No. People of all ages, from all economic and social backgrounds, and from all ethnic and cultural groups can be abused.

From the age of 16, about 51% of Canadian women report having experienced at least one incident of physical or sexual violence. Nearly one quarter of women (22%) who've experienced assault by a spouse never told anyone about the abuse and statistics show that there may be as many as 35 violent incidents before a woman will call the police. In Canada, women continue to be more likely than men to be victims of family violence. "In 2009, the rate of spousal homicide aganst women was about three times higher than that for men" (Stats Canada 2009).

It‘s hard for anyone to take action to stop family violence. If you're a senior or a person with disabilities, it might be especially hard for you to protect yourself from abuse, and you may also be dependent on your partner to take care of your daily needs.

You could also be feeling particularly isolated because of language issues, pressures from family, racism, or because you are new to Canada. If you're a newcomer you may be afraid of being deported if you contact the police or a service that can help. (See "Are You New to Canada?" for what the law says about newcomers to Canada).

If you're being abused it's important to remember that family or relationship violence is not a private matter. Assault and harassment are crimes. If you're being assaulted or harassed, please call the police or contact one of the agencies who can help.