Child Sexual Abuse In Canada

Sexual abuse can be hard to define because of the many different forms it can take on, the different levels of frequency, the variation of circumstances that can occur. Until a child is fit to function as a self-supporting and informed adult, we have an obligation not to take advantage of their lack of power or protection to inflict damage, or demand submission to acts that are not in their own best interests within. Children are being abused every day in different countries. While commonly accepted wisdom had been that childhood sexual abuse results in long lasting negative outcomes.

As time progresses on, more reports of child sexual abuse (CSA) have been documented. According to Colangelo and Cooperman, CSA is defined as “the use of a child under 18 years of age as an object of gratification for adult sexual needs and desires.” Another definition of CSA is “sexual abuse [that] occurs whenever one person dominates and exploits another by means of sexual activity or suggestion.” (Hall, M., & Hall, J., 2011) it is difficult to

Anything from unwanted touching in a sexual manner to non-consensual sexual intercourse is classified as sexual assault in Canada. Male survivors of sexual assault frequently face unsympathetic attitudes after choosing to report the criminal offence. Unfortunately, despite the similar chances of sexual assault amongst both males and females during their teenage years, with 20% for males and 25% for females, there are fewer researches conducted on male sexual assault in Canada (Statistics Canada 2015). A large proportion (16%) of male victims are sexually assaulted in an institutional setting, which is over two and a half times greater than the percentage of females in the same location (Brennan 2008). The UCR2 (Uniform Crime Reporting Survey)

Sexual violation of a child is one of the world’s darkest crimes. In most cases the victim’s view of the world and themselves is completely changed. This paper will

An estimated 39 million survivors of childhood sexual abuse exist in America today (Darness2Light, 2009a ). This figure continues to grow daily as perpetrators of this crime continue in this destructive path. The definition of child sexual abuse is the force, coercion, or cajoling of children into sexual activities by a dominant adult or adolescent. Sexual abuse of children includes touching (physical) sexually including: fondling; penetration (vaginal or anal using fingers, foreign objects or offenders organs; oral sex, or non-physical contact including: sexual comments; indecent exposures; masturbating in a child’s presence; child prostitution or child pornography (Child Welfare, 2009a).

The sexual child abuse issue has become of significance within the United States as an alarming focus in the past 30 years. Sexual child abuse (SCA) is such an extensive topic and yet as time progresses this subject is more unrestricted for discussion, various dialogs are provided to make parents and care-takers aware of the signs of potential sexual child abuse. Seminars are provided to and for children to teach methods in identifying any possible perpetrators and report any peculiar behavior they may come across. However, how fortunate are children from other countries in reporting or discussing this same issue when something so violated occurs to them? According to Alpert, J.L., Brown, L.S., & Courtois, C.A., (1998), there have been findings that are constant in supporting that at least 20% of American women and 5% to 10% of American men have experienced some type of sexual abuse in childhood and that such abuse has transpired without regard to origin, race, or socioeconomic status. In an urban study however, which concentrated in Leon, Nicaragua, determined that sexual abuse defined childhood and adolescence as younger than age 19 Olsson, A., Ellsber, E., Berglund, S., Herrera, A., Zelaya, E., Pena, R., Zelaya, F., & Persson, L.A. (2000). Additionally, according to the Nicaraguan study sexual abuse was described as any sexual act by an older individual towards a child who is 12 years of age or younger.

According to Fallon et al. (2005), the vulnerability of infants under the age of one year is greater than that of all other age groups of children due to their increased need for daily care and their incapability to defend themselves from harm; yet, the infants who become involved in the child welfare system show more signs of developmental delays than their older child counterparts. In Canada, the majority of infants brought to the awareness of the child welfare system are reported by healthcare professional. These infants are at risk for developing cognitive, affective or psychomotor delays. As such, child neglect and maltreatment is a public health issue holding implications for community health nurses regarding the detection, prevention

“Half of all women in Canada have experienced at least one incident of physical or sexual violence since age 16” (CanadianWomen.org). Most cases of sexual assault are not treated as seriously by the law as they should be. Victims of sexual assault often blame for the incident. Sexual assault can have long term effects on a person. Sexual assault is not considered to be a serious offence in todays society.

The current problem is the continued rise in child abuse and neglect today. Within the United States, the problem of child abuse and neglect is far much common than most people would like to admit. Sanchez (2012) stated that child maltreatment is a global epidemic and a major social problem in the United States resulting in at least 740, 000 visits to hospital emergency departments and more than $124 in child welfare, criminal justice, and health care. Norman, Byambaa, De, Butchart, Scott, and Vos (2012) also observed that child abuse and neglect is a global problem that is mostly perpetrated by parental guardians and parents. Sexual abuse is the infringement of a child’s

In 2008 the findings of the Public Health Agency of Canada estimated 235,315 investigations of child abuse. This investigation stated that the primary categories of maltreatment includes physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, emotional maltreatment, and exposure to intimate partner violence (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2010). However, sexual maltreatment of children wasn’t truly defined until 1974 when Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act provided us with a legal definition of sexual abuse (Feerick et al., 2006):

Sexual violence is considered to be one of the highest under-reported crimes in Canada, where it is “estimated that only 10% of sexual assaults are reported to police” (Atlantic Collaborative on Injury Prevention, n.d., p. 13). In addition, between 15% to 25% of North American college and university-aged women experience some form of a sexual assault during their academic career (Lichty, Campbell, & Schuiteman, 2008). Consequently, this overwhelming unreported sexual violence acts can have massive ramification for the surviving students, the campus community as a whole and even the perpetrating students (Cantalupo, 2010). According to Senn et al. (2014), “this is particularly concerning given the detrimental physical and mental health consequences resulting from a sexual assault, which can include physical injuries as well as unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, depression, suicide ideation, and post-traumatic stress disorder” (p. 1).

Sexual assault is one of the most offensive and depraved crimes that exist in our society today. The physical and psychological toll that this act has on its victims is as incalculable as it is incomprehensible. A sexual assault in Canada is defined as all incidents of unwanted sexual activity, including sexual attacks and sexual touching. Victims of these acts reported feeling angry, confused, frustrated and fearful.

In ancient times, children were viewed as smaller versions of adults. There was little perceptible difference between an adult and their younger counterparts. By the Middle Ages and up until the Renaissance, girls as young as twelve were still considered marriageable age. Sexualizing children was a form of their education and indoctrination into the world of adults. However, in the modern time, we have come to understand that children and childhood is a time for innocence and development. The historical adulteration of children was rightly seen as barbaric and archaic. Forcing children into adult roles can lead to a destructive adulthood. Physical and emotional abuse of children can destroy someone. Even worse is the type of abuse characterized by sexual activity and sexual interaction with children. The sexual abuse of children leads to abnormal development and an adult with severe mental problems, prone to violence and often continuing the chain of abuse into subsequent generations. Forcing a child to commit sexual acts before they are physically or mentally mature enough to handle it is the worst kind of crime. Yet, in nations all over the world, this kind of abuse not only occurs, but is a profitable business for perpetrators. Child prostitution is illegal all over the world, but in some countries the laws against child prostitution and the use of underage people for sexual interactions are lax and often go unenforced. The World Congress

Although child abuse has soon become a more discussed issue, it is nothing new in today’s society. Dating back to ancient times, physical child abuse has always attributed to lives of people around the world. Approaching and understanding child mistreatment has changed as societies have modernized and progressed; whereas one thing remains an unalterable issue, child abuse happens constantly and continuously worldwide.

Child abuse is just one of the problems in America we face today. Child abuse affects a child’s mind, emotional state of being and this type of abuse or cruelty molds a person to whom they are by the age of eighteen and is a worldwide prevailing occurrence. “Child abuse or ill-treatment creates all forms of physical and /or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, or commercial or other exploitation, resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power.” Child sexual abuse had been extensively known as one of the distress in a child’s life. Previous study have delivered tough indication of child sexual abuse is connected with a quantity of psychological, social, and mental health problems. Depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug abuse, and most illnesses among adult child sexual abuse victims. Former analyses have stated that some of the fears include sexual illnesses, victimization, and close acquaintance violence. In recent times, it has been establish that various physical health conditions are connected to child sexual abuse. In accumulation, child sexual abuse fighters have been found to accomplish less in knowledge and revenue.