2008, Statistics Canada said.

In 2008, there were almost 23,000 incidents of dating violence. Victims described half of the incidents as common assault, the least serious form of physical assault.

The majority of victims of dating violence reported to police, 52 per cent, were not injured, the report said.

Overall, women accounted for 8 in 10 dating violence victims reported to police in 2008. The majority of incidents occurred once the relationship had ended.

While girls aged 15 to 19 experienced 10 times as much police-reported violence as boys their age, the rates of such violence were highest among those in their 30s for both sexes, the report said.

More willingness to report

Since research suggests young victims and perpetrators of dating violence may be at higher risk of continuing the cycle, much of the response to dating violence in Canada has focused on school-based education and awareness campaigns.

"Prevention efforts have focused on teaching adolescents problem-solving and conflict-management skills to help them develop healthy relationships," the report noted.

Criminal harassment, uttering threats and indecent or harassing phone calls were more likely to occur in cases of dating violence than in cases of spousal violence.

This is the first study of dating violence by Statistics Canada, said Queen's University law professor Nick Bala in Kingston, Ont.

The increase probably reflects victims' increased willingness to report these crimes, rather than an actual increase, Bala said, commenting on the study.

About 10 per cent of male victims and one per cent of female victims of dating violence involved same-sex dating.

The findings likely represent only a portion of incidents of dating violence, since a 2004 survey found many victims of violence do not report the abuse to police, the study noted.