Legal
Interventions
Legal intervention
in cases of child emotional abuse and neglect is governed by provincial and
territorial child protection legislation. All jurisdictions require that alleged
or suspected child emotional abuse or neglect be reported to child protection
authorities or the police. In some jurisdictions, failure to report child emotional
abuse or neglect may result in a fine or imprisonment.
Emotionally
abusive behaviour such as repeatedly following the other person or someone known
to her or him; repeatedly communicating, directly or indirectly, with the other
person or someone known to her or him; harassing the other person with telephone
calls; besetting or watching the other person's house or place of work; and/or
engaging in threatening conduct directed at the other person or a member of
her or his family is criminal harassment. These behaviours must cause a person
to fear for her or his safety or the safety of someone she or he knows. Other
forms of emotional abuse such as insulting, isolating, infantilizing, humiliating,
and ignoring, although serious, are not criminal behaviours and cannot be prosecuted
under the Criminal Code of Canada.
What
Can You Do?
IF YOU
ARE BEING ABUSED:
Remember:
You are not alone
It is not your fault
No one ever deserves to be abused
Help is available
IF YOU
SUSPECT OR KNOW THAT SOMEONE IS BEING ABUSED:
Listen
Believe
Support
Let the person know about available support services
Report suspected or known child abuse or neglect to a child welfare agency
or the police
IF YOU
ARE A SERVICE PROVIDER:
Work with
other organizations to:
Increase awareness of emotional abuse
Address the needs of those who have been or are being emotionally abused
Keep informed of resources and materials relating to intervention and prevention
of abuse
Where
to Go for Support Services
-24 hour
help-line or distress line
-transition
house or shelter
-social
service agency
-child
welfare or family services agency
-police
-legal
aid service
-health
professional (e.g., nurse, doctor, dentist)
-community
health centre
-public
health department
-community
counselling centre
-home support
agency
-seniors'
centre
-community
living association
-friendship
centre
-religious
organization
Suggested
Resources
Canadian
Panel on Violence Against Women. Changing the Landscape: Ending Violence
-Achieving Equality. Ottawa: Minister of Supply and Services, 1993.
Health
Canada, Fact Sheets on Parent-Teen Relationships; Parent-Child
Relationships; Wife Abuse - The Impact on Children; Family Violence Against
Women with Disabilities; Family Violence Against People with a Mental Handicap; Wife Abuse; Dating Violence; and Elder Abuse. Ottawa: National Clearinghouse
on Family Violence.
The Mental
Health Division of Health Canada has produced a number of publications on senior
abuse and neglect which are available through the National Clearinghouse on
Family Violence:
Community Awareness and Response: Abuse and Neglect of Older Adults,
1993, is a guide to community approaches for service providers, seniors' organizations and interested community members.
Publications
on the abuse and neglect of older adults in institutional settings include:
Abuse and Neglect of Older Adults in Institutional Settings: A Discussion Paper Building from English Language Resources; Abuse and
Neglect of Older Adults in Institutional Settings: A Discussion Paper Building
from French Language Resources; Abuse and Neglect of Older
Adults in Institutional Settings: Annotated Bibliography; and Resource
and Training Kit for Service Providers: Abuse and Neglect of Older Adults.
Child
Sexual Abuse Prevention: A Resource Kit
developed by the Caring Communities
Project includes "how to" handbooks, tools and activities, 20 case
studies of prevention initiatives and resource lists of books, programs and
videos. The kit is available in both English and French. Contact: Canadian Institute
of Child Health, 885 Meadowlands Drive East, Suite 512, Ottawa, Ontario K2C
3N2. Tel: (613) 224-4144; Fax: (613) 224-4145.
Nobody's
Perfect is a support and educational program for parents of children
from birth to age five. This program is available in both English and French.
Contact: Canadian Association of Family Resource Programs, 205-120 Holland Avenue,
Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 0X6. Tel: (613) 728-3307; Fax: (613) 729-5421.
Getting
Our Message Out, developed by the YWCA of Canada, 1995, is a handbook
to help communities raise awareness and take action on violence against women
with particular focus on the media. Fresh Start by Joan LeFeuvre,
1992, is a practical guide for women in abusive relationships. The YWCA has
also produced a kit There's No Excuse for Abuse which provides
basic information, ideas and actions on woman abuse and is especially applicable
for rural and remote communities. All are available in both English and French.
Contact: YWCA of Canada, 80 Gerrard Street East, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1G6. Tel:
(416) 593-9886; Fax: (416) 971-8084.
A.
S. A. P.: A School-Based Anti-Violence Program by Marlies Suderman,
Peter Jaffe and Elaine Hastings, 1993, is an evaluated, community-based program
which addresses topics applicable to elementary and secondary school communities.
The program includes sections on professional development, handling disclosures,
intervention strategies, overcoming roadblocks, developing an action plan as well as many additional resources. Contact: London Family Court Clinic, 254
Pall Mall Street, London, Ontario N6A 5P6. Tel: (519) 679-7250; Fax: (519) 675-7772.
Interdisciplinary
Perspectives: Interventions for Older Victims of Abuse, by Nova House,
1995, is a manual for service providers which proposes an interdisciplinary
approach to intervention strategies for seniors who are abused or neglected.
The manual also refers readers to resources and sources of support. This document is also available in both English and French. Contact: Nova House Women's Shelter,
Box 337, Selkirk, Manitoba R1A 2B2. Tel: (204) 482-7882; Fax (204) 482-8483.
A
Handbook for the Prevention of Family Violence, developed by the Community
Child Abuse Council Hamilton/Wentworth, 1991, is a resource text for school
personnel, community agencies, health care professionals, parents and volunteers.
The handbook addresses child abuse, dating violence, wife abuse, children who
witness wife abuse, and elder abuse. Contact: Community Child Abuse Council
of Hamilton/Wentworth, 75 MacNab Street South, 2nd Floor, Hamilton, Ontario
L8P 3C1. Tel: (905) 523-1020; Fax: (905) 523-1877.
Research
Centres on Family Violence and Violence Against Women: The five Research
Centres form a national network to achieve academic/community collaboration.
Contacts: BC/Yukon Feminist Research, Education, Development and Action Centre
(FREDA), Simon Fraser University, 515 Hastings Street, Vancouver, British Columbia
V6B 5K3. Tel: (604) 291-5197; Fax: (604) 291-5189.
Research
Centre on Family Violence and Violence Against Women,
413 Tier Building,
University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manibota R3T 2N2. Tel: (204) 474-8965;
Fax: (204) 261-3283.
Centre
for Research on Violence Against Women and Children,
100 Collip Circle,
Suite 240, UWO Research Park, London, Ontario N6G 4X8. Tel: (519) 858-5033,
Fax: (519) 858-5034.
Centre
de recherche interdisciplinaire sur la violence familiale et la violence faite
aux femmes (CRI-VIFF), École de service social, Université de Montréal,
CP 6128, succursale A, Montréal, PQ H3C 3J7. Tel: (514) 343-6111; Fax: (514)
343-2493 or Université Laval, 2336 Chemin St. Foy, Local 0830, Pavillion Jean
Durand, Québec, PQ G1K 7P4. Tel: (418) 656-3286; Fax: (418) 656-3309.
Muriel
McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research, P.O. Box 4400,
676 Windsor Street, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3. Tel: (506) 453-3595; Fax: (506)
453-4788.
Audio/Visual
Resources Available through the National Film Board of Canada
Put
the Child First (Child Abuse Prevention)
Seen...But
not Heard: A Docu-drama about the Serious Emotional and Physical Effects on
Children Who Witness Their Mothers Being Abused
What
About Us: A Group Counselling Tool to Help Children Cope with the Experience
of Having Witnessed Their Mothers Being Abused
Right
from the Start: Dating Violence Prevention for Teens
One
Hit Leads to Another (Violence Against Women)
Auguste
and Blanche (Senior Abuse)
REFERENCES
AND NOTES
This fact
sheet was prepared under contract by Laura E. Stevens. Contributions of the
following people are gratefully acknowledged: Rina Arsenault, Muriel McQueen
Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research, Fredericton, N.B.; Teresa Lukawiecki,
Consultant, Ottawa, Ontario; Pearl McKenzie, Consultant, North Vancouver B.C.;
Jan Richardson, Women's Community House, London, Ontario; David Wolfe, University
of Western Ontario, London, Ontario; and Katalin Kennedy, Gis le Lacroix, Carol
MacLeod, Barbara Merriam, and Gordon Phaneuf of Health Canada, Family Violence
Prevention Division.
For further
information on family violence issues, contact:
National
Clearinghouse on Family Violence
Postal Locator 0201A1
Family Violence Prevention Division
Health Promotion and Programs Branch
Health Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 1B4
Telephone:
(613) 957-2938 or call toll-free: 1-800-267-1291
Fax: (613) 941-8930
For
TTY/TDD users (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf) (613) 952-6396 or call
toll-free: 1-800-561-5643
This
publication can be made available in an alternative format upon request.
April 1996
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