CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IN CANADA

~Magickal Graphics~

These are the latest statistics for Canada to date.  They are working on new statistics.  Not an easy task when most victims don’t come forward.

Definition of Child Sexual Abuse:

The definition of sexual abuse with children is when an older child, a youth or an adult uses a child or youth for his or her own sexual gratification. This includes incest. Incest with children is when the child is sexually violated by a parent, parent figure, older sibling, other relative, or other significant person in the child’s family life.

Under the definition of sexual abuse there are two categories: non-contact and contact.

Definition of Sexual Abuse: Non-Contact

• forced to watch sexual acts
• forced to listen to sexual talk, including comments, tapes, and obscene phone calls
• sexually explicit material such as videos, DVDs, magazines, photographs, etc.; can be in-person, on the computer via e-mails, and otherwise through the Internet
• forced to look at sexual parts of the body–includes buttocks, anus, genital area (vulva, vagina, penis, scrotum), breasts, and mouth
• sexually intrusive questions or comments; can be verbal, on the computer, or in notes

Definition of Sexual Abuse: Contact

• being touched and fondled in sexual areas, including kissing
• forcing a child or youth to touch another person’s sexual areas
• forced oral sex–oral sex is when the mouth comes in contact with the penis, the vagina or the anus; many children believe that oral sex is “talking dirty”
• forced intercourse–can be vaginally, anally or orally; penetration must occur; penetration can be with body parts and/or objects (the most common body parts used are the fingers, tongue and penis)

In Canada: The word “rape” is no longer a term used in Canadian law. The Canada Criminal Code now uses the term “Sexual Assault”–it has a broader meaning and encompasses all aspects of the definition of sexual abuse.

The preceding information was taken from Child-Abuse-Effects.com For more information on this site you can go to their website here:  child abuse

Canadian Statistics

Prevalence: Overall

• 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 6 boys experience an unwanted sexual act.
  Source: Child Sexual Abuse (The Canadian Badgley Royal Commission, Report on Sexual Offenses Against Children and Youths), 1984. (pg. 175)
• 4 out of 5 incidents of sexual abuse will occur before the age of 18.
  Source: Child Sexual Abuse (The Canadian Badgley Royal Commission, Report on Sexual Offenses Against Children and Youths), 1984. (pg. 175).
• 95 % of child sexual abuse victims know their perpetrator.
  Source: Child Sexual Abuse (The Canadian Badgley Royal Commission, Report on Sexual Offenses Against Children and Youths), 1984. (pg. 215-218).
• Children and youth under 18 years of age are at greatest risk of being sexually assaulted by someone they know.
  Source: Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile 2007. Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics. Catalogue No. 85-224-XIE, ISSN 1480-7165.  Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 2007. (pg 6, 21).
• While children and youth under the age of 18 represent only one-fifth of the population, (21%) they were victims in 61% of all sexual offenses reported to police in 2002. (A total of 8,800 sexual assaults against children and youth were reported to police, 2,863 of which were sexual assaults against children and youth by family members.)
  Source: Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics – Statistics Canada Catalogue No. 85-002-XIE, Vol. 23. no. 6. Released July 2003. (pg. 7, 34)
• In 2005, the rate of sexual assault against children and youth was over five times higher than for adults (206 children and youth victims compared to 39 adult victims for every 100,000 people.)
  Source: Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile 2007. Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics. Catalogue No. 85-224-XIE, ISSN 1480 -7165.  Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 2007. (pg. 20)
• In 2005, girls under 18 years experienced rates of sexual assault that were almost four times higher than their male counterparts. (For every 100, 000 young females there were 320 victims of sexual assault, compared to a rate of 86 male victims for every 100, 000 young males.)
  Source: Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile 2007. Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics. Catalogue No. 85-224-XIE, ISSN 1480-7165.  Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 2007. (pg. 21).
• Sexual assault against children by family members was more then three times higher for female victims than for male victims (108 compared with 32 incidents per 100, 000 population). (Rates of sexual assault are higher for female victims than for male victims regardless of the relationship to the accused.)
  Source: Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile 2007. Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics. Catalogue No. 85-224-XIE, ISSN 1480-7165.  Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 2007. (pg. 22).
• 54% of girls under 21 have experienced sexual abuse; (22% of these female victims reported two or more sexual offenses.)
• 31% of boys under 21 have experienced sexual abuse; (7% of these male victims reported two or more sexual offenses.)
  Source: Child Sexual Abuse (The Canadian Badgley Royal Commission, Report on Sexual Offenses Against Children and Youths), 1984. (pg 180).
• 60% of all reported sexual assaults are against children.
  Source: Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics. (2001). Family violence in Canada: A statistical profile 2001. Catalogue no. 85-224-XIE. Ottawa: Government of Canada (pg. 13)
• 30-40% of sexual assault victims are abused by a family member.
  Non-parental relatives – 35%
  Friends and Peers – 15%
  Stepfathers – 13%
  Biological Fathers – 9%
  Other Acquaintances – 9%
  Boyfriend/Girlfriend of Biological Parent – 5%
  Biological Mother – 5%
  Source: Canadian Incidence Study (CIS) of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect – 2003: Major Findings Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada. 2005. (pg.52)
• Very few cases (2%) of substantiated sexual abuse involve a stranger.
  Source: Canadian Incidence Study (CIS) of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect – 2003: Major Findings Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada. 2005. (pg.52)
• Child and youth victims who were sexually assaulted by family members were on average 9 years old compared to 12 years old for victims of non-family members.
  Source: Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics. (2002). Family violence in Canada: A statistical profile 2002. Catalogue no. 85-224-XIE. Ottawa: Government of Canada (pg. 35).
• 64% of sexual offenses reported to police took place in a residence
  26% took place in public and open areas, and
  11% took place in commercial places.Source: Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics – Statistics Canada Catalogue No. 85-002-XIE, Vol. 23. no. 6. Released July 2003 (pg. 9)
• Boys 4-7 years of age were 3 times more often the victims of sexual abuse than boys of other ages.
• Girls aged 4-7 and 12-17 were twice as likely to be victims of sexual abuse as girls aged 0-3 and 8-11.
  Source: The Juristat presents Child Maltreatment in Canada – Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect. Authors: Nico Trocmé and David Wolfe. Ottawa, Ontario: Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada, 2001. (pg. 24)

Consequences of  the Victim

• Child victims of sexual abuse have been found to display a wide range of symptomology, such as: low self-esteem, guilt, self blame, social withdrawal, marital and family problems, depression, somatic complaints, difficulties with sexuality, eroticized behaviour and irrational fears.
  Source: C. Cahill, S. Llewelyn & C. Pearson (1991). Longterm Effects of Sexual Abuse Which Occurred in Childhood: Review. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 30: 117-130
• There has been retrospective correlation of psychiatric disorders in adulthood with unwanted childhood sexual experiences.
  Source: R.L. Palmer, D.A. Chaloner &R. Oppenheimer (1992). Childhood Sexual Experiences with Adults Reported by Female Psychiatric Outpatients. British Journal of Psychiatry, 160: 261-5.
• The long-term consequences of childhood sexual experiences with adults have been demonstrated to include, anxiety, deliberate self-harm, depression, difficulties in interpersonal relationships, eating disorders, poor self-esteem, prostitution, and sexual dysfunction.
  Source: R.L. Palmer, D.A. Chaloner &R. Oppenheimer (1992). Childhood Sexual Experiences with Adults Reported by Female Psychiatric Outpatients. British Journal of Psychiatry, 160: 261-5.
• Women who reported sexual abuse histories were more likely to report suicidal idealization at the time of hospitalization and a history of multiple suicide attempts.
  Source: Preliminary Report on Childhood Sexual Abuse, Suicidal Ideation, and Suicide Attempts Among Middle-Aged and Older Depressed. Nancy Talbot, Paul Duberstein, Christopher Cox, Diane Denning, Yeates Conwell. Accepted April 8, 2003. From the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

The preceding information was taken with Thanks from Little Warriors which is a national charitable organization, based in Canada, focusing on the education and prevention of child sexual abuse.  Little Warriors also provides information about the prevalence and frequency of child sexual abuse and information about healing and support resources. To access there website go here: Little Warriors

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Have a Great Day!!

Donna

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