Preys of Silence Imprisoned by the System: Child Sexual Abuse in British Columbia

Why it matters?

According to General Social Survey, only 5% of sexual assault cases are being reported to the police (Department of Justice Canada, 2019). Besides, the low reporting of traumatic experiences affects the physical and psychological well-being of the victims and becomes a socio-economic burden for the country (Ligier et al., 2019). Some of the outcomes significantly affect the ability to socialize; victims report having considerably less household income (around $20 000) and are less likely to obtain postsecondary education (Joshi et al., 2021). Other commonly associated outcomes of CSA are the long-lasting trauma cycle, increased risk of re-victimization and imprisonment throughout adulthood (Bodkin et al., 2019; Tyson, 2019).

Context & Scope of Problem

Worldwide, roughly 120 million girls below the age of 20 reported forced sexual contact (World Health Organization 2020). In Canada, nearly 2.4 million individuals reported being victims of sexual abuse during their preadolescence (Conroy & Cotter 2017). To put numbers into perspective, data based on the self-report surveys predicted that one in five Canadians had experienced physical or sexual violence before the age of 15 (Cotter, 2021). Above mentioned information is coherent with the observations made by the Department of Justice, which recognized CSA as one of the highest underreported crime acts – estimating that 93% of abuse cases are not being reported to the authorities (Cotter, 2021; Department of Justice Canada, 2019).

to the low reporting assessing the real impact of the problem is challenging. The offence involving minors is restricted to the public, making it more challenging to obtain up-to-date information on CSA (Moynihan et al., 2018). Nevertheless, existing studies have identified evident-based indicators for understanding CSA's scope and risk factors. Research showed that females, indigenous peoples, children with a complex background (e.g. poor mental health), LGBTQ+ are exposed to assault significantly more and are at higher risk of sexual victimization (Canadian Centre for Child Protection, Inc., 2019; Conroy & Cotter, 2017; Joshi et al., 2021; Ligier et al., 2019). It is important to note that adverse experiences have a long-lasting drastic outcome on mental and physical health, shifting the future narrative of generations (Cotter, 2021). By overlooking the necessary policy changes and undervaluing the significance of preventive policy measures at schools, CSA will remain the highest unresolved criminal offence. The unreported cases will strike high, impacting the justice system where perpetrators are not held accountable for their actions, victims are afraid of coming forward, and social prejudices create the drastic cycle of victimization.

Despite the constant proof of perpetrators being trusted adults (Fortson et al., 2016), the primary responsibility for a child's safety and stability singlehandedly lays in the hands of the parents (Statistics Canada, 2017); welfare workers interfere when a child is in danger or parents are no longer able to provide adequate care (Government of British Columbia, 2017). However, this drastic narrative can be altered by preventive school-based strategies and programs that concentrate on empowering children and increasing reporting. CSA prevention initiatives, and efforts to support involved institutions such as schools, care facilities and etc., play a critical role in filling the systematic gaps by promoting primary prevention of child sexual abuse. School-based programs such as “No, Go, Tell” and “Good Touch, Bad Touch” are proven to be effective measures implemented at schools in China, Norway, Australia etc. (Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, 2019). Similar prevention policies are the core strategy to prevent CSA, yet in many institutes, implementing such programs may involve overcoming many obstacles, including a lack of financial support and required time commitments (Plummer, 2013; Tutty et al., 2020).

On the international level, researchers identified gender inequality, harmful masculine social norms, and financial inequalities as core causes of sexual violence (Plummer, 2013). Oftentimes, in order to prevent CSA, countries such as the U.K, Australia, South Africa, etc., focus their resources on employment screening, enhanced training for employees on identifying and reacting to CSA, and policies on school safety and investigative procedures (Plummer, 2013). The recommendations for all the countries, as mentioned earlier,' emphasize the need for prevalence strategies reflected in programs and policies targeting child safety (Plummer, 2013). Considering long-term traumatic consequences on victims combined with the meagre reporting rates and the high socio-economic costs of offence, the justice, social services, and health systems must prioritize developing forceful action plans to combat CSA (Ending Violence Association of Canada, 2016).

In order to foster healing, and avoid the long-lasting harmful effect, disclosure plays an essential role. However, disclosure for children and adults who experience sexual abuse are impacted by cultural stigmatization and shaming around the issue, causing prolonged hiding and suppression (Conroy & Cotter, 2017). Disclosure is also affected by external factors such as race and age (Downing et al., 2021). Global social movements such as the #MeToo campaigns try to raise awareness and systematically destroy shaming around sex, enabling victims to speak up (The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited, 2020). This kind of social movement creates the platform for increased reporting and becomes a critical base for healthy judgement in children.

Besides social movements, few programs are developed to increase reporting. For empowering children, in B.C., some schools implement a preventive program serving the aim as mentioned above. The school-based programs such as Let's Talk About Touching (LTAT) prove to be highly efficacious, however, the program is tailored to children aged 3 to 8 years, is up to a school board to implement it and is not accessible to every student (Early Childhood Educators, 2022). The latest amendments concerning the school programs were made in 2018 when the Minister of Education issued a directive requiring boards of Education and independent school authorities to reference Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) in school district codes of conduct and school harassment and bullying prevention policies (Loutzenheiser et al., 2018). Identical action is required to ensure that children understand how to recognize and stop the abuse, as well as first responders such as teachers, administrators and staff are equipped with the appropriate knowledge. B.C.'s official representative Dr. Jenifer Charlesworth in her interview, indicated that primarily CSA is being reported by teachers and supervisors; since during the pandemic children were no longer able to access schools (World Health Organization, 2020), reported cases went silent, and abuse took place behind the closed doors (Lamberik, 2020).

Policy Status

CSA is a preventable public health problem effect by the policies enacted through three leading Governmental agencies in British Columbia: The Ministry for Children and Family Development (MCFD), the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education.

Service-providing agents, including first responders (police and social workers), MCFD care facilities, schools, and health institutions (practitioners), operate under the Child, Family and Community Service Act (CFCSA) and Criminal Code of Canada. TCFCSA also defines the involvement of the Aboriginal communities in planning and delivering the services to their members through Delegated Aboriginal Child and Family Services Agencies (Government of British Columbia, 2022). The main aim of Aboriginal Agencies is to preserve their cultural identity while maintaining their kinship ties and attachment to extended family (Government of British Columbia, 2022). The Minister of health is obliged to assess and investigate CSA reports and provide adequate services to children. However, the Act overlooks mental safety and different preventive interventions (Government of British Columbia, 2017). No single document or agency oversees the CSA prevalence and ensures the implementation of relevant measures.

Current juridical system policies and internal guidelines do not imply trauma-informed methods. The most recent amendment only applies to judges in the criminal justice system; it allows continued education on sexual assault law, systematic racism and discrimination. Bill C-3 was passed in 2021 and effected several changes to the Judges Act and the Criminal Code of Canada (Minister of Justice, 2022). Further amendments are necessary to the Criminal Code and the CFCSA to equip relevant stakeholders (Police, British Columbia school system, Care providing organizations) with relevant preventive strategies and action plans to undertake the ongoing challenge through knowledge and understanding of the issue.

Policy Alternatives & Recommendations

Practical, evidence-based policy reforms and innovative strategies for proactively shielding children from abuse are required. United Nations' 2020-2030 agenda highlighted the necessity for prompt safeguarding measures for protecting children from abuse and advised governments worldwide to boost their efforts and increase their involvement in the buttle against CSA (Fortson et al., 2016). More resources are needed to create, assess, and execute evidence-based CSA prevention strategies to ensure that children are brought up in a safe, nurturing environment where they can reach their full potential. Compared to the list of countries (figure 1) the government of Canada needs to increase investment in resources to equip relevant stakeholders with relevant policy guides; adequately respond to the CSA cases; and facilitate creating national plan, to obtain relevant data and comprehend the scope of the problem (The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited, 2020).

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