Home > Teachers Handbook for Sexually Abused Children in our Community
TEACHERS HANDBOOK FOR SEXUALLY ABUSED CHILDREN
The purpose of this booklet is to further increase the knowledge of teachers, principals and administrators on the issue of child sexual abuse. Sexual violence against children is a crime of an atrocious nature. The consequences of sexual violence are enormous, and may have life time effects. How effectively a person heals from the abuse is often related to how soon appropriate supports and services are made available to the child and family.
This booklet is designed for teachers as a desktop guide on addressing the issues of:
- the duty to report child sexual abuse
- characteristics of sexually abused children
- how to support a sexually abused child in the classroom
SSAIC believes that by developing a closer relationship with local schools through efforts such as this, the entire community will benefit as we work together to stop sexual violence against children.
MISSION STATEMENT: The Saskatoon Sexual Assault & Information Centre (SSAIC) exists to contend with sexual violence and its effects upon individuals and the community. We aspire to a society where all may achieve their full potential free from fear of sexual violence in any form.
ABOUT US...
Saskatoon Sexual Assault & Information Centre (SSAIC) has
been in existence since 1975. We offer a number of programs
and services that aim to:
- promote healing and empowerment of those who
ha
ve experienced sexual violence
- increase community awareness of sexual violence and
its eff
ects
- change societal attitudes that perpetuate sexual violence
- strengthen collaboration among individuals and
organizations w
orking towards the elimination of
se
xual violence
- contribute to the development of social, legal and
educational policies related to the elimination of
se
xual violence
SSAIC services include two components:
- Direct response services to survivors of sexual abuse
- 24 hour Crisis Line (306) 244-2224
- counselling services (306) 244-2294
- volunteer training
- Violence prevention services to school classrooms,
teachers
, childcare workers, professionals,
comm
unity program staff, and others
- child abuse prevention
- public education program
- educational resources
Please call 244-2294 to find out how we might be of assistance to you.
DEFINITION of Child Sexual Abuse
Child sexual abuse occurs when a child
under the age of 16 is threatened, forced,
manipulated or tricked into sexual activity
by a young person or adult. The activity can
include a range of behaviors: being touched
or being invited to touch another person for
a sexual purpose, with part of their body or
an object. It can range from kissing and
fondling to masturbation or sexual intercourse.
The Criminal Code of Canada identifies a number of sexual offences to which the following actions may apply:
- Sexual interference
- Invitation to sexual touching
- Sexual exploitation of a young person
- Parent or guardian procuring sexual activity with a child
- Exposing genitals to a child
- Juvenile prostitution
- living off the avails of child prostitution
- attempting to obtain sexual services of a child
- Incest
- Corrupting children
- Indecent acts
- Bestiality
- Sexual assault
- Sexual assault with a weapon, threats to a 3rd party or
causing bodily har
m
- Aggravated sexual assault
- Exposing a child to pornography
- Luring a child through the internet
The Criminal Code of Canada states that young persons under the age of 18 are protected from sexual exploitation. Consent is never valid if the person touching them for a sexual purpose is in a position of trust or authority over them or if they are in a relationship of dependency with that person.
Age of consent refers to the age at which criminal law recognizes the legal capacity of a young person to consent to sexual activity. The AGE OF CONSENT was raised to the age of 16 in 2008
There are some exceptions to the above law that allows young persons to experiment sexually, while protecting them from those who would exploit them (those in a position of trust or authority).
- Children under the age of 12 can never give legal consent
to an
y sexual activity
- Children 12 or 13 years of age can only consent with
person(s) less than 2 y
ears older than themselves
- Youth 14 or 15 years of age can only consent with
person(s) less than 5 y
ears older than themselves
- Youth 16 & 17 can give legal consent to sexual activity, as
long as the other person is not in a position of tr
ust or
author
ity over the other, or is not a person upon whom the
other is dependent.
DUTY TO REPORT
The Provincial Child Abuse Protocol (2006), Section B, pertains to "Involvement of Schools" (p. 19). It is not the responsibility of school personnel to determine the abuse, but it is their responsibility to report suspected cases of abuse or neglect. Informal consultations with protection workers or police officers are welcome, and may occur without a formal report.
"Any person (e.g. teacher, principal or other school division employee) who suspects a case of child abuse or neglect must immediately report the case to a child protection worker or police officer. The school principal must be informed that a report has been made to a child protection worker or the police. (p.20)
"No action lies against a person who makes a report pursuant to Section 12 (1) unless that person makes it maliciously and without grounds for his or her belief."
TEACHERS: IT IS YOUR DUTY TO REPORT ANY ABUSE IF THE CHILD IS UNDER 16 YEARS OF AGE.
Characteristics of Children
Who Have Been Sexually Abused
The impact of sexual abuse is affected by several factors such as the relationship with the offender, duration of the abuse, the type of abuse, the frequency and others responses (page 16).
Children will react to abuse in a variety of ways. Teachers have daily contact with children and may be the first to notice that something seems out of the ordinary. Teachers will need to watch for several indicators if they are concerned about child sexual abuse (the presence of just one of the following behaviors may not be enough to prove that abuse has occurred).
Typical behaviors might include:
- changes in school behavior: problems learning,
concentr
ation
- unexplained prolonged absences from home or school
- withdrawing, isolating self from other children
- poor self-image, low self esteem, and lack of confidence
- fear of leaving school, fear of being alone
- reluctance to go with a particular person or to go to a
par
ticular place
- self-destructive behaviors (alcohol/drug use, self harm,
agg
ression/violence)
- resistance to touch or comforting
- acting out sexually, or seductively, and exhibiting age
inappropr
iate language or sexual behavior
NOTE: Signs and symptoms should be carefully regarded. Many behaviors can be associated with other causes and in some instances might be associated with "normal" behavior. It is important to carefully consider the full range of information about any case of alleged child sexual abuse.
Behavioral Indicators of Child Sexual Abuse
Children (5-9 years of age)
- Nightmares and other sleep disturbances
- Fears that the attack will re-occur
- Phobias concerning specific school or community
activities or specific people
- Withdrawing from family or friends
- Regression to earlier behaviors (ie: thumbsucking,
bedw
etting)
- Eating disturbances
- Physical ailments such as abdominal pain or urinary
difficulties
- Victimization of others: aggressive/destructive behavior
- Arriving at school early, staying late at school
- Sexualized knowledge beyond that which is expected for
this age
Pre-adolescents (10-12 years of age)
- Depression
- Nightmares or other sleep disturbances
- Poor school performance, memory or concentration
prob
lems
- Social difficulties, low self-esteem
- Drop in extra-curricular activities
- Promiscuity
- Use of illegal drugs or alcohol
- Fear that the attack will occur again
- Eating disturbances/disorders
- Withdrawal from friends or family
- Aggressive behavior, sexually intrusive behaviors
- Sexualized knowledge beyond that expected for age
Adolescents (13 - 17 years of age)
- Running away from home
- Dating males a lot older than themselves
- Early pregnancy / promiscuity / early marriage
- Use of illegal drugs or alcohol
- Suicidal thoughts / gestures, self-harm behaviors
- Grief over the loss of one's virginity
- Fear that the attack will occur again
- Anger / rage about being forced into a position beyond
one'
s control
- Withdrawal from family and friends
- Eating disorders
- Problems / conflict with the law
- Sexual aggression, pre-occupation with sexual language
Physical Indicators of Child Sexual Abuse
- Irritation, pain, injury to the genital area, difficulty going to
the bathroom, or difficulty swallowing
- Difficulty or pain in the genital area upon sitting down or
walking
- Continuous sores or cold sores around the mouth
- Bruised, swollen, red or bleeding areas of external genitalia
- Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
- Pregnancy in pre-teens
- Urinary tract infections, anal tears, vaginal infections
SOME FACTS ABOUT CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
- Children are often sexually abused by someone they know
(father figure, relative, family friend). Children are
molested by strangers in only about 8% of cases.*
- Sexual offenders are usually male. Of the children seen at
SSAIC*, only 5% reported being assaulted by a female.
- Children are vulnerable to sexual abuse because they trust
adults who have inherent authority over them. Cooperation
is often gained through bribery, guilt, fear and pressure to keep
secrets.
- Sexual abuse of children isn't usually an isolated occurrence.
Abuse progresses from exposure and masturbation in front of
children, to touching and other acts over a period of several
years.
- Children rarely lie about sexual abuse. Most children don't
have the knowledge to describe situations of sexual contact
without having experienced them.
- Children do not seduce perpetrators. The idea of the child being
a "temptress" stems from misinterpretation of a child's behavior.
For example, a bare-bottomed child running about the house
is not trying to seduce an adult. Seeing this as an act of
seduction is rationalizing the offender's behavior. Children who
have been sexually abused may act inappropriately, but this is a
result of the abuse, and not the cause of it. Inappropriate
behavior is a warning sign.
- Sex offenders are not necessarily "dirty old men." Many times
they are upstanding members of the community. Even people
with apparently strong moral and religious beliefs may be
offenders. Offenders usually seem "normal" in most respects.**
- Between 15% and 33% of all sexual offences in Canada are
committed by persons under 21 years of age.***
* SSAIC Statistics, 2007-2008
** King County Rape Relief. "He Told Me Not To Tell", King County Rape Relief,
1979. p. 24.
*** National Clearinghouse on Family Violence. "Adolescent Sex Offenders
(revised by Dr. Fred Mathews), 1997.
WHAT TO DO IF A CHILD TELLS YOU SHE
OR HE HAS BEEN SEXUALLY ABUSED
- Remain calm, breathe deeply, respect the child's privacy.
- Invite the child to tell you what happened. Say something like,
"Do you want to tell me what happened?"
- Reassure the child. "It's really good you told someone", "You
are not to blame", "It was not your fault", "What (that person)
did to you was wrong."
- Provide emotional support for the child. Let the child know
that you believe her/him. "I understand that telling was very
hard and scary for you, but I'm glad you did. We will get help
for you."
- Report the incident. All cases involving children under the
age of 16 must be reported to the Police or to the Ministry
of Social Services - Child Protective Services. Be sure to
inquire about your school policy (see enclosed Saskatoon
School Board policies).
- Call the Saskatoon Sexual Assault and Information Centre
Office @ 244-2294, or the 24 hour Crisis Line @ 244-2224.
Workers (and trained volunteers) are available 24 hours a day
to provide emotional support and practical information.
WHAT NOT TO DO: Child Sexual Abuse Disclosures
- Do not use leading questions (see page 12)
- Do not touch the child without asking first.
- Do not dismiss what the child has told you (such as not
believing the child).
Roles Of The Mandated Agencies Who Work With Sexually Abused Children
The Police will conduct the criminal investigation. They will ensure evidence is protected, that the victim and public are protected. When investigation is complete, they submit reports to the Crown Prosecutor. Information may be shared with child protection workers.
Child Protection Workers/Social Services will assess the safety of the child who has allegedly been abused. The child may be removed for a temporary or extended length of time if the home is deemed to be unsafe.
Health Professionals assess injuries from a medical perspective.
They will:
- preserve the physical/emotional well-being of the child
- assess, diagnose and treat any related condition,
including making ref
errals to appropriate services
- gather and preserve medical evidence
- provide sound medical evidence, documentation and
e
xpert opinion in the court, if requested.
The Crown Prosecutor ("the Crown") will review all files following investigations conducted by the Police. The Crown may advise:
- that charges be laid by the police
- what the appropriate charges should be
- if further investigation is required.
The prosecutor prepares witnesses for court appearances to
ensure the best evidence available is presented to the court.
LEADING AND NON-LEADING QUESTIONS
Leading questions occur when questions are asked using information not initially volunteered by the victim.
It is important that people who suspect child sexual abuse
be careful about the way they ask questions of children. The primary concern of the investigators is that other people do
not "contaminate the evidence" by asking leading questions. Use of leading questions may cause cases to become invalid
in court.
When a child discloses to a teacher, it is critical to let the child tell their story in their own words. The teacher may simply
want to say something like, "can you tell me what has happened," as a way to encourage the child to explain a situation.
For example:
The child has volunteered that she/he has been "touched" and has identified the offender as "Uncle Jack."
When more information is required, consider an example like this:
Non-Leading question (correct):
"Can you tell me where Uncle Jack touched you?" and
"What part of his body did Uncle Jack use to touch you?"
Leading question (wrong):
"Did Uncle Jack put his
hand down your pants?"
SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD PROCEDURES
- Every employee of the Division who has reasonable grounds
to believe a child is in need of protection, is responsible for
reporting the information directly to:
Ministry of Social Services 933-6077
Saskatoon Police Services 975-8300
- The employee shall gather the following information before
reporting: name of child, child's birth date and address, name
of parent, facts of the disclosure or observation, and other
pertinent school or family information.
- Following the report to the above authorities, the employee
shall immediately advise his/her Principal or supervisor.
- Interviews of the child by Social Services or the Police may be
conducted on school premises without parental notification.
The personnel conducting this interview will complete the
"Counselling and Social Work Services Provided by Out-of
System Agencies" form.
- The Principal will inform the appropriate Superintendent of the
report and interview.
- The Principal will advise the Coordinator of Student services of
this report.
- All information, records and discussions related to the child will
be kept confidential.
GREATER SASKATOON CATHOLIC SCHOOLS PROCEDURES
- Any employee of the school division who believes that a child
may be in need of protection shall report that information to one
of the following agencies:
Ministry of Social Services
(City Intake) 933-6077
(Rural Intake) 933-5069 or 1-800-274-8297
Saskatoon Police Services (switchboard) 975-8300
R.C.M.P. (Saskatoon region) 975-5173
R.C.M.P. (Biggar) 948-6600
R.C.M.P. (Humboldt) 682-2535
Crisis Intervention (after hours) 933-6200
- When appropriate and without reasonable delay, the report
should be made in consultation with the principal.
- Consultations with Social Services are encouraged and
documented.
- The employee reporting the suspected abuse or neglect, should
maintain a factual record of all evidence and information to aid
both reporting and recall.
- Upon completion of a report of suspected abuse, the Employee
Report of Suspected Abuse Form must be hand delivered to the
office of the Director.
- Any information subsequently on the report should be documented
and appropriately stored apart from other student records.
If you have any further questions, please contact your local school social worker, guidance counsellor or
Student Services Representative: @ 668-7052.
IMPACT of Child Sexual Abuse
The degree of trauma that sexual abuse has on the young person may be influenced by the following factors:
- The relationship between the victim and the offender.
the closer the relationship
, the higher the risk of trauma
and inability to tr
ust others.
- The age that the abuse began and for how long it has
continued.
an on-going abusive relationship is often more damaging
to a young person.
- The type of sexual activity involved in the abuse.
sexual acts that involve no physical contact may be less
traumatic.
- The degree of force used to coerce or manipulate the child.
more violence increases the tr
auma
- How others responded to the child's disclosure.
if she/he was not believed or was blamed, the trauma
gener
ally increases
- Having support people available to the child following the
disclosure.
lack of support increases trauma and feelings of loneliness
and unworthiness
HOW A TEACHER CAN SUPPORT A CHILD WHO HAS DISCLOSED SEXUAL ABUSE
- SECURITY: Help the child feel safe, help him/her create
boundaries that make her/him feel safe.
- IDENTITY: Give reassurance that you are someone she/
he can trust. Respond to the needs of the child.
- CONSISTENCY: Create a predictable, safe environment.
- SENSE OF BELONGING: Give her/him that sense of
belonging by displaying her/his work, or assigning roles in
activities.
- INTIMACY IN APPROPRIATE WAYS: This might include
sharing something about yourself and empathize with
what she/he is going through right now.
- APPROVAL: Show your approval of the child in a variety of
ways.
- ENCOURAGEMENT: Identify with her/his feelings about
the situation.
- NORMALCY: Treat the child in the way that she/he would
normally be treated.
- SUPPORT TO THE CHILD AND FAMILY: Allow parents to
come into the classroom, so that they may support their child.
WHY DO KIDS TELL TEACHERS ABOUT THEIR ABUSE?
- Teachers are safe people
- Teachers are trustworthy adults
- Teachers know what to do
- Teachers will help kids if they can
- Teachers can talk and listen to kids about problems
- Teachers can give support and encouragement to kids
WHY KIDS NEED THEIR TEACHER'S SUPPORT:
- Teachers encourage the best from kids
- Teachers listen to the needs of kids
- Teachers can help kids trust people again
- Teachers help kids learn
HELPING KIDS
- respond quickly and appropriately
- be supportive
- believe the child
- take prompt actions
RESOURCES
Besharon, Douglas. Recognizing Child Abuse. Collier McMill: Toronto, 1990.
Government of Saskatchewan, Provincial Child Abuse Protocol, Interdepartmental Child Abuse Committee, 2006.
Department of Justice Canada. What To Do If A Child Tells You Of Sexual Abuse: Understanding the Law. Department of Justice Canada: Ottawa, 1989.
Hinderman, Jan. A Very Touching Book for Big and Little People. McClure-Hindman Associates: Oregon, USA, 1983. (Ages 5 and up).
Lenett, Robin and Bob Crane. It's O.K. To Say No. Tom Doherty Associated Books: United States, 1985.
Lew, Mike. Victims No Longer. Harper Collins Publishers: United States, 1990.
Silverman, Peter. Who Speaks for the Children? Stoddart: Canada, 1989.
SSAIC Annual Report, 2007-2008.
Videos:
The Community Child Abuse Council of Hamilton-Wentworth. Touching, the Video. Canada, 1995. (Ages 6 - 12)
National Film Board of Canada. Good Things Can Still Happen. Canada, 1992 (Grades 4 - 7, young adult)
National Film Board of Canada. Good Things Too. Canada, 1996 (Teen survivors, youth)
Morningstar Entertainment. Secrets. Canada, 1994 (prevention video for teachers/parents)
Additional Community Services (Saskatoon listings)
- Saskatoon Sexual Assault and Information Centre
(SSAIC).
Counselling and support for victim and
family, accompaniment to police, hospital and court.
Call 244-2294 (office), or 244-2224 f
or support
via the 24 hour crisis line.
- Saskatoon Crisis Intervention Service 933-6200
- Mental Health - counseling and treatment
- Child and Youth Services 655-7800
- Victim Services - Support for victims of crime, Crimes
Compensation, Saskatche
wan Justice @ (306) 787-3500
- Victim Services, Court orientation and accompaniment,
Saskatche
wan Justice @ 933-5149
- Kid's Help Line - 1-800-668-6868
REMEMBER:
IT IS YOUR DUTY TO REPORT SEXUAL
ABUSE IF THE CHILD IS UNDER 16 YEARS OF AGE.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL SSAIC
244-2294
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