Resources

Child protection act

The purpose of this act is to protect children from harm due to abuse and neglect.

According to the Child Protection act, one situation where a child may be in need of protection is when the child has been sexually abused by a parent or by another person where the parent knew or ought to have known of the possibility of sexual abuse of the child and the parent failed to protect the child.

Sexual abuse

According to the Criminal Code of Canada, sexual abuse is defined as any sexual exploitation of a child by an older person. Types of sexual abuse include:

• An invitation to sexual touching.
• Procuring sexual activity from a child.
• A caregiver (permitting to engage) in sexual activity.
• Exposing genitals to a child
• Incest.
• Exposing a child to or engaging in pornography.

Child

• A person under the age of 16 years.
• A person between the ages of 16 and 18 years where the person, due to developmental, mental or physical incapacity, is or appears to be unable to protect himself or herself

Youth

A person over the age of 12 years and under the age of 18 years.

Parent

• A birth or adoptive parent who has custody or guardianship rights to a child.

• A person, who has stood in loco parentis to a child for a period of not less than one year and who has a continuing relationship with the child.

• A legal guardian of a child.

• A person responsible for the care of a child and with whom the child resides.

Caregiver

A foster parent, an employee of a child care organization or other person who has the care of a child.

These common myths and facts are useful for both parents and their children, in order to raise awareness and understanding of sexual abuse.

Child sexual abuse is rare and happens mostly to girls and hardly ever to boys.

Myth! According to statistics, 50% of all women and 30% of all men were victims of unwanted sexual acts as children. (Badgley, 1984)

Children rarely lie about being abused.

Fact! Children rarely lie about being sexually abused. Even if the abuser is proven not guilty in court, this does not mean that the child was making up the story about being molested.

Children are usually sexually abused by strangers.

Myth! Sexual abuse victims are most commonly abused by a family member - parent, step-parent, uncle, grandparent or sibling - or by someone they know and trust like a baby-sitter, teacher, coach or family friend.

Unless sexual intercourse occurs, it's not really sexual abuse.

Myth! Sexual abuse is when someone uses tricks, secrecy or force to touch a child's private parts in a way that confuses them, scares them or hurts them. It is also sexual abuse if someone forces the child to touch him or her in a sexual way or takes naked pictures of the child or makes the child look at pornographic pictures.

Most children who have been sexually abused keep the abuse a secret for a long time.

Fact! It is very common for victims of sexual abuse to keep the abuse a secret because they are afraid of what will happen if people find out, or they worry they won't be believed.

Victims of sexual abuse sometimes cause the abuse to happen because of how they dress or act.

Myth! Nothing the victim says or does causes the abuse to happen. It is always the sexual abuser's responsibility, because he or she is making a choice to do something that is wrong.

It's easy for victims to stop the sexual abuse from happening. All they have to do is say no.

Myth! It is very hard for children and adolescents to stop the abuse from happening. Children are taught to obey adults, so it is hard for them to say no. Victims are often tricked, bribed or threatened into going along with the abuse. Abusers are often very tricky and know what to say or do to get kids to go along with the sexual abuse.

Clues to help know that a situation M.U.S.T. be sexual abuse.

Sometimes it is difficult to tell if a situation is sexual abuse. Below is a list of clues that will help you sort out what sexual abuse is:

M = Makes me
U = Uncomfortable
S = Secret
T = Tricks

A situation M.U.S.T be sexual abuse if the person Makes you do something that feels Uncomfortable, tells you to keep it a Secret. Or uses Tricks (such as lies or bribes) to get you to go along with the sexual abuse.

Why do victims often keep sexual abuse a secret?

• The abuser told them not to tell.
• They are worried about what will happen if they tell.
• They feel that the abuse is their fault.
• They think it their job to protect the abuser.
• They think it is their job to protect someone else, like a parent or a sibling.
• They feel too ashamed to tell anyone.
• They worry about what people will think of them if they tell.
• Having a secret to keep makes them feel special.
• They fear that they will not be believed.
• They feel helpless, that nobody will be able to do anything about it.

Why do abusers trick victims into keeping the abuse a secret?

• They do not want to get into trouble.
• They want to be in control.
• They want to avoid going to jail.
• They would feel ashamed if people found out what they did.
• They know that people would believe the child.
• They can continue to abuse the child if people don't know about it.
• They do not want to leave their family.
• They know that sexual abuse is a crime.

Why is it important to treat abuse?

Without immediate intervention many abused children may suffer lasting emotional, behavioral, or developmental issues.

Victims who experience trauma may suffer from a variety of long and short term difficulties, such as:

• Bed wetting.
• Sleep disturbances (night terrors).
• Drug and Alcohol Abuse.
• Learning Disabilities.
• Extreme Emotional States.
• Behavioral problems/disruptions.

Child sexual abuse in Halton

Maltreatment crosses all socio-economic boundaries throughout Canada, including the Region of Halton. Here are some facts that you may find interesting:

• Approximately 19,000 children living in Halton are investigated for suspected maltreatment annually.
• It is recognized that one in three female and one in five male children suffer from abuse before the age of 16, meaning that 19 000 children in Halton endure their abuse in silence.
• Most often the offender is frequently in a position of trust with the family, ie. parents, friends, coaches and care givers. This position of trust makes the child uncertain about disclosing the abuse and frequently the abuse goes unreported.
• The average ages of our identified clients include:
  • Ages 0 - 6: 15%
  • Ages 7 - 11: 46%
  • Ages 12 - 15: 27%
  • Ages 16 - 18: 12%

All disclosures of previously unreported child abuse must be reported to the Children's Aid Society. However, depending on the identity and location of the alleged perpetrator this process may differ.

If the disclosure indicated that the abuse took place in the past by a person with whom the child no longer has contact:

• A report to the Children's Aid Society must be made, but can be done during normal working hours (if an evening disclosure occurs).
• The parent/guardian of the child must be told that the disclosure occurred, and told that the disclosure most be reported. However the parent/guardian should not discuss the disclosure with the child until an interview by a Children's Aid Worker has taken place.

If the disclosure indicates recent abuse but the alleged perpetrator lives separately from the child and has no immediate access to the child:

• A report to the Children's Aid Society can be made during normal working hours ONLY IF THE CHILD'S PARENT OR GUARDIAN CAN ENSURE THE CHILD'S SAFETY UNTIL THE REPORT IS MADE.
• If the child's safety cannot be ensured an immediate report should be made and support should be provided by a Children's Aid Worker.

If the disclosure indicates recent abuse and the alleged perpetrator is currently living with the child or could have immediate access to the child:

• A report must immediately be made to the Children's Aid Society, and the necessary support must be provided to the child.

Note: Any person who suspects that a child is or may be in need of protection must promptly report the suspicion and the information upon which it is based to a Children's Aid Society.

• Our bodies are good, special and deserve care and respect (including our genitals or private parts).

• Boys and girls have many body parts that are the same and a few that are different. The parts that are different are often called "private." These parts have their own names - penis, vagina, vulva etc. - and we can talk about them with respect.

• Private parts are usually talked about at certain times and in certain places.

• Babies need a lot of help and deserve to be loved and cared for. Children can do more for themselves as they grow, but they still need help with some things.

• Adults and older children have no business fondling a child's private parts. Sometimes they need to help with cleaning or wiping, but this is not the same as fondling them.

• Adults and older children should not need help with their private parts. If they do, they should ask an adult or Doctor to help. They should not ask a child to help.

• Girls and women do not always have to be polite and helpful; boys and men do not always have to be tough and able to handle everything.

• Everyone has all kinds of feelings and they are all okay. When you don't know what you are feeling, or you have more than one feeling at the same time, we call that "mixed up" or confused.

• When we are "mixed up" about anything (including secrets, feelings, private parts) we can ask someone we trust for help.

• Sometimes we like to be touched, sometimes we don't. It is okay to say no to any kind of touching.

• We do not touch a person who says no to touching or does not look happy about being touched.

• Sometimes we like to keep a secret (it gives us a happy, fun feeling). Sometimes we don't. Sexuality and genitals are private, but they are not always a secret.

• Touching is never a secret.

If you are a victim or offender of sexual abuse, you may be required to go to court. Such an experience can be frightening for anyone, especially young people. However, there are a few questions that you can ask to make the experience easier.

Ask the Police and Social workers

• To give you the names and phone numbers of all of the people who meet with you, in case you have any later questions.
• To make a chart showing the ages, grade levels, and houses you've lived in, to sort out exactly which year and where things happened.
• To have the police officer or social worker you like the best to stay with you in your case.
• To give you the names of others helping people in the city who might be able to comfort you through unhappy times.
• To help you start a journal of appointment times and events.

Ask the Crown

• To arrange the appointment times so you don't miss other important things (like a sports event, birthday party, or a school exam.
• To get an early court date, if that's important to you.
• To have the particular prosecutor you like best to be on your case from the beginning, or to have the same prosecutor take your case from beginning to end.
• To show where you can wait outside the courtroom if you feel uncomfortable being around the accused.
• To ask certain people you'd rather not have in the courtroom to leave.
• To read or hear your earlier statements, to refresh your memory, before you testify.

Tip: Write in your journal all the questions that occur to you before you first meet with the prosecutor, and take the journal with you when you go to see the prosecutor.