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Over one-quarter of violent crime committed in Saskatchewan RCMP jurisdiction is intimate partner violence (IPV), Saskatchewan RCMP says, with victims in a dating relationship with a boyfriend or girlfriend leading those statistics.
In a news release on July 25, RCMP said 2024 data showed that people in dating relationships made up 60 per cent of reported IPV victims and, when combined with reports of people who experienced violence from an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend, violence by a current or former dating partner accounted for 81 per cent of IPV victims
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This compares to 16 per cent of victims who reported violence in a spousal relationship, and 2 per cent from an ex-spouse.
“Dating violence is a consistent issue. Whether people have been dating for two weeks or two years, this is the largest group experiencing intimate partner violence,” Sgt. Nick Smyth, who heads Saskatchewan RCMP’s Interpersonal Violence Outreach unit, said in the release.
The trend reflected in the 2024 RCMP data is not new.
Assault tops reported IPV crime types
Saskatchewan RCMP crime statistics that show dating violence represents an average 58 per cent of all IPV victims for each of the past five years and consistently surpasses the spousal violence average of 18 per cent from 2020 to 2024.
Violence by an ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend over the past five years accounts for an average of 20 per cent of all IPV victims, while violence by a former spouse made up an average of 2 per cent of IPV victims across Saskatchewan RCMP jurisdiction from 2020 to 2024.
Incidents of assault topped Saskatchewan RCMP reported intimate partner violence crime types in 2024, with 86 percent of intimate partner victims reporting being physically assaulted, RCMP says.
The next most common IPV crime types in 2024 were criminal harassment and uttering threats which made up 7 per cent, followed by sexual assaults and other sexual offences which made up 5 per cent.
About 5 per cent of victims reported being criminally harassed and 4 per cent reported they were verbally threatened. These trends are consistent with RCMP statistics over the past five years, where assault is the most common IPV offence.
Distribution of intimate images on the rise
Breach of privacy can also be an IPV crime, the release said.
In 2024, Saskatchewan RCMP officers responded to 53 victims of non-consensual distribution of intimate images crimes involving current or former intimate partners, an increase of 60 per cent from 2023, when RCMP officers investigated reports from 33 victims.
According to 2024 Saskatchewan RCMP data, 91 per cent of IPV victims of non-consensual distribution of intimate images crimes reported being in a current or former dating relationship with the perpetrator.
Saskatchewan RCMP said it received 211 reports of this IPV offence type over a five-year period, and 266 since it became a Criminal Code offence in 2018.
Anyone experiencing dating or any intimate partner violence should call 310-RCMP, their local police service or inform Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or at saskcrimestoppers.com.
In an emergency, victims are urged to always call 911.
Where can I get help?
To connect to intimate partner of domestic violence support in your community, call 211, text 211 or visit abuse.sk.211.ca. The service is free, confidential, and available 24/7 365 days a year in over 175 languages, including 17 Indigenous languages.
As well, there are 18 helplines available in Saskatchewan to support people experiencing various forms of abuse and domestic violence. All are confidential, free, and available 24/7.
1. Naseeha Mental Health Helpline
- Support for everyone (Muslim and non-Muslim callers)
- Available via text or call 1-866-627-3342
2. Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline
- Confidential, multilingual service available 24/7
- Available via call at 1-833-900-1010 or online chat at canadianhumantraffickinghotline.ca
3. Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime
- Support for victims, survivors, and their families
- Available via text or call at 1-877-232-2610, or online chat at crcvc.ca
4. First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness Helpline
- Support for Indigenous people
Available via call at 1-855-242-3310 or online chat at hopeforwellness.ca
5. 24-Hour Residential School Crisis Line
- Support for those affected by residential school trauma
- Available via call at 1-866-925-4419
6. NISA Helpline
- Faith-based support for parents and women
- Available via call at 1-888-315-6472
7. LGBT National Hotline
- Support for the LGBTQ2S+ community
- Available via call at 1-888-843-4564 or online chat at lgbthotline.org
8. Kids Help Phone
- Multilingual service for young people
- Available via text or call at 1-800-668-6868 or online chat at kidshelpphone.ca
9. Youthspace.ca
- Crisis and emotional support for people under 30
- Available via text at 778 7830177 or online chat at youthspace.ca
10. Shelwin House 24-Hour Support
- Support for women
- Available via Call at 1-306-244-7773
11. Saskatoon Crisis Intervention Service
- Support for everyone
- Available via call at 1-306-933-6200
12. Crisis Suicide Helpline
- Support for everyone
- Available via call at 1-833-456-4566
13. North East Outreach and Support Services
- Support for everyone
- Available via call at 1-306-752-9463
14. Southwest Crisis Services Crisis Line
- Support for everyone
Available via call at 1-306-778-8383
15. Farm Stress Line
- Support for everyone, especially those in farming communities
◦ Available via call at 1-800-667-4442
16. Mobile Crisis Line
- Crisis support for everyone
- Available via call at 1-800-607-0310
17. Talking Stick
- Anonymous online chat support for Indigenous people
- Available via online chat on a free app only, available for Apple and Android
18. Child Abuse Line
- Support for children and youth
- Available via call at 1-800-387-5437
NOTE: This information was current in November 2024. If you have a service you would like added to our list please send details here.
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