Protect children and youth

Child abuse is a serious concern for all Ontarians and everyone should take an active role in reporting suspected abuse and neglect to their local Children’s Aid. Although Children’s Aid is legally responsible for keeping kids safe, we rely on concerned citizens to be the eyes and ears for children.

Children’s Aid is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, when people call out of concern for children or for assistance.

If you have protection concerns about a child, please contact your local Children’s Aid IMMEDIATELY. Click here for a listing of Ontario’s Children’s Aid Societies.

What is abuse

Child abuse has many faces, and while all abuse hurts, different kinds of abuse can hurt in different ways.

Physical Abuse

A child is at risk of or has suffered physical harm inflicted by a person having charge of the child. It also occurs when a person fails to adequately supervise, protect, care for or provide for a child. Physical abuse also includes a pattern of neglect in supervising, protecting, caring for or providing for a child.

Sexual Abuse

A child is at risk of or has been sexually molested or sexually exploited by a person having charge of a child or by another person. It also occurs when the person having charge of a child knows, or should know, of the possibility of sexual molestation or exploitation by another person and fails to protect a child.

Emotional Abuse

A child is at risk of or has suffered emotional harm demonstrated by serious anxiety, depression, withdrawal, self destructive or aggressive behaviour or delayed development and there are reasonable grounds to believe this harm results from the actions, failure to act or pattern of neglect by the person having charge of the child. It also occurs when a child exhibits the above serious behaviours and the person having charge of the child does not provide services or treatment to alleviate the harm. Emotional abuse can also include exposure to domestic violence.

Neglect

A child is at risk of or has been harmed as a result of the caregiver’s failure to adequately supervise, protect, care for or provide for a child. Neglect also occurs when a child has a medical, mental, emotional or developmental condition that requires services or treatment and the person having charge of the child does not provide these services or treatment.

Abandonment/Separation

A child has been abandoned, a child’s parent has died or is unavailable to exercise his or her custodial rights over a child and has not made adequate provision for a child’s care and custody. It also occurs when a child is in residential placement and the parent refuses or is unable or unwilling to resume the child’s care and custody.

Caregiver Capacity

No harm has come to a child and no evidence is apparent that a child may be in need of intervention. However the caregiver demonstrates, or has demonstrated in the past, characteristics that indicate the child would be at risk of harm without intervention. These characteristics can include a history of abusing/neglecting a child, being unable to protect a child from harm, problems such as drug or alcohol abuse, mental health issues or limited care giving skills.

Abused children do not always show obvious warning signs of abuse or neglect, but sometimes there are subtle indicators. Know the subtle signs of abuse and if you have any concerns at all about a child, please contact your local Children's Aid immediately.

Signs of abuse

Here are some of the most common signs of abuse. The signs and indicators of abuse and neglect may include but are not limited to those that follow. It is important to realize that the presence of any one indicator is not conclusive proof that a child has been abused. In most instances, abused children will exhibit a number of behavioural and physical indicators. It’s not your responsibility to determine whether a child is being abused. Call your local Children’s Aid to report known or suspected signs and indicators of abuse.

Neglect

Most parents and caregivers don’t intend to neglect their children. Instead, neglect is usually the result of ignorance about parenting and an inability to plan ahead. When a caregiver fails to provide a child's basic needs like food, sleep, safety, supervision, appropriate clothing or medical treatment on a consistent basis — that’s neglect.

Children suffering from neglect are often pale, listless and unkempt. They frequently miss school and may show up dressed inappropriately or in dirty clothes. The signs and indicators of abuse and neglect may include but are not limited to:

Behavioural indicators

• Pale, listless, unkempt
• Frequent absences from school
• Inappropriate clothing for the weather, dirty clothes
• Engaged in delinquent acts, alcohol/drug abuse
• Frequently forgets a lunch

Physical indicators

• Poor hygiene
• Unattended physical problems or medical needs, e.g. dental work, glasses
• Consistent lack of supervision

Physical Abuse

Physical abuse is when a child is injured or harmed by his or her caregiver, or when the caregiver fails to do something to protect the child. Injuries include bruises, cuts, burns, and fractures. Children who are physically abused often can’t remember how injuries happened or they offer inconsistent stories when questioned. They might be wary of adults and extremely aggressive or extremely withdrawn. More signs and indicators of physical abuse:

Injuries may include:

bruises, welts, cuts, fractures, burns or internal injuries. Physical abuse can be one or two isolated incidents or can occur over a prolonged period of time. The signs and indicators of abuse and neglect may include but are not limited to those that follow.

Behavioural indicators

• Cannot recall how injuries occurred or offers an inconsistent explanation
• Wary of adults
• May cringe or flinch if touched unexpectedly
• Infants may display a vacant stare
• Extremely aggressive or extremely withdrawn
• Indiscriminately seeks affection
• Extremely compliant and/or eager to please

Physical indicators

• Injuries that are not consistent with explanation
• Presence of several injuries that are in various stages of healing
• Presence of various injuries over a period of time
• Facial injuries in infants and preschool children
• Injuries inconsistent with the child's age and developmental phase

Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse happens when a caregiver treats a child in an extremely negative way that damages self esteem and the concept of “self.” This type of behaviour might include constant yelling, demeaning remarks, rejection or isolation or exposing a child to domestic violence.

Emotional abuse can be difficult to identify, but some behavioural indicators include inhibition in play, severe depression and extreme withdrawal or aggressiveness. Children may complain of headaches, nausea or abdominal pain. The signs and indicators of abuse and neglect may include but are not limited to:

Behavioural indicators

• Severe depression
• Extreme withdrawal or aggressiveness
• Overly compliant, too well mannered, too neat or clean
• Extreme attention seeking
• Displays extreme inhibition in play

Physical indicators

• Bed wetting that is non-medical in origin
• Frequent psychosomatic complaints, headaches, nausea, abdominal pains
• Child fails to thrive

Sexual abuse*

Sexual abuse is any sexual exploitation of a child by a caregiver or someone else and includes sexual touching, engaging in sexual activity with a child, exposing genitals to a child and incest. Physical signs that a child has been sexually abused include excessive itching in the genital or anal areas, torn, stained or bloody underwear and injuries to the genital area. Behavioural signs include age inappropriate sexually explicit drawings, displaying sexual acts or unusual sexual knowledge. The signs and indicators of abuse and neglect may include but are not limited to:

Behavioural indicators

• Age inappropriate play of a sexual nature with toys, self or others
• Age inappropriate sexually explicit drawing and/or descriptions
• Bizarre, sophisticated or unusual sexual knowledge
• Prostitution
• Seductive behaviours

Physical indicators

• Unusual or excessive itching in the genital or anal area
• Torn, stained or bloody underwear (may be observed if the child needs bathroom assistance)
• Pregnancy
• Injuries to the genital or anal areas, e.g. bruising, swelling or infection
• Venereal disease

*In addition to providing protection from sexual abuse, the Child and Family Services Act states that a child is also in need of protection when a caregiver is aware of the possibility of abuse and fails to protect the child.

How it happens

Abuse and neglect of a child can happen in two ways – in acts of commission (doing something to a child) and in acts of omission (not doing something for a child).

An act of commission is specifically when a parent or caregiver harms or is likely to harm a child. For example, striking a child or sexually molesting a child is an act of commission.

An act of abuse or neglect through omission results from a caregiver not taking action to protect a child. For example, allowing a small child to play near a busy street unsupervised or allowing a known sexual offender to be alone with your child could be acts of omission.

If you have protection concerns about a child, please contact your local Children’s Aid IMMEDIATELY.

Why it happens

There are many factors contributing to child abuse and neglect and many reasons why children come into the care of Children’s Aid. Sometimes parents need help in identifying abusive patterns and learning parenting techniques that can keep children safe at home. Other times, parents request assistance due to social and economic factors beyond their control.

Poverty and Economic Downturn

As front-line service providers with the legal responsibility to protect children from abuse and neglect, your Children’s Aid knows, first-hand, the impact of economic uncertainty, plant closures, job loss and family stress on the well-being of children and youth. While poverty, on its own, does not result in child abuse and neglect, research clearly identifies a link between poverty and child abuse, mental health issues and woman abuse.

Domestic Violence

Between 1993 and 2003 in Ontario, there was a 31 percent increase in substantiated reports of child abuse where exposure to domestic violence was the reason for the call. A rise in family violence is predictable when there are major job layoffs. Dealing with domestic violence requires a special approach and many agencies have developed domestic violence teams to help work cooperatively with a parent who is suffering abuse.

Substance Abuse

Child abuse or neglect and substance abuse are very closely related. It is estimated that 40 to 80 percent of the three million children who come to the attention of the child welfare systems in Canada each year live in families with addiction problems, according to numerous surveys of child welfare agencies nationwide. Approximately one million of these children are confirmed to be abused or neglected. When parents are substance abusers, it more than doubles the risk of exposure to both childhood physical and sexual abuse.

Mental Health

Mental health issues are prevalent in 23 percent of mothers and 14 percent of fathers in cases of substantiated child abuse where they are the abusers. Funding support for mental health and addictions remains low. There are half a million children and youth in Ontario with mental health problems who may suffer from conditions including depression, anxiety, bullying or an eating disorder.

How to report abuse

Child abuse is everyone’s responsibility and we need everyone’s help to protect children by reporting known or suspected child abuse. It’s the right thing to do, morally and legally. Under Section 72 of the Child and Family Services Act, everyone is obligated to report their suspicions to their local Children’s Aid.

You don’t need to be sure! If you suspect that a child is being abused, call your local Children’s Aid right away. We will act immediately on your call, and take the appropriate next steps. If you know for certain that a child is being abused or you suspect that a child is at risk of being harmed, you should call your local Children’s Aid immediately. We are available 24-hours a day to talk about your concerns, and the information you give us, including your identity, will remain confidential, when possible.

If you have protection concerns about a child, please contact your local Children’s Aid IMMEDIATELY.

What happens when I call?

When you call, you will speak to a child welfare specialist who is specially trained to listen to your concerns and ask questions before deciding how urgent the situation is and what type of intervention is needed. If a child is in imminent danger, a child protection worker will respond immediately.

Children’s Aid workers are professionals who evaluate your information using comprehensive guidelines to determine the risk in each situation. Child protection workers, using clear standards and guidelines, determine the kind of support and service needed to keep children safe in situations involving child maltreatment. A typical response to a child protection concern will include checking a computer database to see if the family or child has been involved with Children's Aid in the past. Many factors are considered when determining how to investigate your concerns, including the age of the child, presence of physical injuries and other red flags that may indicate risk of harm.

Every report received by Children's Aid is reviewed by a child protection worker who then consults with a supervisor to determine the appropriate response time. Individual circumstances and level of risk for the children involved determine the response times.

If you have protection concerns about a child, please contact your local Children’s Aid IMMEDIATELY.

What happens during an investigation?

To begin the investigation, the worker may interview the child, family members or others who are involved to determine if abuse has occurred or if the child is at risk of being abused. If the child is not at risk, the investigation is then complete and the worker may refer the child and family to community agencies for further support. If the abuse is substantiated, the worker will plan a strategy to ensure the child is safe and the family gets the help it needs. While in most cases the family remains together while working with Children's Aid and community services, it is sometimes necessary to take the children out of the home to keep them safe. If it's decided that children must be taken out of their home to keep them safe, they may be placed with extended family, a foster family or customary care.

For more information about your duty to report, please contact your local Children’s Aid IMMEDIATELY.