Everything You Didn't Want to Know About Child Abuse, But Need to Ask!

The abuse of children is not a new problem.  A recent study reported that in the general population 12.8% of female children and 4.3% of male children experience physical and sexual abuse (MacMillan, Fleming, Trocme, Boyle, Wong, Racine, Beardslee, & Offord, 1997). 

In 1985, the Badgley Report stated that 8.2% of males and 17.6% of females experienced unwanted touching of sexual areas, and before the age of eighteen, they experienced perpetrator imposed attempted and/or completed intercourse (Badgley, 1984). 

What is new about the abuse of children is the community response.  More than ever before community members are stating their commitment to address the impacts of the abuse of children.  Especially now that the latest research from the University of Western Ontario, states that the cost of child abuse in healthcare, legal and related issues and services to our society is close to 16 billion dollars (Bowlus, McKenna, Day & Wright, 2003).

Over the past twenty years a great deal of progress has been made in the investigation and treatment of child abuse. 

The coordinated efforts of the police and child protection agencies, together with treatment programs have benefited the individual child, youth and families' experience immeasurably.  It has become all too clear in the last few years however, that a number of service gaps and inefficiencies still exist.  In addition, there are few services for youth (16+) and adults who have lived through childhood abuse as well as a lack of coordination between those that do exist.  It is still generally accepted that the gaps and problems in service delivery include the following:

1. There are limited child-focused home-like settings with recording facilities for investigative interviewing.  Recorded interviews are considered one of the best forms of evidence;

2. We know that the service response to the victim's disclosure has a definitive impact on the level of trauma experienced and therefore, on the need for future services;

3. The time constraints and the pressures of an investigation result in the interviewing teams having to focus solely on the abuse incident.  Other issues within the family such as: poverty, addictions, legal services etc. may be overlooked or attended to in a limited capacity;

4. There is a lack of services for victims where the situation does not fall under the mandate of a child protection agency.  In these cases it is less likely that treatment referrals will be made;

5. Victims of violence and their families will potentially be interviewed about possibly the most traumatizing event in their lives in a variety of settings that may not be fully conducive to a victim’s sense of safety;

6. There is an awareness that the current coordinated response to children, youth and families contributes to duplication of services, inefficient provision of service, and at times a lack of sensitivity to the victim's issues;

7. With the increasing numbers of victims needing treatment services, waiting lists are developing that threaten to take over the efforts of treatment professionals to arrive at their goal of effective, timely service that meets the individual and family's needs;

8. There is no coordinated response and few services for adults who have experienced the impact of childhood abuse, resulting in these adults having to make numerous inquiries at a time when they are most under stress.  As a result many of our GASN participants previously felt isolated and unsupported in their efforts to reach out for assistance;

9. These same adults face long waiting lists for funded or affordable services.  Not receiving timely service can result in the escalation of present day symptoms leading to the need for extreme measures: hospitalization, incarceration, and suicide.  Support that The Gatehouse offers through its mentors, significantly reduces isolation and by extension the need for extreme measures until other services become available; and

10. The continued gradual erosion of our social safety net has resulted in funded or affordable services becoming narrowly defined.  Services are often time limited, issue specific, and difficult to access.

Documenting Possible Abuse

How to Report Possible Abuse

What a Parent Can Do When Their Child has been Abused