Misinformation Concerning Child Sexual Abuse and Adult Survivors

Misinformation leads to continued victimization, April 18, 2006
Reviewer: V. Vaughan-Eden - See all my reviews

Oftentimes, lay people as well as professionals respond to perceptions of child sexual abuse that have no basis in fact. The impact of sexual abuse does not always follow a straight and logical path. However, research in the field of child sexual abuse clearly indicates that it has long-term negative consequences for which its victims and their families are not prepared. Narrowly focused studies such as Rind, Tromovitch, and Bauserman only serve to misinform society and perpetuate the notion that sex with children is equivalent to sex with adults, further exacerbating the problem. This book presents evidence based on a broad review of the research literature that indicates sex with children is harmful to the victims and society.

National Clearing House on Family Violence - Child Sexual Abuse

Child Sexual Abuse

What Is Child Sexual Abuse?

Child sexual abuse occurs when a child is used for sexual purposes by an adult or adolescent. It involves exposing a child to any sexual activity or behaviour. Sexual abuse most often involves fondling and may include inviting a child to touch or be touched sexually. Other forms of sexual abuse include sexual intercourse, juvenile prostitution and sexual exploitation through child pornography. Sexual abuse is inherently emotionally abusive and is often accompanied by other forms of mistreatment. It is a betrayal of trust and an abuse of power over the child.

Child sexual abuse is a criminal offence in Canada. The Criminal Code clearly identifies those behaviours that are against the law. The Canada Evidence Act defines the forms of evidence that may be admitted in court. In recent years, both the

Criminal Code and the Canada Evidence Act have been changed to provide better protection to children.

How Widespread Is the Problem?

Child sexual abuse is largely a hidden crime, so it is difficult to estimate the number of people who are sexually abused at some time during their childhood (the prevalence of child sexual abuse). Both adults and children may be reluctant to report sexual abuse for many reasons. Their reluctance may be related to the historical norm of keeping such behaviour secret because of the sense of shame associated with it. If the abuser is someone close to them in terms of kinship or other bonds, they may be deterred by the likelihood that criminal charges and penalties may be imposed. Finally, the fact that the victims are young and dependent tends to be a major obstacle to disclosure.

Research consistently reveals that, for reasons such as these, most child victims do not disclose their abuse. Even when they do, additional barriers may be encountered. For many of the same reasons that children do not report the abuse, their families may, in turn, not seek help. If the family does want help, they may still encounter difficulties finding the appropriate services.

There are few national statistics on child sexual abuse in Canada. A 1994 report, Child Welfare in Canada: The Role of Provincial and Territorial Authorities in Cases of Child Abuse, describes the provincial laws, definitions and child welfare systems that deal with child sexual abuse. A 1996 report, Child and Family Services Annual Report 1992-93 to 1994-95, presents statistical data on child welfare services in Canada. The available data cannot be directly or easily compared among the provinces because the information is collected according to different definitions and parameters in each province. For example, in some provinces, data on suspected cases are combined with those on confirmed cases. In other jurisdictions, sexual abuse is not distinguished from physical abuse.

Nonetheless, the following information provides some insight into the incidence of child sexual abuse.

• It is estimated that there were nearly 12 000 investigations of child sexual abuse in Ontario in 1993. Sexual abuse was substantiated in 29 percent of these cases and suspected in another 27 percent.

• In British Columbia, more than 500 complaints of sexual abuse were received in March 1992.

• The most extensive study of child sexual abuse in Canada was conducted by the Committee on Sexual Offences Against Children and Youths. Its report indicates that, among adult Canadians, 53 percent of women and 31 percent of men were sexually abused when they were children.

Read the Report here....

Diana Krall, Live At the Montreal Jazz Festival 2004

Amazon.com
Diana Krall: Live at the Montreal Jazz Festival is a portrait of an already-accomplished musician in the process of evolving into a great artist. Always a fine jazz pianist, an expressive singer, and a capable interpreter (mostly of the Great American Songbook), Krall spent little time developing an original voice prior to her marriage to Elvis Costello and her CD The Girl in the Other Room, which features multiple songwriting collaborations with Costello as well as more adventurous choices in cover material (Joni Mitchell's "Black Crow," Tom Waits's "Temptation"). That 2004 recording is the centerpiece of this concert; fully nine of the 13 selections here, including the Waits and Mitchell songs as well as five Costello-Krall compositions, were drawn from it. Purists may lament the lessening of the straight-ahead jazz element in Krall's music (indeed, with its simple major chords and countryish lilt, the original "Narrow Daylight" will inevitably invite comparisons to Norah Jones). But Krall and her excellent band still swing mightily (cf. an extended version of the standard "All or Nothing at All") and improvise like the seasoned jazz pros they are. It's a heady combination: Krall is at least as good an instrumentalist as her contemporaries; add to that her singing and now an interest in songwriting that reflects the influence of pop music as well as jazz, and you have a genuinely unique talent. --Sam Graham

Hope for Adult Survivors of Sexual Abuse...

Book Description
On the Threshold of Hope offers hope and healing to men and women who have been traumatized by sexual abuse. Dr. Langberg's insights and the quotations from many survivors assure readers that they are not alone and that Christ, the Redeemer, can heal their deep wounds. Through stories, Scripture, questions, and encouragement, Dr. Langberg walks with survivors on the road to healing through Christ's love and power.

Mr. Norman Doyle Responds to Inquiry Regarding Progress on Byron Prior's File

From: Doyle, Norman - Assistant 1 [mailto:DoyleN0@parl.gc.ca]
Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2006
To: undisclosed recipients
Subject:




Dear :

Thank you for your e-mail. I have forwarded Mr. Prior's file that he recently presented to me to Mr. Toews office for assessment. I have spoken to Rob Moore, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister, on this subject and he has informed me that he will get back to me when he has fully reviewed the file. The information given to me by Mr. Prior is probably in the range of a few hundred pages, so it is not surprising that I have not yet received any reply from the Minister's office. When I have received a reply I will be contacting Mr. Prior with any information I received. Again, thank you for your interest in this matter.

Norman Doyle, MP

LETTER TO DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CANADA

Canadian Family Congress
British Columbia, Canada
V0N 1B4

BY FAX & E-MAIL


Minister of Justice and
Attorney General Canada
Hon. Minister Vic Toews
312 West Block House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA
K1A 0A6

June 4, 2006

Dear Minister Toews:

Re: Allegations against former Supreme Court Justice, T. Alex Hickman

It has come to our attention that a MR. BYRON PRIOR, a citizen of Canada, has been granted his right to Freedom of Expression by being permitted to picket on the lawn of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa for the past two months.

We are informed that in April 2006, Mr. Norman Doyle, the Conservative Member of Parliament for Newfoundland, had a meeting with Mr. Prior. This meeting was witnessed by third parties on the lawns of Parliament. Subsequent to this meeting, Mr. Doyle informed Mr. Prior that he would personally hand his documents and concerns to you for your attention.

Since that time, now over 5 weeks ago, Mr. Prior has made several calls to your office and to Mr. Doyle’s office. According to Mr. Prior, neither office has had the courtesy of acknowledging whether an investigation into his allegations against Mr. Hickman is underway or whether or not your office intends to proceed in any manner to address Mr. Prior’s concerns.

We are aware of the alleged crimes that have been perpetrated against Mr. Prior and his siblings by former Supreme Court Justice of Newfoundland, T.Alex Hickman and others.
We are also aware that the Criminal Code of Canada does not pose a statute of limitations on cases of childhood sexual abuse.

Along with many other national and international organizations, the Canadian Family Congress is concerned that Mr. Prior’s allegations seem to have been ignored for well over two decades and that the alleged perpetrators have been free to prosper and profit while Mr. Prior and his siblings have had to live with the debilitation that injustice and intimidation imposes upon one’s family on a daily basis.

Mr. Prior’s website, http://maxpages.com/sexualabuse, while unedited and apparently amateur in presentation, contains extremely serious allegations against former Chief Justice of Newfound, T. Alex Hickman. These allegations appear to be corroborated by Mr. Prior’s siblings.

There are now other websites confirming Mr. Prior’s presence in Ottawa and his struggle to obtain justice. If you do a Google search on “Byron Prior”, the results speak for themselves.

We believe that Mr. Prior is a Whistler-blower, and that as such, he should be afforded the protection and credibility that Prime Minister proposes in his Federal Accountability Act.
We believe that Mr. Prior has not enjoyed any support over the years because of the innate fear instilled in ordinary folk by organized criminals throughout Canada.

We voted for Prime Minister Harper precisely because we want organized crime and corruption eliminated in Canada.

We are aware of our duty to report crimes against children and of the government’s mandate to investigate these crimes where local authorities such as the RCMP and the provincial Supreme Courts have failed to prosecute these crimes.

We therefore request that you kindly inform Mr. Prior, who remains a fixed subject on the Parliament lawn seven days a week, whether or not your department intends to investigate the allegations against T. Alex Hickman.

The Canadian Family Congress takes matters such as this very seriously as we acknowledge injustice in the form of organized crime to be the greatest threat against Canadian Families today.

We have a duty to our families and to our children: our leaders of tomorrow, to work together to eradicate criminal elements in society, in the legal system and in government.

We thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,



Lisa Haeck for the
Canadian Family Congress
Whistler, B.C.
CANADA

[Re: ALLEGATIONS AGAINST T.ALEX HICKMAN
The 3 page fax you sent through eFax.com to 16139462211 was successfully transmitted at 2006-06-05 02:39:06 (GMT). The length of transmission was 62 seconds.The receiving machine's fax ID: 613 946 2211.]

Transforming Trauma - A Resource for Professionals

Book Description
"A scholar and clinician of great courage, wisdom, and empathy, Anna C. Salter has written an outstanding book. Pulling together diverse research and theory, she challenges unexamined assumptions and routine interventions. She has created a thoughtful, practical guide that deserves to be on every clinician's bookshelf."
--Ken Pope, Ph.D., ABPP, Private Practice, Los Angeles, and author of Sexual Involvement with Therapists

"Highly recommended. Contents include sadistic versus nonsadistic offenders; effects of child sexual abuse; victim thinking, links between offender and victim apology, and forgiveness managing chronic pain."
--Family Violence & Sexual Assault Bulletin Book Club

How does trauma affect the worldview of victims? What are the steps of therapy for adult survivors? How do sadistic and nonsadistic sex offenders think differently, and what are the different footprints they leave on the psyche of survivors? And how can trauma be transformed, not just endured? If you're working with adult survivors of child sexual abuse and child sex offenders, these are some of the questions that you must address.
Anna C. Salter extends the way in which victimology is construed in this milestone volume, using clinical illustrations as well as an empathetic approach. At the same time practical, accessible, and scientific, this book also introduces new concepts, such as "benign transformation" and "malignant competition" and provides a thorough discussion of affective flashbacks and triggers.

Transforming Trauma is an essential resource for all professionals and advanced students working with adult survivors of child sexual abuse and child sex offenders. "A fascinating text on the treatment of adult sexual abuse survivors. . . . Building on the insights of Treating Child Sex Offenders and Victims, Dr. Salter refines what we know and provides new tools and perspectives. This new book constantly acknowledges the micro and macro social environments in which the abuse occurred and the survivor lives, and incorporates this awareness into therapeutic theory and practice. . . . This is an important book, and our field is exceedingly lucky to have it." --from the Foreword by John N. Briere "With Transforming Trauma, Anna C. Salter establishes a milestone in the expanding consciousness of sexual victimization. . . . Until now, we have dared look only at pieces of the victimization picture puzzle, like gathering corners, frames, and central clusters without risking the difficult moves that would integrate the several fragments into a coherent picture. Transforming Trauma puts these pieces together." --from the Foreword by Roland C. Summit

Child Abuse - A Fact Sheet from the Department of Justice Canada

HOW WIDESPREAD IS CHILD ABUSE IN CANADA?

It has been difficult to obtain a complete picture of child abuse in Canada because it often remains hidden. Most provincial and territorial child welfare laws require those (including professionals and members of the public) who suspect that a child is being maltreated to make a report to the appropriate child welfare authority. Yet many cases of child abuse remain undisclosed, either because a child does not, or cannot, tell anyone what has happened to them, or because no one reports the abuse to the authorities.

A child who is being abused may endure the abuse for a long time before telling anyone what is happening. Some victims never tell anyone about what they have experienced.

There are many reasons why abuse may remain hidden. For example, an abuser may manipulate, bribe, coerce or threaten a child (or someone they love) to prevent them from telling anyone about the abuse. Depending on their age and stage of development, a child may not be able to communicate what has happened to them, or they may fear they will not be believed. They may be convinced that the abuse is their fault and, if they tell anyone about it, they will be punished. They may fear that they or the abuser will be removed from the home, or suffer other consequences. They may feel ashamed and want to keep the abuse (and related family problems) secret to avoid being stigmatized or have their sexual identity questioned.

A child who is being abused is usually in a position of dependence on the abuser. The power imbalance between the child and the abuser often increases the burden of disclosure. Children who are sexually abused, for example, may not tell anyone for a long time, or ever. Many children who experienced abuse while living in special needs institutions, child welfare facilities, youth detention facilities, and residential schools for Aboriginal children are only now, as adults, reporting the abuse.

Individuals who witness or suspect that a child is being abused may not report it because they:

want to avoid the demands of becoming “involved”
have personal views which condone the use of physical punishment
believe that the abuse is not “serious”, especially if the child does not have visible or severe injuries
believe that reporting the abuse to the authorities is not in the child's best interest
believe that reporting may not solve the problem because, for example, there may be a lack of appropriate services to help the child
lack knowledge about the signs and symptoms of abuse
not understand their responsibility to report abuse
not know that they can report to child welfare agencies, provincial or territorial social services departments or police departments, or
not know that a report can be made anonymously, and that there are no legal consequences, unless the report is false and is made maliciously.

Read the Full Report Here...