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The 2009 General Social Survey (GSS) found that just over one-quarter of Canadians, aged 15 years and older, reported being the victim of a crime in the preceding 12 months. This proportion was similar to that in 2004, when the last victimization survey was conducted.
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Seven in ten self-reported victimizations were non-violent in nature. Of the eight offences measured by the GSS, theft of personal property was the most common.
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Overall rates of self-reported violent victimization remained stable between 2004 and 2009, as did the rates of sexual assault, physical assault and robbery.
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Overall rates of self-reported household victimization also remained stable between 2004 and 2009. However, motor vehicle thefts declined 23% while break-ins increased, up 21%.
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Self-reported rates of violent and household victimization in 2009 were higher in western Canada, particularly Manitoba and Saskatchewan, than in the eastern part of the country.
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Younger Canadians reported higher rates of violent victimization than older Canadians. The rate of violence reported by 15-to-24 year olds was almost 15 times higher than the rate for individuals 65 years or older
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Just under one-third of Canadians (31%) who had been victimized reported their victimization to police, down slightly from 2004 (34%). Break-ins and motor vehicle thefts were more likely than other types of victimizations to be brought to the attention of authorities.
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In 2009, the vast majority (93%) of Canadians felt somewhat or very satisfied with their personal safety from crime, similar to the GSS findings from 2004.
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