Unit 2: Criminal Law

CHAPTER 5: THE CRIMINAL CODE

E-ACTIVITY: STATISTICS ON HOMICIDE IN CANADA (p. 127)

Activity: Graph Homicide Statistics

Murder, manslaughter, and infanticide are three forms of homicide in Canada. How many homicides have occurred in your province or territory in recent years? What methods are used to commit homicide in Canada? What are the age and sex profiles of homicide victims?

Perhaps because homicide is such a serious crime, police forces and Statistics Canada keep many statistics about this crime. To find out answers to the above questions, refer to Statistics Canada's data about justice and crime by visiting the Statistics Canada Web site.

1. Use the statistical charts at the Statistics Canada Web site by clicking on "Homicide Offences, number and rate, province and territory," "Homicides by Method," and "Homicide Victims and Suspects, by age and sex." Using the data in these charts, complete the Homicide Statistics Organizer below. Click here to download the organizer.

2. What conclusions can you draw from the data you collected in your Homicide Statistical Organizer?
   
   

3. Choose any set of homicide statistics you just examined in Questions 1 and 2, and graph a subset using the most appropriate graphing technique for the data. For example, you could graph the homicides with male victims for 2000 according to age range, or you could graph the homicides for a particular age range for 1996-2000.

4. After completing your graph, trade with a partner. What patterns do your graphs illustrate? How can graphing data help us better understand it?

5. Identify any possible uses for the data in your organizer or graph.