Victimization surveys have shown that spousal violence frequently involves multiple incidents. However, a new study examining 10 years of police-reported data shows that most spousal violence is reported to police on only a single occasion.

The study, which analyzed spousal violence offenders and their contact with police using a 10-year data file for 1995 to 2004, was published today in the 2006 edition of Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile. It found that 8 out of every 10 spousal offenders were reported to police on only one occasion during the 10-year time frame. Persons accused of repeated spousal violence (those with two to four police-reported incidents of spousal violence) accounted for 18% of the total. Only 1% were considered chronic abusers, that is they were involved in five or more reported incidents.

These results may be partially explained by the 2004 General Social Survey (GSS) on victimization that found that only 28% of victims of spousal violence turned to police for help. Incidents that are reported tend to depend on the severity and frequency of the violence, and on whether children were witnesses. Other factors include whether the victim was female, young, Aboriginal or turned to others for support.

Read the Report: Family violence in Canada: A statistical profile (85-224-XIE)
http://www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/85-224-XIE/85-224-XIE2006000.pdf (PDF, 405k, 78 p.)

I worked as a family violence counsellor for a few years and saw dozens of instances where the couple involved did not even know that what they were doing was abusive until the police arrived.

One classic story involves a couple who were both pillars of integrity in their local church. But they were also a couple who would have yelling matches with each other in the sanctity of their home.

One day the police arrived at the door and informed them that the neighbours had called about what seemed to be a violent confrontation occurring in the house. Needless to say both the husband and wife were horrified to be confronted this way. To them, this was simply a family argument and, since it was all verbal, there could never be a claim of abuse occurring.