Sheldon Kennedy centre working to protect child-abuse victims

Program aims to build more effective system of response, Sara Austin says.

A 14-month-old Calgary girl inspired a revolution in the way our community responds to child abuse. She was a victim not only of unimaginable abuse, but also of a fragmented, ineffective system.

The little girl died in 2010. Her autopsy was at first inconclusive, but tests revealed she died of asphyxia. It was not an accident.

As the investigation unfolded, it became clear how completely the little girl had been failed by the systems meant to protect her. The police, child welfare and health-care workers were detached; there were no processes in place to communicate or share information among them.

Officials were aware of her situation for two months leading up to her death.

Despite recommendations, she was never taken into protective custody.

The old, disjointed child-abuse response system failed her. She simply slipped through the cracks.

Her situation was not a one-off; many families dealing with child abuse faced a breakdown in transitions of care and services as they progressed through assessment, investigation and treatment. Kids often had to repeat their disclosure stories (something that is incredibly traumatic to do even just once) to three or four different agencies.

The safety and well-being of children is a shared responsibility. Five years ago, the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre opened its doors.

Our integrated, collaborative approach is designed to seal the cracks that existed before. We share protocols, standards and guidelines to ensure that first responders can effectively protect Alberta’s at-risk children.

Our integrated model improves timeliness in the assessment and investigation phase. Information is shared immediately across partner agencies. Ninety per cent of children are interviewed once, instead of multiple times. Medical assessments take minutes or hours, rather than days.

We can more effectively offer support and therapeutic resources to kids and their families; wait times for therapy services have decreased by 60 per cent.

The centre focuses on sexual abuse cases and the most complex and urgent cases of physical abuse and neglect, which creates capacity in our partner agencies.

Our education efforts are working to bring the issue of child abuse to the forefront, which may be part of the reason we’re seeing an increase in cases; more people are learning about child abuse, disclosing their trauma, and seeking help.

I believe the centre’s most impactful work goes beyond case numbers and wait times. In our first five years, we have established a collaborative and integrative response that is truly breaking down barriers and affecting systemic change. We’re having conversations with government and collaborating with other agencies to influence policy and make change.

Our efforts don’t just improve children’s lives and safety in the short-term; early life experiences change the biology of our brains, affecting our physical and mental well-being for the rest of our lives.

Victims of child abuse are three to five times more likely to be physically or sexually revictimized. They are four times more likely to report self-harm or suicidal thoughts and 30 per cent less likely to graduate from high school.

These effects are felt long after the act of abuse has occurred, not only by the victim and their family, but by the entire community. Abuse and neglect have societal and economic impacts beyond the destruction it causes to the individual victim.

The level of awareness that exists regarding child abuse and neglect is nowhere near where it should be; despite its prevalence, the public dialogue about abuse and investment in its treatment remains muted.

Child abuse is an insidious, invisible issue, and it needs to be brought into the spotlight. It is widespread, and leaves longlasting, far-reaching damage in its wake.

It is a community problem that requires a collaborative response. And though it is uncomfortable, we must continue to talk about it and demand better for all our children.