Child Abuse Prevention Month – October 2017

 

Ontario’s Child Abuse Prevention Month campaign raises awareness about the importance of speaking up when you are concerned about the safety and well-being of children, youth and families in your community. The campaign targets professionals and those who work with children, the media and communities.

• Community members, professionals and those who work with children/youth can help where there are concerns about their safety and well-being by calling their local Children’s Aid Society. The call they make leads to an offer of help.
• Children’s Aid Societies, with the help of community partners, provide a broad range of services to children, youth and families where there are concerns about safety and well-being. In addition to visiting children, youth and families in their home, child welfare workers will help families obtain the services they may need, such as parenting or treatment programs for problems such as addictions, mental health and anger management.
• Children’s Aid Societies work first and foremost to keep families together. Ontario’s leading academic study on child abuse and neglect shows that children remained at home in 97% of CAS investigations. (Source: Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect, 2013)
• There are many types of child abuse including physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and exposure to domestic violence. Child neglect is also considered an equally serious child protection concern. Research shows that the impact of neglect on child development and well-being can be more damaging than any other kind of abuse.
• Schools play an important role in keeping children and youth safe and in helping families that may need support to keep their children and youth safe.
• Communities, Boards of Education and schools across Ontario will Dress Purple on Tuesday, October 24, 2017 to collectively speak up and share the message that child abuse and neglect can be prevented and that help is available.

 

 

How to Report Abuse

If you suspect a child or youth is being abused or neglected, it’s your legal duty to report the situation to a children’s aid society, even if you’ve already reported it on a previous occasion. For the child/youth’s sake, don’t delay; call the children’s aid society immediately. Our phone lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In Halton, call us at 905.333.4441.

Information Sheets

• Seven Facts You Should Know about Exposure to Domestic Violence
• Seven Facts You Should about Sexual Abuse
• Neglect is One of the Most Common Child Protection Concerns in Ontario
• Human Trafficking Represents a Growing Form of Child Abuse in Ontario

Looking for More Information?

Go to our Helping Families and Kids/Youth tabs for additional resources and links.