Final Data Report

The age group 12-17-year-olds is most likely to be a victim of sexual assault, as well as the most likely to be a victim of any violent crime in Canada in 2022, according to Statistics Canada. For my first data report, I chose to look at the incredibly high rate at which 12-17-year-olds fall victim to sexual assault, since it showed a significantly larger increase compared to any other adult age group. While this may still be the most shocking piece of information found in this Statistics Canada dataset, it is also important to note that the same age group is most likely to be a victim of violent crime in general. This statistic encompasses all violent crimes recorded in the Statistics Canada census. The age group 12-17 is 11.3 percent more likely to be a victim of violent crime than its rival adult age group, 18-24-year-olds. It is odd to think that children would be more likely to be victims of violent crimes than adults. 12-17-year-olds are 30.2 percent more likely to be victims of violent crime than 25-44-year-olds, 163.1 percent more likely than 45-64-year-olds, and 818.4 percent more likely than the 65 years and older age group. Youth aged 15-29 are the most at-risk group, according to the World Health Organization. There are a wide range of risk factors that can put a young person at risk such as early involvement with drugs and alcohol, low academic achievement, exposure to violence in the family, and many more. There are external sources of risk within relationships such as family partners or peers, and in the community and society overall according to The World Health Organization. Teenagers aged 12-17 make up one quarter of child abuse and neglect cases, and are more likely than younger children to be victims of sexual assault, according to The National Centre for Victims and Crime. Youth who are abused at home are more likely at risk of youth homelessness, which makes them much more vulnerable to violence, says The National Centre for Victims and Crime. A more accurate representation of the Statistics Canada data would be a breakdown by gender and race, since the statistics for violent crime heavily weigh on these categories. Girls are more likely to be sexually assaulted than boys, and African-American, Hispanic, and Indian-American children are more likely to be murdered than white children. Teenagers are at a pivotal and vulnerable stage in their lives. Protecting teenagers from risk factors in the home, school, and society is crucial for their transition into adulthood, according to The National Centre for Victims and Crime. The least likely category for the age group 12-17-year-olds was for violations causing death and attempted murder. After reading these articles about how at-risk this youth category is, it was surprising to see that 12-17-year-olds did not place higher. The Bureau of Justice Statistics says that people aged 12-24 make up 35 percent of murder victims, and are 22 percent of the population, while the age group 25-49 makes up 53 percent of murder victims, and 47 percent of the population. This statistic may not be well-tracked, since 25-49-year-olds make up a much larger proportion of the population. Though the report is from 1997, updated population data indicates that the numbers are still true in Canada as of last year. In 2023, 25-44-year-olds made up the highest population in Canada, according to Statista Research Department.