NCJ Number
234000
Journal
Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 34 Issue: 11 Dated: November 2010 Pages: 807-812
Date Published
November 2010
Length
6 pages
Annotation
In order to gain a better understanding of child sexual abuse (CSA) trends in Canada, this study reviews existing statistics obtained from child protection services nationwide and provincial data from two Provinces (Ontario and Quebec).
Abstract
The study found a 30-percent decline in substantiated child sexual abuse (CSA) cases in Canada between 1998 and 2003, which is comparable to the decline observed in the U.S. data over the same period, showing approximately a 20-percent decline. In sharp contrast, based on the 1998 and 2003 Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS) surveys, all other forms of child maltreatment have increased in Canada during this period; child physical abuse and neglect cases increased by 107 percent and 78 percent, respectively. Based on the U.S. National Child Abuse and Neglect Data system, between 1998 and 2003, United States cases of child neglect have increased only 7 percent, and physical-abuse cases have declined 22 percent. In contrast to the national trend in CSA, Quebec Province has experienced a recent increase in the number of CSA cases reported to and substantiated by child protection services. Potential explanations for this increase are outlined. In Canada, reasons for the statistical decline in CSA are still open to debate, since conflicting results emerge from the diverse sources of child protection data, such as is the case with Quebec. Considering the inconsistent results from child protection services and the fact that victimization surveys and police databases do not corroborate a decline in sexual crimes generally, it is precipitous to conclude that CSA has actually been declining in Canada. More Canadian studies of CSA are needed in order to further test how different factors impact the number of CSA cases known to the authorities. 2 tables, 2 figures, and 33 references